Fear – It’s Out There 

Do you feel it? A nagging thought, a subconscious knowing that “something” is out there – it’s an experience or a belief. You think there’s more to living a fulfilling life and it’s frustrating.   

Are you looking for a checklist, a how-to guide, a step-by-step formula to ge...

Are You Committed to Personal Growth? 

Lynn said that most people find it difficult to know what it means to trust the process and it makes this character element the hardest to understand.  It permeates everything – which makes it hard to define.  Our last blog talked about initiating personal gro...

Give it Your Best Shot! 

Do you have a competitive mindset?  Athletes are wired to beat their opponents; they have the will to win!  They practice their sport to achieve high levels of performance.  Musicians and singers practice their instruments to give Grammy-worthy concerts.  Chess players stud...

What is “Humble”? 

When someone begins a statement with, “In my humble opinion…” do you perceive they are a humble person?  Or are they masking pride and setting themselves up for a fall? 

Pride is the fear that if you can’t be yourself and be accepted then you have no value.  It creates a shell t...

What’s in a Word? 

One of the cornerstones of a relationship is the ability to trust one another and a way to build trust is to keep your word.  Say what you’ll do and do what you say.  “My word is my bond.”  Kind of like agreeing to a deal with a handshake.  Almost sounds old-fashioned, doesn’t it...

Clear Communication is Easy! 

Communicating with others is easy, right?  You make a statement, and they nod.  If they raise their eyebrow, you rephrase what you said.  If the other person is skilled, they’ll paraphrase back to you what they think you said.  They may ask a question because they were...

It’s Easy to Take Responsibility! 

To be a person of character, you must take responsibility for your actions and the outcomes from them.  Of course!  It sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?  But we say that it’s harder to do than you think.  Even when you understand the principle, emotions crowd ...

What is “Quick” and “Effective” in Your World? 

We could name this characteristic “Responsiveness” in the context of personal relationships.  To make sure people understand, we broadened the scope of it, putting “quickly” and “effectively” in the framework of expectations.  Those two words may be c...

Confidential Culture 

People who have high-quality character keep things confidential – it’s their default setting.  They don’t even ask, “Is this just between you and me?”  It’s part of their culture and their mental makeup.  It can be a product of their family culture, reflecting the way they wer...

What Are You Afraid Of? 

Lynn was flooded with thoughts when we started the discussion of transparency.  “I think transparency is one of the most obvious elements that can indicate somebody's level of fear or love.”  She continued: 

“All through my school years, I was so afraid of being criticized...

Have Faith (or is it Trust?) 

Relationships built on faith in each other consistently rise above those that are not built on faith.  You can have faith in each other without trust, but it’s a lot easier to have faith when you have trust.  we don't think you can have trust without faith.  It sounds ...

Talk, Talk, Talk!

Relationships work best when people talk, when they talk a lot.  When they talk about ideas.  When they ask questions.  One of the best ways to connect with people is through questions – genuine questions – not judgmental ones.  When you talk with someone, listen to what they are ...