To Honor Another Person

To honor a parent (or anyone) is about identifying and trusting your judgement that there are specific parts to who they are - that you're able to value and respect - even when there are other aspects to their personality that you don't like; that have hurt you or that you'll never be able to feel good about.

But to be able to see someone from this perspective requires that you look at things with objectivity - in other words, without a lot of strong emotions where you second-guess your take on the history of that relationship and maybe do a lot of blaming - of that other person in your life or of yourself for how you've handled things with that person.

Maybe to honor a parent requires a degree of insight and understanding and then sometimes a degree of forgiveness - when you're ready and emotionally able to take that step.

(Just something to think about)    www.drcwelch.com

Two keys to a meaningful life

Most people long for and struggle to feel that their lives have meaning. Lots of folks think in terms of what makes them happy - but instead of happiness it's really about what's able to create a meaningful existence.

Think about it - without something that really resonates emotionally and intellectually, there isn't going to be happiness because there isn't going to be anything to really connect to.

 At any time and at any age what gives life meaning is:
1) the ability to value something that gives you passion; a reason to get out of bed each day - this is especially powerful if it goes beyond just yourself, and
2) to have someone who likes you and who means enough that you respond to them with enthusiasm, caring and appreciation.
 Passion and love are what ultimately generate a lasting feeling of happiness!
Give it your best - don't give up!
www.drcwelch.com

A Healthy Relationship

Here's a quote that I think is really a good description of any emotionally healthy intimate relationship:

"Marriage is that relation between man and woman in which the independence is equal, the dependence mutual, and the obligation reciprocal."     -Louis Anspacher

What do you think?
Chandler Welch
drcwelch.com

The power of emotions

Think of your brain as a cart with an elephant and a donkey pulling it.
 1) The elephant is the emotional strength of the "old brain" (the emotional part that's mostly geared to getting food, sex and dealing with danger). This part is "old" because our emotions evolved earlier than other parts.
2) The donkey is the strength of our reasoning which evolved later and is considered more evolved. The donkey is a lot smarter and scans for all the facts, possibilities and consequences.

But it takes so little for the power of our emotions to override our thinking.
To deal with this:

• Practice scanning for all the facts of any and all situations and interactions - it gets easy with a tad of practice.

• Anticipate how you'll probably feel and react to that situation or person (it's hard to anticipate the other person - it's a lot easier to do so with ourselves). But you've got to practice - don't be afraid to exercise your mental power!

Give it your best shot - you can do it!

3 key emotional parts

We all walk our own path in life - and there are always lots of things in life which either challenge and strengthens us - or these experiences tend to undermine our ability to be who we're meant to be:

•  by creating insecurities
•  fears
•  or painful experiences of the past that emotionally color the present.

There are 3 key emotional parts to walking our own path:

1.  being able to emotionally take responsibility for ourselves;
2.  having clarity about what's really important on a daily basis -  in other words, having a reason to get out of bed in the morning;drcwelch.com
3.  and an enhanced capacity to feel good about our ability to care, love and have compassion for ourselves and those we have relationships with.

Something for all of us to think about.