November 21, 2014 Communication
To communicate effectively to to listen and learn, understand and empathise with others, and that takes patience. Here are examples of this principle in action. Every parent in the world will yell in answer to the question posed here a…
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November 8, 2014 Crisis Support
Those women who have never suffered a life where an abusive relationship is just the norm, will find it difficult to understand why some women stay in abusive relationships. But there is nothing more true than that song which says “Noone…
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November 8, 2014 Skin and Body
As someone who feels unable to leave the house if she is not wearing one of her favorite fragrances, knowing the difference between perfume and eau de toilette is of some importance, especially as she has relatively expensive tastes. That leads nicely into…
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What a brilliant piece of advice this would be, “avoid the charmers,” if only those said charmers carried some signs of their inherent danger. I mean, most charmers are just that, charming people whose company is delightful, whose interest is…
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October 27, 2014 Communication
If we are fortunate, or simply blessed, our lives will be full of relationships with others, and hopefully enriched and fulfilled by them. Every encounter in life is a learning experience, if only we could recognize this and use that…
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October 26, 2014 Communication
That old saying, “You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your relatives,” comes into its own when you are at a family gathering and have to think about how to make small talk with someone you do not like. …
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October 26, 2014 Communication
Most of us have to work for a living, and going to work can be an uplifting, satisfying experience, providing challenges and allowing for fun and friendships to develop. At least, that is the ideal situation we would all hope…
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October 25, 2014 Communication
This is an interesting and deceptively simple statement, and it might be a good idea to first accept the premise that people considering the issue, might have the suspicion that change of some kind is needed. It could be just…
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Human beings are programmed to be social, to seek love and approval and to establish relationships that fulfill the needs of this programming. In particular, they want a special relationship that transcends all those normal, everyday nurturing connections such as those with…
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September 6, 2014 Communication
There is something deliciously ironic about certain catch phrases to excuse shortcomings. They have a way of turning an awkward situation into an opportunity to share a laugh or smile over our common human failings. They also help to put…
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September 5, 2014 Communication
The very word “confrontation” can induce feelings of negativity as it is often linked to the potential for aggression. When one person approaches another with an important issue that demands discussion or negotiation, both participants will be giving plenty of…
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When we need a nice, warm sweater for a cool evening, even in Summer, there is nothing worse than finding your woolens or heavy-duty knitwear smells rather fusty, musty and un-fresh. Even if you took the care to wash them before putting…
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If you are ever greeted with the sentence beginning, “Rumor has it…..,” be very careful, brave and totally ruthless. These are the best ways of dealing with rumors, and the only ways of stopping them doing the damage they most certainly…
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Cursing, and its equally naughty sister, swearing, go hand in hand, or should I say, mouth to mouth? Cursing is about using oaths and taking the Lord’s name in vain, which I was taught at a young age, was not acceptable. You…
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The first pair of shoes that could be considered the worst to wear for a job interview, that popped into my head were strappy, gold, high heeled sling-backed stilettos. Then I stopped in my tracks, almost fell off my 4″…
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July 9, 2014 Friends and Peers
Forever and always, human beings have sworn eternal friendship to each other. Little boys have cut their thumbs, mixed their blood and vowed to be friends and blood brothers for all time; likewise some little girls have bravely carried out…
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Not for nothing is it called the “gentle art of persuasion,” because to persuade someone to do something for you requires a gentle touch and relies on the art of getting along with people. If you are someone who happily…
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As someone who used to suffer the painful, patronizing unwanted attentions of an interfering, all-knowing mother in law, I am very well versed in “dealing.” As a mother in law myself, I am well-armed with what NOT to do, having…
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It may sound trite, but the words from a prayer, “In the midst of life, we are in death” are so true. They mean that each and everyone of us will be called upon to deal with death as part…
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Most people, when pondering specific reasons to shop at second-hand stores might make the forgivable assumption that it must be about money – or the lack of it. Now, while that is a perfectly understandable conclusion, based on the sad…
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Communication is a two-way strategy for the exchange of everything from information to insults. It requires that we listen, process, interpret and respond appropriately to what each person is saying. If any of these vital elements become lost or distorted, then…
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Being shy can really cause havoc with a person’s social life. Every gathering of more than three people is a nightmare to the shy individual, so that eventually, they just decide it is not worth the pain and trauma of…
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May 16, 2014 Friends and Peers
Being on a date is supposed to be a pleasurable experience, where two people who think they might have a lot in common, who are probably quite attracted to each other, spend time getting to know each other, usually in nice surroundings. …
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Many people think those of us who actually enjoy public speaking are slightly mad. Who wants to stand up in front of a room full of strangers, be looked at, manage presentation material and equipment, answer questions, make things interesting and…
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This used to be so easy, when I was a child. All I needed to do was give the offending peer a push, a slap, or tell them in no uncertain terms “I don’t like what you did, go away,…
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The most overused lines men use to avoid topics they don’t want to discuss all seem to start with: “Honey, I’m just……” They can be “just” watching the end of the game on TV, reading the paper, de-fleaing the cat,…
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March 26, 2014 Friends and Peers
Handling passive aggressive behavior is one of the most difficult challenges in the world of human interaction and communication. The one who is unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of such behavior has to have the patience of…
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February 17, 2014 Communication
Insults take various forms, as we all know from bitter experience. Sometimes they can be just harsh words from a stranger on a busy street, or often, a friend or family member can say or do something unintentionally insulting. Everyday…
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Sadly, the image of the ideal family, as portrayed in ‘The Waltons’ or ‘Little House on the Prairie’ is just that, an image with virtually no relation to current reality. This is true for the majority of people, as families…
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January 9, 2014 Crisis Support
Somehow, somewhere, sometime, a little girl has been made to feel inferior, powerless and worthless. This little girl may have been raised in a rich family, where daddy’s word was law, where her brothers were stars who shone brighter than…
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