Posts in Communication
Sharing Power with your Kids

Sharing power with your children without punishment might seem scary because most of us are quite used to the power over method of negotiation.  And the power over in controlling our kids.  Yet, we didn’t like it when we were being raised, so we are determined not to say no to our kids.  We want them to like us, be our friends.  It turns out that either of these choices aren’t the best given your intentions.

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I Love my Partner, It's Our Communication That's the Problem

I hear so often from couples, “I love my partner so much.  It’s our communication that suffers so.” If only they would put in the time it takes to learn good communication skills, they will find the joy and connection and even something deeper and more enjoyable than they can imagine. 

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Are You Sure About That?

When I was young —probably 3 or 4 years old, my mom told me something. She told me that when cows were lying down it meant it was going to rain. Maybe she told me this one or two more times, I’m not sure, yet I believed her completely. Even though there was a good deal of evidence suggesting that this fact wasn’t exactly accurate, I was sure this was true. What do you believe that really isn’t true?

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Ask for Impact, not Permission

In any kind of partnership, whether it is your significant other, friends, work colleagues or even parent/child relationships, I encourage asking for impact rather than asking permission. You no longer need permission. Perhaps in a healthy culture, you never did.

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It's a We Thing

One of the primary touchstones of compassionate consciousness is that we hold everyone’s needs dear. Meaning in our relationships we are considering solutions or strategies that meet the needs of all involved. It’s a we thing. I have found that this is a place where people get a bit stuck.

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