Misunderstanding your spouse because we assume we know is extremely common. True you may know your spouse's favorite color or their favorite food but have you considered talking? The more we talk to each other and the more we listen to each other the better we understand each other. And why is understanding each other important? Because we tend to respect those that we understand. And we truly deeply love intimately those we have taken the time to listen to.

Top Podcast episodes? They were about Lincoln, Ferrari's, Intimacy, healing, mulligans, catch me if you can, cobra Kai or Miyagi do, seeing angels, and too much pruning. Enjoy!

What does your spouse want and need? Chocolates? Flowers? Help? How about when your spouse is stressed?

More compassion less passion. More doting less domineering. More staying less scurrying. More respect less inspect. More we less me. More orchestra less solo.

Do you remember that episode where Mr Rogers and his neighborhood had a black man cool his feet in a pool? Do you know why he did that? Find out in today's episode and find out one of the most misunderstood and oft neglected words is in marriage. Who needs your compassion today? Will you be remembered as compassionate?

What did Nelson Mandela say about leading? Do teachers preach and tell? In two days episode I talk about two of the most important principles of parenting and marriage. Both leadership and teaching are vital components of preventing many of the most perplexing problems.

Avoiding some of the bumps and the challenges in life or being able to endure them more effectively depends on shocks. Shock absorbers help us endure the vistitudes of life more effectively. And so how dodaily devotions to Deity help dictate your renewal and vitality?

What's the difference between a significant other and a vital partner? Respect, permanence, and a sense of appreciation. Seek to complete not to compete with each other. Seek to compliment and enhance each other instead of finding the fault with each other.

You know there's always that ugly spot in our yards, and in our marriage, and our relationships? What to do about them? Perhaps one of the most rewarding and peaceful experiences is noticing a weedy, patchy spot and then improving it, making it better. Make sure to enjoy the green luscious lawn but also make time and effort to improve the patchy spots.

From the book The Lost Art of Listening. Empathy is part intuition part effort. It takes two people to share an emotion: one to tell and one to listen. Being listened to shapes us and not being heard twists us. Intent=impact. Beware Transference. Less well not poorly. Suspend self. Arguments are like ping pong games- it takes two to keep them going. We don't restate so that we can show we understand rather we restate so that we can try to understand. It's not differences of opinion or hot topics that can cause challenges with us, rather the emotions that it causes. It's the way hard things are said that determines if they're heard. Speaking with emotional chargedness ensures that your audience will not listen. If you interrupt then make sure it's to get them to talk more. Feelings are facts to those experiencing them. Tell me more. changing your relationship with your parents doesn't mean changing them but rather changing your reactions to them. Accept people for who they are and you will not have to keep changing them. Accept that this is the way they've always been and you're not going to change them. Accept them. Self restraint not self-denial. Your parents are your final exam.

You know there are certain things that we should never minimize. Certainly we can minimize debt, anger, selfishness, focus on self, or a myriad of other things so that we can maximize experiences and relationships. In today's episode I share what I learned from a blog post from a Lisa Avallan via Josh Becker's blog. She shared nine things that are vital for us to maximize so that we can have true happiness in life.