By popular demand, I am pleased to announce the release of a hardcover version of the popular 3-Minute Morning Journal. If you’re not familiar with the 3-Minute Morning Journal, I encourage you to read more about why I created it and why it’s so powerful here. The new hardcover versions have the same prompts, quotes, …
I have an insatiable drive to create. My mind sees new opportunities all around me—to solve problems, to build new and exciting things, and to make progress toward my goals each and every day. It’s what fuels, motivates, and excites me. It’s what drove me to put in the hard work and long hours to …
Do you have a hard time saying “no” to people, because you don’t want to be rude? Is there someone in your life you’re always covering for, because they’re consistently late, can’t be counted on, or frequently act irresponsibly? Or perhaps you’re always helping people, but no one ends up ever being there for you?
Negotiations are a part of daily life—whether you’re in business or not. Yet, for as often as we interact with people, it’s shocking to me that we don’t have more formal training on the best ways to do so. In this article, we’re going to focus in on a key principle that is often lacking in most “how to negotiate” guides, and most often forgotten when stakes are high.
All relationships take work. We as humans are always learning; always looking for a way to do things better. To be better connected. To have more compassion for others—or to have more compassion for ourselves. The following five books are among my most recommended, for their insights, practical advice, and general ability to bring greater awareness and satisfaction into your day-to-day relationships.
In any relationship where two whole, complete, capable people come together, they will each have interests outside of each other that add richness and excitement to life. And it’s simply not reasonable (or healthy) for either partner to expect the other to give them 100% of his or her time, attention, and energy.
Genuine empathy and sincere validation are some of the most connecting powers in a relationship. So what do you do when you just don’t feel like your partner listens do you? How do you ask them to learn more about validation and improve their communication skills?
Do you ever find yourself feeling stuck, frustrated, resentful, or angry toward your partner? Or perhaps, instead of anger, you just feel bummed out that your relationship isn’t quite how you’d imagined it. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking everyone else has a better relationship than we do. Today we’re going to challenge that thought.
In today’s world, many people give up on relationships too quickly. The moment things get tricky, they bail. Or they simply resign themselves to living in an unhappy, conflict-laden life. The fact of the matter is this: any relationship can be improved if both parties are willing to work on their communication.
If you want a sure-fire way to boost your charisma, deepen your relationships with others, and brighten someone’s day, get in the habit of regularly expressing appreciation for others.
Words are far more powerful that we like to think. They are often our primary tool for communication and, like any tool, can be used to help or harm.
I can attest, from personal experience, that making the 3-Minute Morning a daily practice can have far-reaching benefits.
Prefer to listen? Check out the related episode from the I Hear You podcast. This post is part of an ongoing series from my upcoming Highbrow Course: “10 Days to Better Relationships,” which is focused on—surprise!—improving your relationships. Today we’re talking about expectations—the silent killer of relationships. How aware are you of your day-to-day expectations? Of what …
Expectations: The Silent Killer of Relationships Read More »
My book, I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships, is now consistently the #1 best-seller on Amazon.com in the following categories: Communication in Management Couples & Family Therapy Parent & Adult Child Relationships Counseling And very close to #1 in many more. In addition, it was just awarded the 2018 IPA Book Award! To …
“I Hear You” is Now a #1 Best-Seller in Multiple Categories! Read More »
This post is part of an ongoing series from my upcoming Highbrow Course: “10 Days to Better Relationships,” which is focused on—surprise!—improving your relationships. Today we’re talking about empathy—a critical element of strong, healthy relationships. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. When we have empathy for another person, we …
Empathy: The Power of Getting Into Other People’s Shoes Read More »
I like to read. Well…nowadays, I like to listen. Audible is my friend. But still, I like to learn, grow, and improve. I focus the majority of my time on personal development books, but branch out every now and then. Out of the countless books that I’ve gone through, only a small handful have truly made a …
10 Must-Read Books for Any Success-Seeking Human Read More »
One of the more difficult parts of a relationship (especially one of the romantic persuasion) is letting the other person see the real you. And I mean the real you—not the half-real you that you post on Facebook or Instagram; or the first-, second-, third-date you that is on their very best behavior and has …
Prefer to listen? Check out the related episode from the I Hear You podcast. Of all the gifts you could give to another human being, few are more precious than your time and attention. In today’s fast-paced, ever-connected world, we have dozens of distractions vying for our attention. With all that we have to do, it’s …
Presence: The Lost Art of Giving Your Full Attention Read More »
Prefer to listen? Check out the related episode from the I Hear You podcast. Have you ever seen the YouTube video, It’s Not About the Nail? Hilarious. What makes it so funny is the fact that, while ridiculous, it’s actually not all that far from the truth. That’s because we as humans have a deep-seated …
Validation: The Most Powerful Relationship Skill You Were Never Taught Read More »
I’ve made it a goal to go out on at least one date per week for the past couple of years, and in doing so, have met hundreds of fantastic people. Generally, these are first dates, and only first dates. Every once in a while, though, I meet a woman who I’d like to keep …
Those who know me well know that I’m constantly working on some sort of new project (like writing a book), developing a new area of expertise (like my three random years of DJing), or finding new ways to optimize, automate, or improve different areas of my life (like my morning routine or my approach to …
Today marks a momentous occasion—the official launch of my new book, I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships. The book is the result of nearly 3 years of work, and is my effort to share a relationship/communication skill that has had a tremendous impact in my life. Several years ago, I started seeing …
Years ago I came across a simple principle that – after making a habit in my own life – made a profound difference in my day-to-day communication. It enabled me to give more direct and constructive feedback, allowed me to share my opinion without dismissing others’, and helped me better validate other’s feelings. The magic principle? Use “and” instead …
Use “And” Instead of “But” for More Effective Communication Read More »
One January, several years ago, I found myself reviewing the previous year’s goals and feeling disappointed that I had once again failed at maintaining any sort of regular exercise regimen. My success rate for other goals (such as meditation, affirmations, hosting parties, etc.) was also less than stellar. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, chance are good that …
How I Set (and Actually Achieved) My New Year’s Resolutions Read More »
This time last year I sat by the pool at a resort in Hawaii and took a long hard look at my life. It’s become a tradition for me to take time off work, go somewhere tropical, and do a bit of a “life evaluation.” What did I do this past year? Where is my …
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