Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

 The Art of a Meaningful Life by Vitaliy Katsenelson Book Review Vitaliy Katsenelson captures the delight in living a life in learning mode. By this I mean that he demonstrates how to be curious about new subjects and how to be open to learning more about subjects we are already familiar with. He shows us how to grow in sync with the maturity of our children, how to lead a business with a growth mindset encouraging the strengths of colleagues to shine in their role. Vitaliy also shows us the art of personal development in an ever-changing world. He draws parallels between classical music and the pain of learning through perceived failure. The wisdom of his father is woven into the fabric of his understanding of the world around him from an art vs craft perspective. Vitaliy emigrated to America from Russia and forged a successful career in investing, ultimately starting his own business. His interest in writing began with articles on stocks and became such a passion for him that he ...

https://unsplash.com/@yl1980 s Stress Busting in 2 Easy Moves Have you checked in with yourself lately? If you’re in a public space, simply take a few uplifting breaths – bring your awareness back to your surroundings. Listen to the noises around you. Birds? Cars? Air-conditioner? Chatter? Sensory overload can trigger a small dose of anxiety. Let’s use our senses to engage our clarity and drown out the anxiety. ♥ if you’re feeling frazzled, flick your fingers on one hand, or both hands if you can. Place your thumb over each fingernail one by one, flick away from your thumb with one finger at a time. Spring each finger forwards, away from your thumb. Notice your skin. Is it dry? Sweaty? Are your fingertips freezing? ♥ repeat as many times as needed until you feel a gentle tingling in your fingertips. Count each time you flick a finger forwards:  1, 2, 3, 4 Relax. Calm. Begin anew. Bringing yourself back to basic awareness is an instant stress buster! Rub your thumbnails with your in...

A MARITAL TUNE-UP I am delighted to share today's blogpost with you from a reader who shares her findings on ways to 'create sparks that last' in her marriage. https://unsplash.com/@claudialam Although Stuart and I share a lot in common, we have come to learn from each other as well. From Stuart, his thoughtful and considerate ways. From me, my humor, laughter, and how to lighten up. April 15 th , 2022 marked our 39 th  wedding anniversary. Just. That. Fast. Both recently retired—not together; we read not to do it together—we became hyper-aware of a new phase in our lives and marriage. It was as though we were left holding a simmering love, one becoming all too familiar (Storge) instead of our once robust, romantic and physical love. Our minds and bodies were struggling with this shift: How to keep ‘us’ alive as we aged when it seemed we were on a fast track to becoming roommates. Stuart and I decided to seek counseling in order to make an immediate change in the direction ...

Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?  https://unsplash.com/@danielmingookkim Deep questions for sure. Let me start by asking you how often you find yourself having a heated discussion in your thoughts? How often do you find yourself defending your actions internally, in your mind? Okay, enough with the questions, I'm sure you get the picture. It happens in a millisecond. We do or think something that we feel someone will criticize and we immediately prepare our defense. Crazy right? I've caught myself doing this countless times and am more aware than ever to stop my thoughts in their tracks and remind myself that it's simply not true and there is no reason for defense. Just as importantly, I've started reminding myself that whatever the action is that I 'think' someone might criticize me for, is an action I am quite *entitled to take and need not feel defensive in the first place. *Provided you're not hurting another being. https://unsplash.com/@nkuutz You are free...

Looking For Guest Bloggers About 6 months ago I had a very successful month of guest bloggers to freshen up our feed. I’d like to offer that opportunity again for the month of August.  https://unsplash.com/@arnelhasanovic You may think it’s far in advance, but from experience, I know it took a while to format and edit each article. So if this is something you’d be interested in doing, I’d love to hear from you. Topics my blog typically publishes revolve around all dynamics of relationships: ➡️ Relationship with ourself can include - • Self-care • Self-awareness • Setting boundaries • Finding voice • Anything related to personal growth ➡️ Romantic relationships - my topics don’t typically discuss intimacy - • Date nights • Communication • Shared goals • Individual interests incorporated into the relationship • Anything that helps couples strengthen their connection ➡️ Platonic relationships - • Friendships • Colleagues • Any adult relationship that is not family or romantically invo...

Unsure what that even means? I invite you to read on... This is what mindbodygreen.com interprets a conscious relationship to mean: A conscious relationship is a romantic relationship in which both partners feel committed to a sense of purpose, and that purpose is growth.  Individual growth. Shared growth as a couple.  Collective growth that makes the world a better place. You can read the rest of their article at the following link: The 4 Qualities of a Conscious Relationship I would add that a conscious relationship is not limited to a romantic connection, but also extends to family and friends as the two are intrinsically linked as I will illustrate below. https://unsplash.com/@_visalliart I've recently had the absolute pleasure of reading a number of books related to all topics of connection in our lives. Each one shows how irrefutably our network of relating to each other stems from our perception of connection. ≽ Quoted from Stronger Connections by Rosie Kendall: Peopl...

Q & A  Friday  Recently, I put a question to readers on my social media, asking what they wanted to know about relationships and/or personal growth. The two go hand-in-hand in my opinion. If you'd like to contribute to this post for next week's blog, click here:   Your Burning Questions Answered Are you growing apart or tightening your connection? https://unsplash.com/@joshhild Reader Question #1 How do we know when to call it quits? Every relationship has its ups and downs. It has to. For growth. You cannot grow in a stalemate standoff where conversation doesn't enter that 'difficult' realm. If you enter into a relationship with a growth mindset it is inevitable that you will come up against resistance in your endeavour to understand yourself, and your partner, better. Because stepping out of situations that are comfortable, makes us feel insecure and if your partner is unsure of stepping onto new territory with you, you will feel restricted in your growth and ...