Posts Tagged ‘stress’
Long Live the Ten-Second Kiss
In a world that pulls couples apart, a simple ten-second kiss IS a small act of love with big rewards. Regular readers of SmartLoving will be familiar with the Connect Kiss – a daily connection ritual we promote to couples. It consists of a smoochy kiss that lasts at least ten seconds. We recommend it…
Read MorePursuing a Lasting Love
Lessons from St. Valentine | A reflection for World Marriage Day 2025 As we approach World Marriage Day on February 9th, we are reminded of another celebrated figure of marital devotion – St. Valentine. Today, his name evokes thoughts of flowers and romantic dinners. Yet St. Valentine’s true legacy speaks to something far more…
Read MoreSpare the Left-Overs
It’s that time of year again – the season of joy and gluttony. By the time Christmas day is over, our refrigerator will be filled with yummy, delectable left-overs. Unfortunately, not all left-overs are so delicious. Too often in a marriage, instead of our best selves, we serve up the less than appetising left-overs. We…
Read MoreThree Ways to a Better Advent
The Church New Year begins with Advent and is a season of preparation ahead of the birthday of Jesus. Beginning four Sundays before Christmas Day, it’s intended to be a period of intensified spiritual activity. Yet this time of year for most families is already over-full. Between graduations, corporate Christmas parties and extended retail hours,…
Read MoreWedding Stress Tamed!
Planning a wedding is busy and stressful. There’s lots to think about and lots of factors to consider in every decision: the budget, the aesthetic, and the cost-benefit. The practical reality of organising the many details is complicated by the tension of negotiating differences between each other while navigating the expectations of extended family and close friends. Well-meaning parents, siblings and friends can inadvertently ramp…
Read MoreThe Perspective Check
When we reflect on our life, two things stand out as needing a reset: resentment and stress. Both of these undermine our relationship.
Read MoreMarriage Lessons from a Dog Trainer
A few months ago, our young Australian Shepherd went to doggie boot camp. Over five weeks she was trained by professional dog-handlers to walk calmly, socialise nicely and keep her focus under the pressure of distractions. Video footage taken by the trainers proved she was capable. What really remained was the question: can her owners be similarly trained? When the time came to…
Read MorePandemic Weddings – Keeping our Eye on What Matters
For those who had a wedding planned this year, the disruption imposed by Covid19 has created all sorts of complications, frustration and additional expense. Last week, a young man from New Zealand called us. His fiancé lives in Canada and neither country will permit the other to enter for a wedding. Fortunately, they discovered that they could meet in France, get married there, and…
Read MoreMarriage on Fire
At the time of writing, fires are still blazing across the Australian landscape with many tragedies of life and property lost. Even if not directly impacted, many of us have friends, family and colleagues who are. And it is not over yet. In our case, Christmas Day saw Byron and two of our sons depart…
Read MoreBreakThrough Strategy – TaNGo
Do you feel stuck in your relationship? Going nowhere? Frustrated and hurt by your spouse’s behavior? Read on to learn about TaNGo, a powerful strategy from the BreakThrough workshop. For additional notes, visit the slide show at http://www.haikudeck.com/p/vT9bK4GbW4/breakthrough# Breakthrough – Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires To find out more about the BreakThrough…
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