Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

 5 Tips for a Loving Relationship https://unsplash.com/@k_yasser Here are my 5 tried and tested truth bombs that work! Listen with your eyes!             Making and maintaining eye contact - without staring like a stalker! - shows your genuine interest and makes the person who is talking to you, feel heard and acknowledged.   Make time for each other              And make it meaningful. Instead of just going on a picnic, out for dinner or for a walk or hike, do something special to mark the occasion. Perhaps a quiet dance at home before dinner, or a favourite pillow/cushion for the picnic - get creative! This shows the other person that you truly want to  be with them. Do something just for them            To make someone feel valued, do something that you might not enjoy but you know they do. It could be a movie of their choice but not particularly your taste, or maybe cook/order their favourite meal even if you really felt like pizza!  This let's them know that you've really

 International Men's Day International Men's Day  is held annually on 19 November. It is an opportunity to celebrate men and boys in all their diversity. Many people also use the day to highlight some of the key social issues that men and boys around the world face.  International Men's Day Info Disclaimer : The following information is based on my opinion entirely and is not meant, in any way, to persuade the reader's rights to their own opinion. The celebration of the men in our lives DOES NOT INCLUDE abusive relationships. Please seek help if you are in an abusive situation:  Global Link Honoring the Men in Our Lives We all start off in life with a male figure-head 'somewhere' in our lives. Some may not be present as father-figures but we are all conceived by both male and female interaction. So what is it then, that determines our perception of the male presence around us? Undoubtedly the direct attention of those in our daily lives, whether it be family, f

Are You Your Own Stumbling Block to Happiness? Hello Blog Family! It's been a hot minute since you last heard from me.  Thank you for your patience while I made a huge move, relocating house, home, hearth and heart. As you can tell, this move was a big deal for me, moving far away from my family. This may seem counterintuitive to my happiness but the joy I have already found after just two weeks in my new home far outshines any shadow of sadness that might have been lingering.  https://unsplash.com/@taiscaptures 5 Things Making Me Happy This Week For that reason, I wanted to share with you the pleasures I have gained from setting up home in a far away place: Finding new interests that excite ME: First off, the emphasis is on 'me' because without my own pleasures in life, I have very little joy to impart to others, whether intentionally or by exuding my vibe. It's not necessarily big events or material possessions for me, it's the miniscule shift in awareness . When

If Not Ourselves, Then Who?  [ I invite you to take in the information below and apply it to your daily self-care routine as set out by our Guest Blogger Jessica Ruiz] Javier Allegue Barros via Unsplash If we don’t take good care of ourselves, who will? Self-care is very important.  We are sometimes so busy taking care of others that we forget to take care of ourselves.   There are different types of self-care:   Exercising is one and it helps you to relieve            stress.  Exercising can be fun.  Some people like            dancing.                I love to dance and I love music.               Dancing is a fun way to exercise. Don’t get me              wrong, I know that things happen, and it              is hard to exercise, but you also need to take care            of your health. It's important to find an exercise               routine that suits your health needs.  The second type is taking time for yourself to            enjoy the simple things in life.  I love to       

How to Live Life on Life's Terms [I invite you to sit back, relax and take in the extraordinary information that our  Guest Blogger, Human Behaviour and Social Change Expert, Kristy Riggal, has written.] Relationships have evolved a lot since the 50’s and 60’s. Divorce rates are skyrocketing, as is the epidemic of anxiety and depression. I have dedicated the better part of the last 7 years + of my life to understand the why, through field research and my education. Here is a morsel of what I know to be true and factual. https://unsplash.com/@tylernixcreative Did you know the first 10 years of your childhood development set you up for your adulthood and how you show up in your adult relationships? There are actually 5 peak waves that shape and mould you before the age of 18/19 years of age. The child brain doesn’t fully develop and is largely ‘unconscious’ until around the age of 8-10 and continues to develop into your 20’s. Those first 10 years are crucial, as a child relies solely

 A Deeper Dive [I invite you to sit quietly, read and contemplate this resonant article by Guest Blogger Kate Jiggins] At this point in my life, I have two “jobs.” Job number one is a people helper. A listener. A psychotherapist. I have been sitting with people – witnessing their stories – for close to 20-years. Yikes! Sometimes it feels like I am just out of graduate school. Like a new puppy. Wide eyed. Enthusiastic. Image credit Canva My other “job”? I write. I tell stories about real life. Real people. Real struggles. Real triumph. Real inspiration. Stories that connect, support – hopefully inspire people to push themselves - explore what’s on the other side of that unhelpful conditioning. Limiting beliefs. Crappy stories. Those re-runs that keep us stuck.  Overtime, in my personal work, and my time with couples, I am beginning to see – more importantly understand - the power of story. Mine. Yours. Theirs. Others. It’s true, we all have unique stories. However, the big question is

Finding Acceptance and Purpose  https://unsplash.com/@mscheid I invite you to read our inspiring article on the formative relationship between parent and child by Guest Blogger: Maria C. Palmer I was a recent college graduate, who like many  twenty -somethings had no clue what path my life would take. I was floundering. My feet were planted in two worlds     I was creating a new life in the land of dreams in Los Angeles, CA, all while keeping secret my life back home in Pittsburgh, P.A., where my father was unexpectedly incarcerated. I found acceptance and purpose in a charity started by a drinking, smoking, swearing, gambling Catholic nun, who was much too fashionable to be caught dead in a habit. Get On The Bus brought children to visit their mothers and fathers in California state prisons. As Sister Suzanne passionately reminded anybody who would listen, “ This program has nothing to do with the parents, and it is all about the children. Children are the silent victims of crime. Th