I’ve noticed something a bit obvious (yet forgotten) about myself lately. I’ll say it quietly… I do not respond well to persistent criticism. I’m referring to something more than just the normal defensive reaction – where you argue your position, try to defend yourself, or walk away because you refuse to hear another word. (Although to be honest, it took Read more…
Back in May, I wrote a post about the emotional worm, what I blame for causing the feeling of despair and hopelessness that negatively distorts everything around you. A close friend of mine has been using this language with me since then. When one of us begin feeling the worm creep up, we simply say to the other “the worm”, Read more…
As I sat, watching my husband lug big sheets of drywall and durock back and forth from the bathroom, I started wondering – why in the world isn’t he collapsing with exhaustion. It’s 8:00pm, and he has been working on our bathroom remodel since before he went to work (where he works on other people’s homes). And yet, he is Read more…
My husband and I have decided not to buy Christmas gifts for one another in order to take on a house project. As with many couples, tensions rise during stressful projects. For us, most of the arguments occur during the planning process. We both have different opinions about which project to do and what that project should look like. Our Read more…
Last week, I switched gears to read about empathy with the eyes of a researcher. Looking at experimental studies in Social Psychology, I read about the ways that empathy fosters understanding, compassion, and the desire to help others. The primary message in these articles focused on the “in-group,” which refers to people with whom you identify. For example, if I Read more…
