Tag Archives: improving relationships

Reality Check: She Said “Thank You”!

On a recent shopping trip, I witnessed something so remarkable that it’s stuck with me for days. “What could that be?” you might ask. The line-up to the young cashier’s till wasn’t very long, so it was easy to see … Continue reading

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Reality Check: She Said “Thank You”!

Reality Check: Relationship Mistakes

Charles Schulz, of Peanuts fame, said something along the lines of, “I thought I made a mistake once, but I was wrong.” Until a few minutes ago, I believed that joke had originated with my family. Then I checked. Sure … Continue reading

Posted in Relationships | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Reality Check: Relationship Mistakes

Reality Check: The Kindness of Etiquette

If the name “Miss Manners” is familiar to you, that says something about your interests. And possibly, your age. And my age, for that matter. No matter. Here’s a little background, in case Miss Manners is new to you. Decades … Continue reading

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Reality Check: The Kindness of Etiquette

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

Posted in Develop Understanding | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Reality Check: How Do You Know You’ve Understood?

Reality Check: I Wonder…

Are you dealing with a challenging problem now? Do you see one coming up in the future? Or maybe you’ve recently resolved a problem. Problems are pretty common, so it’s not unusual to be in one of those boats at … Continue reading

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Reality Check: I Wonder…

Reality Check: The Attentive Gardener

“The best fertilizer is the footsteps of the gardener.” Why? What is it about a gardener’s footsteps that would help a garden grow? While I fall far short from being an enthusiastic gardener, even I know that it’s hard to … Continue reading

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Reality Check: The Attentive Gardener

Reality Check: Negotiating Differences in a Relationship

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 , , , | Comments Off on Reality Check: Negotiating Differences in a Relationship

Reality Check: The Habit of Respect

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 , , , | Comments Off on Reality Check: The Habit of Respect

Reality Check: The Role of Trust in Relationships

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 , , | Comments Off on Reality Check: The Role of Trust in Relationships

Reality Check: The Caring Habit of Listening

We have many kinds of relationships. Some we choose, such as with our friends. Others are created through work, volunteering, or other connections. All of our relationships may not be chosen, but they can still be cooperative and functional. In … Continue reading

Posted in Relationships | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Reality Check: The Caring Habit of Listening