Whether we realized or not, when we married our spouse, we probably went into the marriage with a set of expectations. We most likely weren’t even aware that we did so – that is, until our expectations crashed into each other’s. For example, you may have grown up in a very traditional household where your…
Lots of people have bucket lists. Some hope to accomplish some harrowing experience like skydiving or bungee jumping. Others hope to summit all of the fourteeners (the peaks that are 14,000 feet or higher) in Colorado. Still others want to travel to some exotic place. As I am writing this in April, yesterday saw thousands…
Maybe it’s my age that is causing me to attract clients that are . . . well . . . my age. You see, I seem to be encountering more and more individuals who are approaching retirement age (whatever age that is), or who have retired. Over and over again, I hear stories of individuals…
I sat with a couple yesterday that are having enormous problems with connection. He feels that his wife is aloof and doesn’t want to connect with him, which couldn’t be less true. She is feeling that he has no idea what makes her tick nor does he have a desire to. They both say it…
I sat with a man in my office this week who had recently retired. He had worked in a state run facility for 30 years, was in his mid-50’s, and had been looking forward to retirement because – well – that’s what you’re supposed to do isn’t it? However, after about two weeks of being…
Do you remember as a kid, playing a game such as kick-ball, volleyball, miniature golf, or any number of other games – when someone would make an initial mistake and would immediately say “Do-over?” It was if they were saying, “That mistake I made didn’t really happen. I want another shot at it.” And as…
When the worst tsunami in generations hit Southeast Asia the day after Christmas in 2004, “60 Minutes” discovered a group of people that had amazingly survived the catastrophe. The Moken people live off the coast of Thailand and they survived because, as “60 Minutes” reported, “they knew it was coming.” “It was their intimacy with…
Now that I have your attention, you may be thinking a variety of things. Some may say, “Nothing is better,” while others may think, “Lots of things are.” Regardless of which camp you may fall into, sexual intimacy, when approached with love in a lifelong relationship, is potentially one of the most bonding activities a…
Emotions are feelings that we all experience. Some emotions we think of as positive – such as love, hope, optimism, and joy. Others we often perceive as negative – hate, anger, pessimism, and resentment. However, I would submit that there really aren’t positive and negative emotions. Feelings just are. We may be happy or sad…
We all have them – triggers. However, we are not all aware that we do or even what they are. For example you may notice that you are talking with your spouse and they make an innocent comment, such as “You know what you should do,” and suddenly your stomach begins to churn and you…