Strategies and mindsets for developing Marriage Mastery, Parent Training, and Self-Mastery.
See Jonathan's other related blog projects in the sidebar:
- The Q&A Series
- The GR Masters Project
- The 52 Love Songs Project
- The 365 Love Quotes Project
- Rock Therapy
- In the News
Thoughts on Nonviolence and MLK, Jr.'s Legacy
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a more than a holiday to me, it is a Holy Day where I honor not only this great man, my hero, but even more importantly the principles he took a stand for. He is one of the key people who have influenced my thinking, have shaped the nature of my soul and the "content of my character." This is a holy day to me because the principles of nonviolence are sacred to me in my personal life and my professional work in ending abuse and violence and increasing peaceful, loving relationships at home, work, community and school...
"Easier Said Than Done." Well, No Duh!
"Well, Jonathan, that's easier said than done." This is a common phrase and objection I hear from people when we talk about creating a GREAT relationship overall and/or specific strategies towards that goal. My response is...
You Be Good to You
Instead of "goodbye" I often say to my clients as they leave, "You be good to you." We tend to be so hard on ourselves, and while we can remember to be good to others we forget to be compassionate to our own selves.
ADHD and Zombie Torches
Ever wonder what an ADHD professional who works on his own does when he gets distracted off task? Well, naturally, he makes torches in preparation for the Zombie Apocalypse. Duh! Build Your Own! Here's how...
"Hymn 101"—An Anthem for All Us Real People
For all of us who try so hard and fail... and still try... just to be known, to be seen, I submit to you this hymn that my brother shared with me.
My Daily Pre-Thanksgiving Gratitude List (updated daily)
A month of daily giving thanks....
Self-Mastery Tip: Feel, Align, Delight = Peace
A friend just shared this quote with me which I believe is at the heart of developing self-mastery:
"There is nothing to attain, just feeling, delighting, and aligning."
—The Heart of Transformation, by John Friend (Anusara Yoga)
Self-Mastery: The Wolves Inside You
An elder Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, "A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.
Self-Mastery Tip: The Question of Fair
In regards to the question of "fair":
- Life isn't fair. Waiting for it to be, or expecting it to be, is the fast track to suffering and insanity;
- That being said...
The Soul of Compassion: Understanding
The key to a GREAT relationship is REALLY understanding, which is the soul of compassion. To know someone so fully that you can see past what you disagree with about them to what really makes them tick. To fully understand them as they are instead of as they "should" be opens up the door to truly loving someone.
Teaching Children Anger Management
Taught 11-year-old daughter learning to control her anger is as learnable as controlling a car via the speedometer, steering wheel, gas/brakes of emotion regulation. She felt bad before about not being able to control her anger and was crying, poor thing…
SELF-MASTERY Tip 14: Allow Yourself to Fail
Get out of your way and don't let others get in your way. Accept your failures and take the risks. Learn from them. Adapt. And give it another go.