How Does our Inner Child Impact us as an Adult?

Inner Child

The inner child is an individual’s childlike part that includes what a person learns before puberty. It is a semi-independent sub–personality/persona and a piece of an individuals overall personality. The inner child within each of us is made up of a set of beliefs, thoughts, feelings and intentions.

Who is the inner child?

It’s the little you:

• Who knows how to have fun and play. Who needed to be nurtured and loved.
• The free spirit that you have tamed and controlled.
• The lost and forgotten child that still resides within your subconscious.
• The part of you that needs healing, support, and positive reinforcement.

How is the inner child formed?

From the day that we are born, we are innocent and instantly accept all of the information we receive. Since a child is new to the world we need our caregivers to nurture us in order to survive. We are influenced and therefore shaped by our parents or guardians; taught right from wrong and punished or rewarded. Our parents shape our belief system, view of the world, and impose their expectations upon us. 

Children have no choice but to comply to whatever expectations and standards are put upon them. A child has no point of reference of what a healthy or unhealthy family dynamic looks like. Therefore, growing up, how would a child know if their family is functional or dysfunctional? To each child, whatever they are going through would seem normal. How would they know otherwise? This is called normalization, i.e. rationalizing abnormal, harmful, toxic, and abusive treatment as normal.

Since a child rely’s on their caregivers for survival they accept whatever they are being told. Some of those truths or mistruths are pushed on them by family members, by school, by church, by their community, by peers, and by society as a whole. In most cases parents have the most power and influence over a child’s development.

More importantly when we fail to meet our parent or guardians expectations of us it can cause us pain. In order to protect ourselves from emotional pain, we create defence mechanisms and sub-personalities in order to numb out from past wound(s) and past trauma(s).

Many children grow up feeling they have not lived up to their parents expectations in one way or another. There may be feelings of guilt and or shame that are deeper than any intellectual insight we may have. These feelings of guilt and or shame go back to our earliest years. A child may feel forbidden to express their true emotions, thoughts, needs, preferences, and grievances. A child’s sense of not having lived up to their parents expectations can feel oppressive and stay with them into adulthood. Many children grow up negatively affected by the expectations, roles and standards placed upon them as children.

How does the inner child impact us as an adult?

When the adult gets caught up in a painful story, it is usually connected to some past experience.  It is the inner child that has shaped the quality and density of our thoughts. At times the adult doesn’t associate their painful story with the past but when we look back, we can often connect how our current thoughts our old stories created out of past beliefs and experiences, making those stories feel true. 

Looking backwards creates if only phrases like these:

• If only I had never been abused, I would be happy
• If only I had been treated with respect, I wouldn’t be so angry all the time
• If only my mother or father had not neglected me, I would have a healthy relationship
• If only that had never happened to me, my life would be better
• If I behaved better, my parents would still be married

The Wounded adult identifies themselves as a victim, getting stuck in a story of suffering and feeling hopeless. Themes of rejection, failure, unworthiness and longing are all prevalent in this initial common pattern.  The pain from a childhood wound will replay itself over and over in adult life until the trauma is tended to and healed. You are bound to recreate the dynamics experienced in childhood, with you as the victim.

If you were bullied at school or picked on by siblings, cousins or other peers you may continue to feel bullied as an adult by co-workers, friends and other peer groups. If you were abused by a parent or an adult you may feel abused by your boss at work, or any other perceived authority figure. Your present reactions and perception will match the way you coped with the abuse or bullying as a child. 

For example…. If you suffered a handicap as a child and needed constant care you may recreate the dynamic as a caretaker in your personal relationship(s). Pay attention to the “this always happens to me” type of experiences. This can be an effective tool for recognizing the wounded child within the adult that causes us pain.

How do we heal?

1. Acknowledging the little in you

One of many ways to acknowledge your inner child is to recognize and accept the things that caused you pain in childhood. Visualize your inner child, what might they be wearing in the visualizatioin, how old might they be? Where are they? What do they need? If any messages arise of hurts or old wounds bring them out into the light so you can begin to understand their impact. Dialogue with your inner child. Let the little you know that you’re there, treat them with kindness and respect and communicate self-nurturing things.

You may want to tell your inner Child

• I love you
• I hear you
• I’m sorry
• I am proud of you
• You are smart
• You are good enough
• I forgive you

2. Forgiveness, self-love and acceptance.

Forgiveness is one of those words that is routinely misused and misunderstood.  Letting go is not forgiveness although forgiveness cannot happen until you let go first. Forgiveness is what happens when you stop rejecting the true cause of your suffering. 

Forgiveness means making room for more. 

When we are unforgiving, we reject our hurtful past by not allowing it to be a part of us. Forgiveness is opening up and making room for hurt and losses.

Healing is about feeling the pain and being emotionally uncomfortable. Feeling emotions and not numbing out is often the most difficult task for people. Sometimes our inner child may just need a hug from our adult self.

The Enlightened Wounded Child discovers that by entering the darkness of their pain and working through it, they can stand in the fire of pain and not be burned. 

Connection in the Time of Covid-19

2020 will forever be known as the year that COVID-19 changed our lives. But will it be remembered for its horrific impact on our lives or will it be remembered as the way that we all banded together to cope and find new ways of going about our lives? In order to answer this question, we must first take a look at why interactions with those around us is so important.

Why Do We Crave Interaction? 

Humans are social creatures, and have relied on our connections with other humans as a means to survive and thrive as a species. Even from our earliest days, we have needed the help of others to feed ourselves and our families, procreate, and advance to the point we are at now. Even in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, we still need social interaction to get us through the day. Loneliness and disconnection are a huge threat to our mental and physical well-being. Disconnection from those around us can be devastating to our sense of self and our sense of the world, making it even more difficult to reconnect.

In recent weeks, workplaces have largely moved online and video meetings have become commonplace. FaceTime and Skype are replacing face to face visits with grandparents. Hugs and kisses are given on opposite sides of the windows at nursing homes. Classrooms around the world are now online, with teachers leading discussions and lessons from their own homes. This all reinforces our absolute need for social interactions to survive. From the food we eat to the medicine we take, all of this requires social interaction to come to fruition. With our uncanny ability to adapt, we have found new ways to keep the world moving, and are learning a lot about ourselves in the process.

What Social Distancing is Teaching Us

The shift to social distancing is bringing up new challenges many have never had to think about. Where to get essential supplies, how to manage working at home with children and spouses, job loss, disruption to school and day care routines, cancellation of social events, and so many other changes to daily routines have forced us all to think outside the box. We are learning along the way, and some incredible lessons are coming out of the perceived chaos.

Compassion for our fellow man is something that we can very easily push aside. But when we are called to think of more than just ourselves, many will be pleasantly surprised to find that lending a helping hand to someone in need is what many choose to do. There are stories coming from all over the world of great acts of kindness and compassion, especially to those that are most vulnerable to the virus. Retailers offering special hours to protect those who need it most, delivery services extending hours and operations to assist in getting food to families who need it, and the outpouring of support for all of those on the front lines both in and out of the hospitals are just a few of the prime examples of the kindness and compassion that do exist in the world every single day that we often take for granted. 

Along with compassion, there are great examples of selflessness over selfishness. Within the first week of the proposed stay-at-home orders, there were several instances of stores being out of stock of essential items for no other reason than a few people stockpiling in a way that was completely unnecessary. Even before stores began to limit the purchase of essential products indefinitely, communities across the country banded together to ensure that everyone got what they needed. Large donations to food banks have poured in, as well as offerings on Facebook groups to share stockpiled goods. We are remembering that in order to take care of ourselves, we must also care for others.

And if nothing else, COVID-19 has taught us about our resilience as a species – our unmatched ability to adapt and overcome in even the most precarious of situations. With the changing rules and recommendations, new ways to go about our lives are being adopted and accepted without much hesitation. We have banded together to stay home and flatten the curve to help prevent further spread and to protect those that are most vulnerable in our communities. We have found new ways to maintain businesses and supply chains, allowing many to maintain income in a time when our social system has become inundated with applications for assistance to many who were laid off and are unable to return to work at this time due to closures. This speaks to the unwillingness of human kind to back down from challenges that seem insurmountable. 

Even with all of the kindness, compassion, selflessness, and resilience, many still struggle with the unknowns – when will we be able to reopen businesses? When will the kids be able to go back to school? When will we be able to have social gatherings? When will life go back to “normal”? Finding ways to cope with social distancing is an important step in making sure that we all stay on top of our mental and physical health.

Coping with Social Distancing

Social distancing is not a choice that anyone got to make for themselves. With this lack of choice, there is a feeling of a loss of control over ourselves and our surroundings. A loss of control can lead to feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, anger, anxiety, and depression. All of these feelings are expected as our lives have been turned upside down in a lot of ways. It is the way that we choose to cope with these feelings that will define our ability to adapt and preserve through times such as this. 

There are several ways to stay connected with our friends and families through social distancing. Mailing cards and letters, video calls, phone calls, and social media are just a few of the ways that many are choosing to stay in touch. 

There has also been a huge push for constant productivity during isolation, but there is also nothing wrong with giving yourself a break. You don’t have to finish projects, work on yourself, keep the house spotless, or even be in touch with people every day. There is nothing wrong with taking time to sit on the couch, eat comfort food, and be alone with your TV. Cut yourself some slack and don’t succumb to the artificial pressure to be this new and wonderful you. 

Getting outside is a great way to boost your mood and reconnect with yourself that doesn’t involve the newest self-help seminar or book. Taking a walk around your block, minding the 2 metre gap between you and others can help bring calm and peace in a way that a lot of other things cannot. It is also great exercise, and can help release some of those “feel good” neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin.

With all of the changes during social distancing, it can be easy to lose sight of the many positive and meaningful things that are coming out of this situation. Through compassion, kindness, and a lot of hard work, we are showing ourselves and each other that we really are all connected. The COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered for the toll it has taken, but it will also be remembered for all of the ways that we as a society have banded together to adapt and overcome. 

 

 

What do you choose, “Love or Fear”?

Love has inspired more songs, poems and stories than any other feeling, yet it is one of the most complex emotions to understand. In fact, it’s so complex that at least once in our lives we all have asked to ourselves this question: What is Love?

From a pure biological point of view, we could say that love is a survival mechanism of the species, in which dopamine, adrenaline, serotonin, oxytocin and many other hormones and neurotransmitters, play a role in bonding.

From a psychological point of view, it is the balance between intimacy, passion and compromise – according to the Triangular Theory of Love by Sternberg.

Our brain reacts according to its past experiences, the environmental circumstances of the moment, and its own chemistry, leading to an infinity of ways to love, however… what happens when fear takes place in our lives when we try to love and to be loved by someone?

First of all, it is necessary to clarify that no feeling is a bad feeling; fear is not a negative thing, it actually is a defense mechanism that helps us to prevent accidents, such as being burnt by a candle for example. Fear is necessary; therefore what we need to do is to control it.

The limbic system is the one in charge of regulating emotions, avoidance of pain and in general, all functions of conservation of the individual and species. It’s the one in charge of fear and love, altogether.

Being afraid is natural, fearing a little bit is ok; the problem lays when fear is constant in a relationship, altering not just our environment, but also our health since it is a direct impact to our limbic system and it affects not just our emotions or our relationship, it affects our bodies too. Fearing your husband may be having an affair because he came half an hour late, fearing your wife will ask for divorce because you don’t feel attractive enough, fearing your boyfriend may leave you after you decide to take that job is nothing but a lack of trust and it blocks you from your natural state of feeling love.

  People tend to have a utopian point of view when it comes to love thanks to the media constantly sending wrong ideas of what love truly is to our brain. These wrong ideas lead to insecurities and false idealizations that make us fear, while in reality there is nothing to be afraid of. Maybe your husband came late because there was a lot of traffic, maybe your wife likes your belly, and maybe your boyfriend will find a way to stay in touch with you no matter the distance. In the end, not every time we fear something means that there is a problem, and if there is a problem there probably is a solution; also, if there is no solution to the problem, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world, it could be the beginning of a brand new adventure.

Relationships are always going to have ups and downs since no relationship is perfect and this is something we must understand. Perfection is not a synonym of happiness as well as imperfection is not a synonym of sadness.

Fear stops you from loving entirely, from enjoying your food, your favorite TV show; in fact, it stops you from enjoying life itself. Human beings are rational. To overcome your fears in the relationship it’s necessary to talk. If you feel there is a problem, if you feel insecure or if you just feel something isn’t right, talk about it with your partner in a calm manner when the two of you can talk about the issue alone.

Always keep in mind that you and your partner are an entire person each, and that you deserve to be entirely loved, that includes your flaws also; try to understand his/her concerns and insecurities, since your partner must have them too.

Don’t let fear take over your relationship or your life, be assertive and find ways to clarify things and keep alive the flame of love. Overcoming fears and problems could make your bond stronger and deeper, making you experience love in a healthier way.

What it means to be Authentic and Live an Authentic Life

Life is a journey of exploration and discovery with plenty obstacles to overcome, living one’s full potential in life remains quite elusive. Yet, this is only the first step toward living an authentic life.  Living an authentic life offers an opportunity to discover your goals and objectives. This often manifests by defining a path that is true to who you are and who you are about to become.

Many people who live an inauthentic life, live a life that is incompatible if not inconsistent with their values, abilities and desires. Because of this, they have strayed-off the path to discovering their true selves and real purpose in life. This is what it is like to live life inauthentic. It is a life simply hollow, incomplete and out-of-sync with oneself.

What does it mean to live an authentic life?

According to Brian Goldman, a renowned psychologist, authenticity is the unhindered operation of one’s true self in their daily enterprise. In his understanding, Goldman asserts that authenticity hold within it two very critical aspects:

• Self-knowledge
• Self-awareness

Essentially speaking, authentic people accept themselves for who they are. Like everyone else, such people have strengths and weaknesses. What makes them stand out is their ability to identify their strengths and at the same time seek to better their weaknesses. Being authentic is simply about connecting with one’s values, desires and abilities. Being authentic liberates one from the pressures of trying to be someone else; trying to be perfect.

Lame Deer is a Native American philosopher well-known for his work on human psychology. According to Deer, an authentic life is devoid of self-deprecation. He suggests that most people fall-short-of living authentically merely because they can’t stand their natural animal selves. Think of how people wear perfumes and deodorants to conceal their true smell. Or come to think of how people use cosmetic products and procedures to hide their true selves. Together with the various roles we undertake in the unending cycles of production and consumption as humans we remain detached from our true self and with nature itself. That is according to Lame Deer.

Authenticity in life is summarized by these two simple yet critical ingredients. In fact, self-knowledge and self-awareness defines who we are as humans. Understanding these two is just about all you need to live authentically.

Self-knowledge and self-awareness

At its very outset, authenticity begins when we commit our intentions to genuineness. A willingness to act genuine even when it feels most vulnerable. It comes with an ease of decision making in life; freedom to pick and choose on aspects that one relates very well with in as far as values and desires in life are concerned. This is in fact what it means to make unpopular decisions and choices in life. This is what it means to come to terms with some aspects that often people choose to hide away from, but which are integral parts of us. Self-knowledge and self-awareness are the building blocks of an authentic life. They make us live more honest if not engaged lives.

Definitive characteristics of authentic persons

Living an authentic life never comes easy. In fact, research surveys suggest that most humans across civilizations live inauthentic lives. Of course there are more than enough reasons for the same. That aside, the following are some aspects that may help you single out individuals who are actually living authentic:

• Resilience: living authentic life comes with an inherent ability to rise up to the challenge whenever one falls.
• Purposefulness: being authentic implies having an intended purpose in life. In other words having set objectives in life.
• Being goal-oriented: authentic people have some set goals to accomplish. They have targets in life and strive hard to realize them. In so doing, they remain steadfast and focused throughout their endeavors.

How to live authentic

Living authentic come with sacrifices as well as compromises. It calls for a complete overhaul of the past in favor of a fresh and new perspective to life. The following hints will get you started:

• Open mindedness
• Redefinition of values
• trust your intuition

Open mindedness

Being open minded is the cornerstone of authenticity. Be open to ideas and be sure to experience a whole new perspective of everything this life has to offer. Authenticity never flourishes in closed and rigid minds. In fact, it fades into insignificance. Such minds never hatch brilliant ideas and such people are fated to remain average for life. Well, this is less about an opinion than a fact of life.

Redefinition of values

This is about getting clear on what you dare to care about. Holding tight on the very values we grew up with is common place in most societies. Some of these values and traditions may clash with what we in fact stand for as values. This puts authenticity in jeopardy. In brief, it is impossible to live authentically if one knows not the very values that they stand for and uphold.

Trust your intuition

Whenever one acts inauthentic, intuitively they feel out-of-sync with who they actually are and what values they stand for. Intuition is about those hunches, physical sensations and even the impressions that come alongside the actions we undertake in life. Intuition instinctively shocks us back to our senses whenever we act contrary to what we stand for in life. Intuition guards us from straying far of the true path of authenticity.

Discovering who we actually are is but a continuous process. It is more like a journey than a destination, where we keep unfolding bits and pieces of ourselves as we move along. It is the beginning of being authentic and living authentic.

How does Marijuana affect your Relationship?

How Marijuana Can Affect Relationships

The impact marijuana can have on relationships remains to be a very controversial topic. Some hold the view that the two can never go hand in hand. Instead, they mix as well as dynamite and match; very explosive with widespread and far-reaching effects. While others believe that marijuana has no negative effects on relationships. In their view, it spices things up. This article, though not intended to hit at any side in favor of another, has captured nothing but the truth on how marijuana affects relationships from both schools of thought.

Success in any relationship calls for love, trust and compromise. In addition, it also requires the couple to be free of substance abuse and addiction in all of its forms.  In this context we are discussing marijuana ABUSE. I invite you to be open minded in this topic and not stay in the category of black and white thinking. Not everyone who smokes pot will abuse it or become addicted to it.

Pot smoking, like any substance, may seem innocent, harmless and even fun for some at the very outset. Though the habit initially kicks off as a way of establishing identity or possibly freedom of expression, it can eventually lead users down the path to ruin and destruction in any love relationship. It can set one’s life in a downward spiral that ultimately robs them of everything they value as far as love and relationship are concerned. Unfortunately, marijuana has become widely accepted and debatably legalized in many modern societies.

How does marijuana affect your love life?

Having counseled many couples on relationship matters over the years, I hold as true the opinion that the abuse of pot can actually minimize progress and growth in relationships. Marijuana abuse can directly impact:

• Personal life and friendship
• Intimacy and commitments
• family life and responsibilities
• emotions

Personal life and friendship

If pot smoking ultimately turns habitual and addictive, the victim ceases to be himself or herself. The drug moves in and completely takes over such an unsuspecting soul. In no time, such an individual becomes consumed by social anxiety and paranoia.

At this stage, the pot addict is more likely to be introverted and neglected, even by close friends and confidants. Of course being high kind of redefines their brand of friends; they associate more with a clique of other addicts trapped in the same habit of pot smoking. These are the kind of friends that only sink them deeper in their abyss of frustrations. Essentially, the addict loses touch with reality and reason.

Intimacy and commitments

In love life, intimacy is very critical. In fact, according to some studies, it is the glue that holds the relationship together longer. By its very nature, intimacy is about partners being able to see into each other. Precisely, intimacy guarantees a clear perception of an individual’s feelings as well as their partner’s.

Marijuana in a relationship acts contrary to this feeling. Though critics suggest it heightens intimacy, this substance is in fact insidious and dangerous in your relationship. The “sacred herb,” as some erroneously call it, is a mood-killer when abused and only detaches you from your own as well as your partner’s feelings. Besides, weed shortens memory and makes honoring commitments in a relationship quite the nightmare.

Family life and responsibilities

Whenever a recreational drug like marijuana turns addictive, cravings for the same makes one forget everything else but the pot. Abdication of duties and responsibilities in the family typically sets in at this stage. Real addicts are never worried about the welfare of their children or spouse. Not in the slightest. They live in denial, isolation and over time becomes overtly defensive of their actions. It is no surprise that such individuals resort to verbal attacks if questioned about any of their unbecoming behaviors.

The drug-free partner in a relationship that is bedeviled by marijuana suffers more psychological traumas than the addict. Such partners may at times feel betrayed, tricked or even short changed in the relationship. This often develops into self-blame; taking unnecessary responsibility for the addicted partner’s way of life. This might then degenerate into jealousy, rage and self judgement, the real ingredients of depression.

Ironically, if asked if they still love their spouse in the relationship, the addict is often quick to respond in the affirmative. Their continued use of pot is evidence to the contrary though.

Marijuana and emotions

Emotionally, pot smokers are not themselves. Research findings indicate that as one uses drugs time and again, likely the case with marijuana addicts, their emotional tone plummets lower and lower. Unless they are high, such individuals know not much happiness and pleasures in life. Such a twisted perspective ends up draining life in any relationship. In some cases the couple may call it quits and part ways, just like that. In some rare cases though, the pot-free partner may have the nerve and patience to wait and just hope for the best – a day when the love of their life will finally stop the bad habit. Success rate for such cases is often very slim because the addiction often turns chronic over time. Most of the patient pot-free partners end-up depressed and frustrated without the intervention of specialists like psychotherapists and psychologists.

How to recover from marijuana addiction

Clearly, marijuana and relationships are immiscible. The good news however is that marijuana addiction as a condition can be reversed. Various effective recovery programs are in place for the same. These programs remake the addict anew so that they once again come into the light. With well-thought-out alternatives, these programs helps clients regain a brighter outlook on life as a whole, integrity and self-respect. This way, they can once again love and be loved back.

To the drug free partner in the relationship, patience is of the essence. Give your partner time to shed off the bad habit. If the addict remains defiant and unappreciative of your patience then consider exploring other options like:

• seeking help from a psychotherapist
• divorce

The second option should come last; only upon exploring all available options and all concerted efforts rendered futile. Though this therapy is known to shock drug users into reality, it is likely to impact negatively on kids, if there are any. So, settle for divorce only if your partner’s marijuana addiction condition deteriorates and becomes so much over the top or is clearly on the brink of spinning out of control.

Communication Breakdown: Why do we listen to reply and not listen to understand?

Why We Tend to Listen to Reply and not Listen to Understand

As a skill, listening is very critical in communication. It is the best way to pass across information and, more importantly, knowledge between individuals. Even so, studies suggest that over the years, our listening ability has only deteriorated. We no longer listen to understand. Instead, we listen to reply.

Studies show that we spend close to 60 per cent of everyday listening to others, but only retain a quarter of what we hear. Part of the reason for this could be that the world around us has become louder over time. A careful scrutiny and analysis of issues reveal the real suspects in play; a delicate combination of a pair of aspects within the human brain. These aspects include:

• The lag time concept

• The confirmation bias aspect

The lag time concept

Charles Gross, in his study at Princeton University in 2010, discovered what he called lag time in communication. It is the time duration between what you hear and what you understand. Now, according to Gross, lag time is in the range of a few seconds up to a minute. Of course this varies among individuals.

According to Charles Gross, lag time is the reason people listen more to reply than to understand. In fact, this is where real trouble begins. During lag time we shift attention to ourselves. We stop listening to the others. Instead, we listen to ourselves, a perfect recipe for communication breakdown. During the same phase, we tend to figure out a quick response rather than let the message sink in. The whole conversation then ends up into a fierce contest.

What causes lag time in communication?

The exact cause of lag time is still unclear, though psychotherapists and psychologists believe human emotions holds a center stage and are very critical to it. Thoughts, beliefs, values, perceptions and opinions are also other very vital ingredients of an individual’s lag time.

The confirmation bias aspect

In the words of Grand Eklund, “You are only listening to what you want to hear.” I can’t agree with Eklund more. In all most every communication setting, people tend to pick out facts and other figures they deem fit; what affirms their pre-existing perspectives, values and beliefs. In so doing, they listen with more intent to reply than to understand – a real communication disaster. That is in fact how the confirmation bias concept operates.

Healthy conversation should involve listening to every detail of what is spoken. Confirmation bias however contradicts this. It makes it quite the challenge to listen and acquire knowledge.

How does confirmation bias come about?

Psychologists hint that confirmation bias has some level of connection and link with how slow individuals speaks in comparison to how fast they listen. Studies show that the human brain has the ability to process words at an optimum rate of between 600 and 1000 words per minute. When we speak, individuals communicate roughly 175 to 200 words a minute. Clearly, we aren’t utilizing our brain’s full capacity, especially when listening. Because of this underutilization of potential, the human brain tends to drift off into other aspects that would make up for that deficit; the onset of competitive listening.

Competitive listening is best explained using George Miller’s Law. In order to understand what someone else is saying, one has to first assume that the other person’s position is true and then try to find out what is actually true in it. A negation of Miller’s concept bears what is known as competitive listening; hearing something then reacting negatively to it, in part because of a belief that the other person’s position is false. In this spirit, listening grinds to a halt and communication breaks down.

Way forward to effective listening

Many years of exploring listening as an art points me in a common direction; that effectiveness in listening can only be achieved through awareness and concentration. Yes, simply allowing yourself to listen better without coercion.

In order to “listen to understand and not just to reply”, we need to concentrate more voluntarily. This way, we acquire more knowledge and also make our conversations more effective.

Daddy Issues and their Impact on Relationships

Wondering what this possibly means?  Well, read on for the actual truth and other shocking revelations on daddy issues and how it impacts relationships……

Daddy issues is a general term that describes a woman’s self-destructive behaviour often typified by a desperate ache for male attention. Now, that much suffices the definition of this whole aspect.

Women in this condition let themselves be misused by men. Unfortunately, some of us are or have been these kind of women. If not, then we probably know of friends who very well fit in the above descriptions. This problem is real and needs to be fixed sooner than later, lest it spill over into relationships and ruin everything.

May be you still don’t get the details of it. Or maybe this whole narrative on daddy issues doesn’t seem to hold much sense to you. Well, then these leading questions may just be all you need to drive the point home:

• Do you find yourself attracted to older men, either married or unmarried?
• In terms of emotional support, would you say your father was always there for you or you felt abandoned by him at some point in your tender ages?
• Can you single-out instances of abuse by your father? It could be emotional, physical or even sexual.
• Are you attracted to emotionally unavailable men and often wonder why?

If you said yes to any of the above, you are not alone. This article will help you identify unconscious patterns and conditioning with “daddy issues” thereby helping you create a happier and healthier relationship for you and your partner.

Let’s take a more in depth look at some of the concerns surrounding individual women caught-up in daddy issues.

1. Abandonment

Abandonment is very deep rooted with attachment and detachment issues. Your father is the first male figure in your life. If you were emotionally abandoned by your father or he was emotionally unavailable for you during your younger days, this may cause a deep need to feel loved and cherished in your adult life. You will continuously look for this in other men to substitute the love you did not get from your father. Unfortunately our relationships cannot provide that deep fatherly affection enough to fill this void. Until we are aware of this, we cannot work to understand ourselves better and give ourselves the love we need.

Older men, as I always refer to them because they are often older then the women they are dating, are in most cases more confident and financially stable. They always appear very much in control of the relationship since as always is the case, it is not their first rodeo at dating or romancing a woman. It is little wonder then that younger women fall for such men exhibiting high levels of confidence and poise.

Older men, or men in general, instinctively notice if their partner is troubled by daddy issues in the relationship. This often happen naturally. So the men do not put in much effort in noticing this helplessness. This power imbalance marked by the woman’s vulnerability often lets the man run the show. He can make her feel adored, protected and safe; all the things her father could not provide to satisfy her emotions.

A woman in this state of mind may crave all the love and affection she had been starved of as a little girl. Her new found love is all she might require to fill up that father-daughter relationship gap. This way she might feel her needs are being met and in some way his as well.

2. Engaging in risky sexual behavior

This is one other significant and definitive feature for women with daddy issues. They crave lots of sex. In most relationships such women associate love and confidence to the number of times they are laid by the men they are supposedly in love with.

Recent studies and surveys have shown that in most women, having sex often tricks the subconscious mind into thinking they are loved and adored. This is terribly wrong and is but a false sense of security. It will only end up ruining your relationship in the longer term. True love exudes intimacy that is founded on companionship and mutual respect.

3. Fear of being alone

Any lady who’s been through this murky side of relationships will certainly conquer that it is very scary to be single. She’d rather be in a dysfunctional relationship all her life than be alone.

Daddy issues can make one unstable in relationships. Such individuals rush into engagements without sparing time to check out for compatibility aspect in the whole deal. In so doing, they scare away the real men of their dreams. This way, they throw all their respect and dignity down the drain. Such women lack in everything that defines identity and healthy self-esteem.

4. Nagging reassurance of affection and love

A sense of insecurity defines women with daddy issues. They are always comparing themselves to their supposedly “ideal women”. In doing this, they often worry on whether they are still their partner’s “one and only”. Well, this is often very exhausting to their partners. That very needy aspect exhibited in a woman often pushes men out of relationships. It’s is very counterproductive in the long run and only serves to confirm your greatest fear; you are not lovable.

How to go about resolving this nightmare

The first proactive step in tackling this problem is to understand and acknowledge that daddy issues are real. Denying this fact is ignorant and only sinks one deeper into the abyss of frustration in relationships. You certainly don’t want to continue down the path of rebound dating and relationships, do you?

In the event that this has been an ongoing problem, it is advisable that you seek advice from a qualified therapist or relationship counsellor. These experts have just about all it takes to provide you the right support, advice and encouragement on matters relationship whenever needed.

The bottom line

It is impossible to change your past, but you have a future. Keep your thoughts positive and pick on the right path for your future. This will guarantee you a relationship full of real romance and of course not much troubles related to daddy issues and guess what? You will also be able to attract the right men in your life, a real dream come true in your love life.

The Real Difference Between Love And Lust

The Real Difference between Love and Lust

Are you uncertain on matters of love and lust? You are not alone in this. Many sensible people like you, are also caught-up in the confusion. Here are some shocking details on the same….

Sexual attraction is known to often obliterate general human intuition and common sense even in the seemingly sensible and principled individuals. Lust is hell-bent on procreation. It is fueled by the primal desire to have sex. At least we can blame this on our brains for now.

Studies backed by MRI scans indicate that during lust-phase, the human brain is quite like that on drugs. The same area of the brain lights-up with a fix of cocaine as when one is in lust. Love on the other hand is the right opposite of lust. Even with all that in mind, clear-cut distinction between love and lust remains elusive to many. Partly because the two overlap at some instances.

In this article however, nothing is left to chance. We have shed light on this seemingly complicated topic.

 

So, how exactly do you distinguish love from lust?

Lust and love can be very confusing to the unsuspecting eye. To begin with, lust is thought to be driven solely by physical attraction alongside fantasy. Love, in most instances, is also founded on these pillars. In essence, some love relationships are founded on lust. This however, does not mean that love and lust are one and the same. In fact, it implies the opposite. Let’s evaluate the two on a series of aspects.

• Ownership and control

Love lacks in ownership and control. It however has plenty desire to see one grow to their full potential. This comes naturally with no worries about losing the one you love. It exudes desire to provide support and encouragement whenever appropriate.

Lust on the other hand is an insatiable obsession. It is more of redefining your partner’s life according to your own standards. Lust provides limited or no room for progress for either partner. One gets drenched so much with obsession to an extent it give way to deathly jealousy.

 

• Sex and conversations

If you’ve ever been in genuine love then you certainly appreciate the value of conversation. Meaningful conversation is the very fabric of lasting relationships. It often comes with a burning desire to share what’s on one’s mind time and again; in a constructive manner.

Lust is often skewed towards sex and many other aspects that lets one escape reality, call it debauchery. Once in lust, you desire less of constructive conversations and more of fantasy. Partners caught up in lust for one another are often engrossed in selfish desire for sex and unrealistic fun, as they call it.

• Conditionality aspect

Genuine love should be unconditional. It is a natural feeling of desire to be with someone no matter their condition or circumstance.

Lust on the other hand is purely conditional; a feeling of steeped gratification of the flesh. With lust, cheating on a partner is nothing but a way to quench an urgent need while he or she is away!

Now everything is put to perspective. The thin line between love and lust is no longer an illusion as otherwise thought. One vital rule of thumb on these matters of the heart is to try and retain one’s presence of mind whenever feelings of attraction crop-up. This helps one steer clear of lust temptations.

Effective Goal Setting

Setting goals for your life is something that is so important. It can be very difficult to decide in which direction you want to take things, but it is very important that you set goals in order to achieve some sort of direction. Goals help keep your life structured and constantly moving forward. But how do you effectively set your goals?

Challenge yourself.

Goals should challenge you to make changes and better your life. Goals can be small or big, but they should present a hurtle that your need to jump over. Your goals should require you to expand your mind and push yourself to work hard to make your life the happiest it can be.

Make goals attainable.

It is important that your goals are not only challenging but realistic. Your goals should be something that you can achieve in a reasonable amount of time that you set. For example, setting a goal to complete a 4 year university program in 2 years or owning a house withing a year when you do not have a stable full time job really isn’t realistic. Instead, setting the goal to graduate within the time your supposed to or perhaps finding a job that gives the right amount of pay and hours to get ready to buy that house.

Find ways to stay motivated.

Staying motivated is one of the biggest challenges of attaining goals. Achieving what you want out of life is hard work, and at times it can see impossible. You need to find ways to keep yourself on your path towards your goals and there are lots of ways that you can do that. Finding a way to treat yourself is so important to help keep you motivated. Maybe you just need a quiet night in with a good book, or a night out with your friends. Whatever is a good way for you to wind down and give yourself a break from the hard work.

Keep your goals fluid and accept change. 

Lives change regularly, and sometimes our goals need to change right along with them. Lots of things can happen unexpectedly and you need to prepare yourself for that chance that you might need to change your direction. The best way you can do that is to continue to be open to new experiences and embrace all that life has to offer you. It is not considered a failure to change your goals, but rather a successful way to reevaluate your life.

You can do anything that you set your mind to, but you need to set goals to get there. Being effective at goal setting will help you get things done and keep you going in the right direction. Set your goals and start working towards a happier and healthier life today.

Why Keeping Score Doesn’t Work In Relationships

Keeping score is detrimental to relationships, and it will often end up killing them completely. But why do people keep score in the first place?

Well, it is often because it is a learned behaviour. Our parents are often our very first role models for relationships, and how they functioned together can say a lot about how our future relationships play out. If your parents kept score, chances are you will as well. Keeping score in your relationships will not only end in heartache, but it is a completely exhausting and unnecessary practice. It is also modeled in a lot of other dysfunctional relationships that we can find ourselves in (friendships, professional relationships, and other family relationships).

It is true that you should be getting back what you put into a relationship, but the meaning behind this is oftentimes misunderstood. This does not mean that you should be spending as much money as your partner, or doing nice things in equal amounts. It means that you and your partner should be doing things for each other and working towards the common goal of happiness and fulfillment in relationship (not working against each other). When things are truly even in a relationship, there is no need to keep score.

Here are some things to keep in mind, and to help you to break the habit of keeping score in your relationship:

Love is not a competition. Being in love with someone and having a relationship is not a “you vs. them” situation. Relationships are a partnership, and keeping score makes it a competition. It is important to recognize that you are not playing for opposing teams, but for the same team. Working together is how we overcome the challenges and struggles in a relationship.

Keeping score builds resentments. If one partner feels that they are putting far more into it then they are getting back out, resentment will start to build. Resentments can start out small, but they will morph into a general dislike towards your partner. Functioning in a relationship where love and mutual happiness is no longer the main goal is nearly impossible.

People need to give and take different amounts at different times during a relationship.Relationships cannot always be perfectly balanced. One partner may need a bit extra emotional support from their partner at one point, and these positions will switch back and forth throughout the course of the relationship. The important thing is that overall you will be getting back as much as you put in, it may just be at a different time or in a different situation.

Scoring is different for everyone. What you hold in high value, may be something totally different for your partner. You and your partner may value different things, making it impossible to keep an accurate “score”. This will just cause more problems than it solves and it is not something that can be changed, as values are a part of your core being.

The best thing that you can do for your relationship is to stop taking inventory of what you are doing for each other, and take a good hard look at what you and your partner want for each other. If the end goal is not mutual happiness and fulfillment, it is certainly time to re-evaluate just how invested the two of you are in the relationship. Don’t keep score, instead, live each day working towards a happy and healthy relationship.