Tag Archives: improving relationships

Reality Check: Love, Practically Speaking

Different people want different things. It’s a good thing too, isn’t it? Otherwise, we’d all want the same house, the same job, the same cat, and…the same mate. Clearly, we don’t all want the same mate, but many of us … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Benefit of the Doubt

We never really know what’s going on inside someone else’s head, do we? Even among the people closest to us—our friends and family—we can have misunderstandings. For example, your friend says something you perceive to be offensive; later you realize … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Doing our Best

What does it mean to do our best? As I’m far from perfect, I know that the best that I can do in a given situation isn’t necessarily the best that could be done. If “doing our best” doesn’t mean … Continue reading

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Reality Check: What does encouragement look like?

A friend for whom I have very high regard had a scheduling conflict. It looked like she’d be unable to attend a meeting I’d organized. I was disappointed. Then, she went out of her way to rearrange her schedule so … Continue reading

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Reality Check: If only you had come with an instruction manual…

You know those instruction manuals that come with electronics, appliances, and other complicated products? Even though they are friendlier than they used to be, many people ignore the manuals and just push buttons till the thing does what you want … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Presuming Good Intent

If you’re going to make an assumption about someone, it’s more helpful to assume that they have good intent rather than bad. What do you think of that? Let’s eliminate the situations where the assumption of good intent is obviously … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Joy of Groundrules

How’s the new job, Sara? It’s ok, but there are an awful lot of rules. There’s a rule for when you come in, when you leave, what you can say to customers, what you do during slow times…There is a … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Knowing who your friends are

How do you know who your friends are? If you’re a well-seasoned adult, your response may be quite different from that of someone younger. Experience does bring wisdom. If you pay attention to it, that is. I know that I’m … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Random Acts at Home

Random acts of kindness for strangers have been popular for years now. When we do something kind, the likely result is that we feel good and satisfied. We get to perceive ourselves as being a kind and caring person, and … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Does the News Hurt Your Relationships?

There’s almost always an election in season somewhere. A survey asked whether an election has negatively affected a personal relationship with a friend or family member. It wasn’t about a Canadian election. No matter; it’s still an interesting question that … Continue reading

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