Author Archives: RealityCheck

Reality Check: The Most Basic Need of All

Posted on April 15, 2023 by RealityCheck

In recent columns, I’ve explored four of the five basic needs that Dr. Glasser suggested are common to all of us. Among those needs is the need for love and belonging. We need to know that we are not alone … Continue reading →

Posted in Needs | Tagged basic needs, need satisfaction | Comments Off

Reality Check: When We Lose Power

Posted on April 8, 2023 by RealityCheck

Dr. Wm. Glasser included power in his list of five basic human needs. As the word “power” can be interpreted in different ways, first let’s consider what power might mean here. I don’t know how you spend your vacation, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Power | Tagged basic needs, conflict, motivation, power | Comments Off

Reality Check: For the Fun of It

Posted on April 1, 2023 by RealityCheck

Are you serious about having fun? Or do you consider fun to be frivolous? Do you treat fun like dessert, saving it for after all the serious business has been handled? Then, if there’s time, maybe you’ll have the opportunity … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: The Need to be Free

Posted on March 25, 2023 by RealityCheck

Here in the “true north strong and free,” you might think that everybody understands freedom. According to Dr. Glasser’s choice theory, we all have some level of the need for freedom. We may all have the need, but there are … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: The Belonging Problem

Posted on March 19, 2023 by RealityCheck

The Choice Theory of Dr. Wm. Glasser suggests that we have five basic needs that motivate us to act. We may choose effective actions that create a satisfying life or we may choose ineffective actions that are counter-productive, even self-destructive. … Continue reading →

Posted in Love & Belonging | Tagged basic needs, examining wants, happiness, need satisfaction | Comments Off

Reality Check: Our Most Basic Needs

Posted on March 5, 2023 by RealityCheck

Are there more incidents of unhappiness now than ever before? The pandemic and the changes that accompanied it can certainly give that impression. There are plenty of stories. Some—about celebrities or strangers—appear in the media. But you may also be … Continue reading →

Posted in Needs | Tagged basic needs, examining wants, happiness, hope, need satisfaction | Comments Off

Reality Check: Negotiating Differences in a Relationship

Posted on February 26, 2023 by RealityCheck

The seventh and final caring habit in Dr. Glasser’s list of caring habits is “always negotiating disagreements,” which I refer to as negotiating differences. It might seem odd to think of negotiations when we’re talking about personal relationships. Negotiating sounds … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged choosing actions, conflict, improving relationships, negotiation | Comments Off

Reality Check: The Habit of Respect

Posted on February 19, 2023 by RealityCheck

If you’ve been following recent columns, you’ll know that I’ve been examining Dr. Glasser’s caring habits for building relationships, one at a time. To recap, those habits are: supporting, encouraging, listening, accepting, trusting, respecting, and negotiating differences. We’ve now come … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged choosing actions, choosing thoughts, improving relationships, perception | Comments Off

Reality Check: The Role of Trust in Relationships

Posted on February 12, 2023 by RealityCheck

How trusting are you? If you heard yourself described as a trusting person, would you take that as positive or negative? Does trusting mean that you are gullible? My perception is that trust is a very good thing, in some … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged improving relationships, perception, trust | Comments Off

Reality Check: Acceptance of Reality as a Caring Habit

Posted on February 5, 2023 by RealityCheck

Some people’s lives seem naturally filled with good, close relationships while others have a difficult time getting along with anyone. I certainly don’t have an easy answer for why these disparities exist. We only have control over some things. Thus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged choosing thoughts, conflict, examining wants, perception | Comments Off