Are you or do you know someone who gets defensive easily? You’re often surprised by their reaction – they take things personally, are easily offended, and make things about them. Sound familiar? The other side of this is being the person whose feelings are easily hurt. Whether you are in a marriage that is struggling, …
Category: Communication
search shows verbal aggression and conflict damages kids (if you are also yelling, you are contributing) – and it takes two to make it happen. Let’s become women of strength & dignity and raise the standard of behavior for ourselves and everyone around us, including our husbands.
Without this, your marriage won’t change. I experienced the benefits of what I’m about to say over the weekend. Bear with me for a moment as I share with you what happened, and the small but BIG benefit that comes! The garden Tears began to fill my eyes as I walked my husband around my …
3 things you MUST KNOW when dealing with conflict
Are you aware of the 3 things you must know when dealing with conflict? I’m an adjunct professor of interpersonal communication and public speaking courses at Cincinnati State College. One of my students stopped me after class the other day and asked if he could pick my brain about how he wanted to help his …
Ever say, “Get over it!” to yourself or others?
If you’ve ever heard a parent or loved one say to you, “Get over it!” you know the emptiness that phrase dumps on you. It’s a common phrase in our individualistic Western culture, however. We think we are tough, should be tough, want to be tough, but what we are really looking for is strength, …
Deflate Defensiveness in 2018
Deflating Defensiveness in 2018 My marriage isn’t easy, but I married a really wounded man, he was neglected as a child, and those wounds show up in his lack of trust that anyone is ever really there for him. Without learning how to speak the language of respect and deal with his hyper-defensiveness, our marriage …
Dare #14 Journey – Is A Lack of Communication Destroying Your Marriage?
The horses grazed in the pasture. The drying grass crunched under my feet as I walked from the barn out to the field, eager to try the new thing I learned the day before thanks to Equus.com. Normally, my process was efficient and productive. Take the lead. Walk to the horses, maybe saying, “hello” to …
Dare #14 of The Respect Dare
Communication When I read Dare 14 from The Respect Dare this morning again, I saw a number of things that I hadn’t seen in it before. The comments about the husband’s emotional responses, subtle as they were, stood out to me. What’s really interesting is I’m also currently studying horse communication. I spent about half …
Phrases that Either Open or Close His Heart
Phrases that either open or close his heart So far we’ve learned how to get and keep our husband’s attention. Today I share several key phrases to avoid. We don’t want to sabotage the conversation by making him feel defensive! I also share a few key phrases to include in your communication that will help keep his …
Psst… are your thoughts destroying you?
Is self-talk destroying you? Shoulders hunched over, face in a scowl, the thoughts come… “I can’t.” “I’m so lousy at this…” “I wish I’d never started…” “I want to quit.” Or maybe, like the woman in the story in Matthew 9:21, she perseveres, knowing – no, believing – for twelve years – that she will …