Discover whether or not a long distance relationship will work for you.
As more and more people meet through online dating or at events away from home, and as people get transferred to other cities for their jobs, long distance relationships have become more common. Sometimes they are very challenging and sometimes they work out well.
The Challenges
If you are an insecure, anxious, needy or jealous person, then a long distance relationship is likely not for you. Until you learn to love yourself enough to not worry about what your partner is doing, and to take loving care of your own feelings, it will likely be very stressful for you. Continue reading How to Survive a Long Distance Relationship
Are you shy? Is your shyness getting in the way of your connection with others?
Have you struggled with being a shy person?
Lily asks:
“I try hard to overcome my shyness and reluctance to stand out, speak up and shine. It’s a daily struggle for me. I make small progress, but can . . . → Read More: Shyness
What was valued and approved of in your family as you were growing up?
When you were growing up, how did you learn to define your worth? Here are some of the things my clients have said to me:
In my family, we were valued when we got good grades. My parents were very intelligent and accomplished in their professions and they obviously defined themselves and us by our intelligence and performance. I am more the right-brain creative type and never did very well in school. I have always felt inadequate.
My parents were both very attractive, and this is what they seemed to value in themselves and in us. I’m average looking and I’ve always felt inadequate.
My father was an excellent athlete and wanted the same for me. I’m not the athletic type. I’d rather stay home and read. My father always ridiculed me for this. I still feel inadequate that I’m not into sports like so many other guys. Continue reading Do You Define Your Adequacy By Looks and/or Performance?
Do you often crave solitude, or is being alone too lonely for you? There is an inherent reason for these differences.
“Language has created the word ‘loneliness’ to express the pain of being alone, and the word ‘solitude’ to express the glory of being alone.” –Benjamin Tillett
I find this quote very interesting in the light of recent research on introversion and extroversion.
The research indicates that introversion and extroversion are inborn qualities that stay with us our whole lives. About 20 percent of the population are introverts, which means that their nervous system is very different than that of extroverts. The nervous system of introverts is much more sensitive to stimulation and gets overloaded much more easily than that of extroverts. It is likely that introverts, looking at the above quote, might say, “Well, I’m not sure about the pain of being alone, but I certainly understand the glory of it.” Continue reading Loneliness versus Solitude
Listen to Dr. Margaret Paul's interview with Alanis Morissette