I learned how to grow old from a woman who never got the chance. My friend Susan Spencer-Wendel was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2011, when she was 44. She had three children, ages 14 to 8, and she would not live to see them graduate from high school.
How do I explain who I am without explaining who I was? LaVelle Olexa pondered this question when she left her job in 2009. She was used to being a Somebody, one of America’s most influential fashion executives.
I used to address my husband with two toxic words: “you should.” “You should meet your deadlines.” “You should get that done by Friday.” “You should make a plan.”
Empowerment in a Chaotic Environment: What does it mean to be empowered? What keeps you from feeling empowered? How do others seem to be so self-confident?
Why is it so hard to apologize? Why is it so hard to accept and acknowledge responsibility for our words or actions? It takes an emotionally mature and stable person to do just that. To admit wrong, stop blaming circumstances or others and just own our “stuff”. Professor emeritus, Roy Lewicki, of Ohio State University’s ... Read more
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip. You don’t have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you’ll get the point… Name the five wealthiest people in the world. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. Name the last five ... Read more
Believe it or not, you can be both…right and happy. Ask yourself, what is my attachment to being right? What makes it so important that I would sacrifice my relationship for it? If you have “right” what do you really have? You may have white knuckles and sore fingers from digging in and a relationship ... Read more
The very best gift ever is to “Create a life that tickles your soul”. In a book by the same name, Dr. Suzanne Zoglio reminds us that happiness is in our very own hands. Though we have often heard that retort, it seems that we fall into old patterns of blaming others or situations or ... Read more
As Hurricane Irma approaches, I have made several observations as people prepare that seem to fit the paradigm for relationships. For example, when the weather person first begins reporting that a storm is coming, people don’t seem to take it to seriously and just listen for more. Then, a few days into it, when the ... Read more
Several years ago I had a couple come into my office for their first session on a Monday. During the course of the initial conversation, they related that they had an appointment with a divorce attorney on Friday. In essence, I had one chance to turn this relationship around! Why is it that people wait ... Read more
Every day in my private practice I see couples who complain about their communication skills. They talk about listening, understanding, expressing feelings, too many words, not enough words, withdrawing, aggressive speech, and more. The truth is that most marriages could be improved upon without talking. Yes, I did say without talking. How is that possible? ... Read more