Category Archives: Develop Understanding

Reality Check: How Do You Know You’ve Understood?

Do you ever feel misunderstood? I’ll hazard a guess that the answer is “yes.” If that’s true, then it’s also likely that other people feel misunderstood, too. Why? One answer is that some communication methods are more effective than others. … Continue reading

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Reality Check: May I Persuade You?

It would be difficult to ignore all of the persuasive messages that come into our lives, wouldn’t it? Many of those messages are focused on getting us to do something, often it’s to buy something. Marketing ads have a clear … Continue reading

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Reality Check: A Change of Mind

Like me, I suspect that you sometimes change your mind about small things. For example, you were going to have chicken but Johnny said, “The fish is really good here,” so you changed your mind. Johnny’s comment is new information. … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Fables and Values

What values guide your life? Where did your values come from? When I refer to values, I’m thinking of qualities such as loyalty, trustworthiness, prudence, generosity, perseverance, compassion, respect, work. There are many more. My curiosity about values was inspired … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Joy and the Sadness of Special Events

It’s been customary to mark special occurrences in our lives with events. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations and other happy occasions. We also mark sad, difficult events with funerals and memorials. So much has changed in just a few … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Opinions, Beliefs, and Relationships

Do you base your opinions on facts? Science? Data? Common Sense? Of course you do. So do I. So, how can it be that we have different opinions about important things? It’s easy enough to accept that we have different … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Defining the Good

“There is good in everyone.” I expect that you’ve heard this declared; perhaps you’ve even said it yourself. Granted, sometimes it’s coupled with a caution that we may have to dig pretty deep to find good in some people. Perhaps … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Above and Beyond

You can tell when you’re dealing with someone who goes above and beyond. It’s the store clerk who not only asks if you’ve found what you’re looking for, but who makes sure that it meets your needs. It’s the person … Continue reading

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Reality Check: What we say; What they hear

Have you ever walked away from a conversation shaking your head and wondering, “What was that all about?” Do you ever perceive that people you talk to are overly sensitive, resentful, or easily offended? Having a conversation that’s a true … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Art of Asking Questions

When someone asks you a question, it’s a great feeling to be able to answer with confidence and competence. The ability to answer questions is a useful skill. Another skill that’s just as valuable is the ability to ask questions. … Continue reading

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