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25Aug, 2018
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Decompression from Obsession

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Well, I didn’t think this was going to happen, but I bought a smartphone.  I tooled around with it for 1 ½ hours one night, getting it activated and ready to use.  The other night I browsed through several apps and downloaded several of them including Angry Birds (hilarious and addictive by the way).  I was never drawn that strongly to my phone in the past probably because I just saw it as a practical way to keep in touch with family and friends.  My phone did not take up […]
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16Aug, 2018
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Could You Be As Nice As It Takes?

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In his book The 100/0 Principle, The Secret of Great Relationships ( 2010),  Al Ritter, the CFO of a Fortune 500 consumer goods company, quoted French writer Marcel Proust: “True discovery consists not in finding new landscapes, but in seeing the same landscape with new eyes.”  In The 100/0 Principle, Ritter relates a story about a relationship that his boss, the president of the company, asked him to create with a business acquaintance Ritter disliked intensely. He reported that initially he didn’t know what to do, but finally decided that […]
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13Aug, 2018
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Celebrating Success

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Celebrating Success   In many busy lives, people respond to many demands.  With too much to do and never enough hours in the day, there are always a few mistakes.    You may be one of the people racing around trying to do it all and missing a few key items in the haste.  Do you kick yourself when that happens?  Does making a mistake set you back from your sense of accomplishment and purpose?  Becoming self-critical can sap your energy and lead to eroding self-esteem.   When was the […]
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12Aug, 2018
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The Seven Principle’s Couple Pogram

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Wow, it is Sunday night and I just completed teaching my first ever weekend Seven Principle’s couple program based on John Gottman’s book The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Here were some of the comments about the training: “Enjoyed the creative add-on’s.” “Karen’s special touches were awesome.” “Your place (Karen’s office) is wonderful, nice and homey, very comfortable …warm and welcoming.” “I hope others take this program, it is quite enlightening for all ages…I could see every 5 years a refresher course.” “Even though we were friends coming in […]
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11Aug, 2018
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Tips for the beginning of the school year: Parents You Can Do It!

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The school year for children is upon us.  If you find your nervous energy gaining momentum stop and take a deep breath.  I have some points you might want to utilize in your thoughts and parenting approaches to get the full benefit out of your parenting approaches to your children; and, in particular in respect to homework.  Do not use the word grounding when your child spends a few week day nights procrastinating and comes misses deadlines for homework.  The word grounding to a child means-“Prison”.  My contention is that this […]
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9Aug, 2018
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When Tragedy Strikes and the Healing Begins

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As I was doing my Amazon.com search for new books and music, I came across a CD entitled “Beauty Will Rise” by Steven Curtis Chapman.  The songs on the CD talk about Chapman’s journey after his adopted daughter’s accidental death.  He shares his struggles, his anguish, his doubts, his faith and his hope.   Maybe some of us (like myself) seemed removed from tragedies like an accidental death of a child, suicide, murder, natural disasters (e.g., the New Orleans hurricane, the Joplin tornado which claimed many lives), or the 9/11 […]
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9Aug, 2018
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Considering The Stages of Change

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Considering the Stages of Change   Changing for the better is sometimes difficult, but it can lead to a sense of self-assurance in a healthy way.  Maybe you are considering a lifestyle change for your health.  Perhaps you are thinking about increasing your commitment to exercise, eat well and give up harmful habits.  Maybe you want to improve your communication habits with loved ones or become more organized.  Whatever your goal is that will make your life better, you are realizing it is important to you to make a commitment […]
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3Aug, 2018
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Making A Change

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Making A Change  You might think that change is hard.  A Greek philosopher proposed that change is inevitable when he said, “Nothing is permanent except change.”  In coaching and counseling, people come in for help to make changes.  They often explain it as a response to something that has changed outside of them.  Usually, the change is unwelcome and the feelings they associate with the changes are upsetting in some way.   What changes are you experiencing?  Are you taking on new responsibilities in the workplace or at home?  Have you […]
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