Author Archives: RealityCheck

Reality Check: Information in Action

Recently, I came across a near-magical convergence of two of my interests (that’s quality assurance and choice theory, of course.) The weekly quote on my favourite quality assurance website was a choice theory quote from Dr. Wm. Glasser! Glasser said, … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Angry Stance

Do you have an automatic mode? That is, do you wake up feeling pretty much the same every day? Is your first reaction to a situation more or less the same, despite whether the situation is positive or negative? Some … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Treasure Hunt

Humans have problems. As I’m interested in helping folks overcome problems, I look for information on problem-solving. In a recent article, “The Obstacles of Everyday Problem Solving,” author James J. Rooney connected problem-solving and treasure-hunting. How might treasure-hunting help with … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Friendly Support

“You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family!” As we can, indeed, choose our friends, it makes sense that friendship would be supportive, encouraging, and helpful for both people. But that’s not always the case. Some friend … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Smart Praise

I have previously suggested that supportive behaviours, such as encouraging and offering recognition, are helpful for building strong relationships. How about praise? Is it an effective way to recognize and encourage? When little Joey started elementary school, he’d already had … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Choosing a Mindset

For someone with math difficulties, I often recommend the website www.khanacademy.org. I suggest the site because it offers opportunities to practice: you can work as much or as little as you want, and you can progress quickly or slowly. It … Continue reading

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Reality Check: When Wants Collide

When our wants collide with the wants of others, conflict can occur. However, you don’t necessarily need two people for a conflict! How about when your wants collide? Jane wants many things. She wants time to spend with her children … Continue reading

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Reality Check: To Choose or Not to Choose?

In recent public service ads, a teenager says something like, “My parents didn’t tell me that driving while high was a bad idea, so it must be ok.” One logical response is, “If your parents didn’t tell you it’s a … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Big Sigh

Memorable sayings aren’t always elegant and this one, though a little crude, is also unforgettable: “Assume—it makes an ass of u and me.” Making an assumption doesn’t literally turn you or me into a body part. (I know because I’ve … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Give and Take of Communication

There are so many communication pitfalls that it’s amazing that we can communicate at all! It’s not that we can’t make ourselves heard, rather, it’s the understanding /being understood part that’s so problematic. Rebecca has a hard time communicating with … Continue reading

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