Relationships

24 Sep

Posted at 12:29h in Love, Meaning, positive emotion, Positive Psychology, Relationships, savoring by

[caption id="attachment_138" align="alignleft" width="286" caption="Me with Ariana (left) and Cruz (right)"][/caption] I spent the past weekend in Florida visiting some old and new friends. It was amazing to spend time with Joe and Terry (the old ones) and their two-month old fraternal twins, Ariana Michele and Cruz Aiden (the new ones). How amazing it was to meet these little guys for the first time – so precious and sweet and innocent. So easy to love. I admire the measures Joe and Terry took to even have these babies. Given they are two men, these measures were creative, far from convention,...

22 Sep

Posted at 19:12h in Action Research, forgiveness, Hope, positive emotion, Positive Psychology, Relationships, resiliency, savoring, social contagion factor by

Hello Mother, Hello Father Greetings from summer sleep-away camp. Really, I write this tucked away in the woods in northeastern Pennsylvania – a tiny spot of heaven called Camp Happy Times – aptly named for a place where two hundred kids who have or have had cancer come for a week’s time of fun, fun, and more fun. They come here to celebrate the joy of life. Essentially, they come here to be kids, not just the “kids with cancer”. [caption id="attachment_132" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="This is me (center) in the middle of the table in a cake eating contest. I...

22 Jul

Posted at 09:02h in Action Research, Coaching, Hope, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Love, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Relationships by

I posted this on Facebook yesterday . . . “Relationships are hard. All types. (Am eager to know what y'all think about this as I write this week's newsletter, so speak up - please.)” . . . because I wanted to see what would happen (see below for the results). But as soon as I posted it, I realized something interesting: * Isn’t the fact that I say ‘Relationships are hard’ part the very reason they remain so? * Now, granted, I am by no means suggesting that only because I say it, I will it (Well maybe I am a little bit). There are certainly...

09 Jul

Posted at 16:29h in Action Research, Coaching, Hope, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Love, Positive Psychology, Relationships by

As you may imagine, I come in contact with so many people - clients, friends, relatives -yearning for loving relationships - for real, loving relationships - the kind that make everything else all worth it. But for so many people, this is not reality. Either we’re in dead end relationships or none at all. In either case, we’re not getting what we want in life; we’re not happy. * What do you want more of in your life? What do you need more of? * Better relationships? Meaningful work? Health? Happiness? Surely, these are needs important to many, if not all,...

02 Jul

Posted at 11:02h in Hope, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Love, Mindfulness, Movie Review, Positive Psychology, Relationships, Social-Emotional Leadership, Uncategorized, Vision by

Last week I saw (from the first row, and in 3-D) Disney Pixar’s Up, an animated film about life, adventure, and friendship. The film certainly pulled on my heart string in a very “other-people- matter”-positive-psychology-kind-of-way. The film also speaks to this month’s PPND theme of fun. In it, a young hopeful and optimistic Carl Fredricksen becomes fascinated with a hero of his time, a world-famous aviator and explorer, Charles Muntz, who encourages imagination, creative play, and adventure.Up opens with young Carl playing “explorer make-believe” by himself. He stumbles upon a tomboy named Ellie playing a similar game. A few frames later,...

25 Jun

Posted at 08:19h in Action Research, Coaching, Hope, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Love, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Present, Relationships, Social-Emotional Leadership by

Given the GEC (global economic crisis) AND my traditionally poor management of money, I've been thinking a lot on this idea of really what's negotiable lately. I've come to one conclusion: everything. Financially: Think about it: you park your car on a lot on Eighth Avenue. You pay an astronomical $320 per month for the spot (extra, for a dang SUV!). You approach the lot manager and simply ask, with love and hope: "Is it possible to lower my monthly fee?" "I know that things are really tight these days, but I may be tempted to park closer to the river, where the...

10 Jun

Posted at 10:30h in Action Research, Character Strength, Coaching, Hope, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Love, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Relationships, Social-Emotional Leadership by

[caption id="attachment_97" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Grandma Liz at 93!"][/caption] After getting an email from my sister Lisa this week entitled, “secret to a long life,” I’ve been wondering really, what it’s all about - for me. Then, serendipitously, I had the chance to do some action research this past weekend, which I spent in Cleveland, Ohio at my friend’s grandmother’s 93rd birthday. NINTY THREE YEARS YOUNG. Her name is Liz and let me tell you - she's a spitfire. She can hear, she can see (after recent cataract surgery, where for the first time in 88 years, she can really see), she can...

05 Jun

Posted at 08:38h in Action Research, Character Strength, Coaching, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Positive Psychology, Relationships by

BE YOUR BEST SELF The good you find in others, is in you too. The faults you find in others, are your faults as well. After all, to recognize something you must know it. The possibilities you see in others, are possible for you as well. The beauty you see around you, is your beauty. The world around you is a reflection, a mirror showing you the person you are. To change your world, you must change yourself. To blame and complain will only make matters worse. Whatever you care about, is your responsibility. What you see in others, shows you yourself. See the best in others, and you will be your...

15 May

Posted at 19:14h in Coaching, Efficacy, Love, Positive Psychology, Relationships, Social-Emotional Leadership, Uncategorized by

“Love is in the air, everywhere I look around Love is in the air, every sight and every sound” (lyrics by Paul Young) Love is such a strange phenomenon. We all want it. We all need it. But do we all have it?

I recently learned of a very cool definition of love: “Love is the flowing, the outpouring the rendering from the heart and soul of emotional goodness to yourself first, - - and then to others in your life.” (from the Hoffman Institute) With yourself first! Herein lies A KEY. * Do you love yourself? * * Do you really love yourself? * Love changes the brain. It’s all about...

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