Wednesday, June 23, 2021 (Day 174)
Relaxing Music for the week: Reflection: Liquid Mind (8:19) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TWMY8fT908
Question: What does good communication in a relationship look like to you?
Answer: Good communication in a relationship is a hard thing, because you’re dealing with two distinct personalities trying to find a middle ground. To me, good communication starts with respect – respecting your partner for who he or she is. It also means saying more good things than bad; the research states that the best relationships have a ratio of 5 good things for every 1 bad thing said. I wish I could say that I follow that principle; I’ve been REALLY cynical and judgmental in the past, but feel as if I’m turning a corner now. I know that I will stick my foot in my mouth every now and then, but feel that I’m being much better about saying the good and minimizing the sarcastic. It’s been interesting to see this transformation, as I’ve been really trying to step outside myself to see what I’m doing every moment of the day. I’ve been working on not blurting out the first thing on my mind, taking a few seconds to ask myself, “what’s the good in what I’m about to say?” And just taking those first few seconds makes all the difference in the world. Now, I just have to keep it up. Anyway, that’s the biggest stumbling block for Rebecca and I right now – our communication channels are on two different wavelengths. What I’ve realized is that I can change what I do, I just can’t change how she reacts/interprets what I have to say. I also must say that I’ve been really focusing my efforts on appreciation over expectations (per advice from Tony Robbins), which has also made a difference in our communication. Good topic to write about, that’s for sure.
Other Stuff
As I continue to work towards what I’d like the rest of my working life to look like, I’ve been getting a few articles sent to me regarding career development. Here’s one for those thinking about their next chapter, with the next chapter not retirement but a different job. You might find one or two tidbits useful:
- 14 Ways You Might Be Sabotaging Your Own Career Growth – https://finance.yahoo.com/news/14-ways-might-sabotaging-own-150050859.html
No one ever said that planning your life was easy, right?
The Dream Dean 