Ever feel like you have to yell and scream to get your partner’s attention? Well, you don’t really! And try not to make your partner feel like he/she has to! Listen to the whispers; then, to avoid misunderstanding, repeat what you think you heard. Give voice to love.

That yelling and screaming is based in fear; and fear pushes love aside. … More

You’re writing a story with your life every day. Imagine somebody turning that story into a movie. Is it a sappy romance, a comedy, an inspirational drama, or an action-packed suspense? What’s the theme? The plot? If you were to cast an actor to play the starring role, who would it be? What would you learn from watching it?

And what do you want to happen before somebody writes the screenplay?

When does it happen?… More

Especially if you’ve been thinking about your “imperfections” lately, please ask yourself this question: At what point did I lose my perfection?

We think of a newborn baby as perfect. When the baby cries, we still think he’s perfect. He is. When he tries to crawl and can’t, we still think he’s perfect. We see his stumbling as part of what makes him perfect. We delight in his effort and encourage him to grow.

Yet for some reason when we, as adults, stumble in an effort to take the next step or get the next lesson, we tend to point to a personal “imperfection” — or blame it on somebody else. Pointing to “imperfections” reinforces them. Eventually, we come to expect less of ourselves; maybe we even quit trying. And blaming somebody else is no more effective.

Rather than kick yourself while you are down, encourage yourself. Give yourself points for effort. Don’t just do it to be kind. Do it to be fair!

Encourage yourself the way you would encourage your baby, because that might be the best example you have of your ability to love unconditionally. And that’s the only way to really love somebody, including yourself.

You are doing the best you can do.… More