My Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life

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21 Day Relationship Challenge!

Warm relationships are essential to a happy life. Sign up for 21 days of resolutions to make your relationships happier and more loving.


“The Man Who Is Himself At Ease Can Best Attend to the Distress of Others.”

AdamSmith “The man who is himself at ease can best attend to the distress of others.” –Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments

Agree, disagree?

21 Day Relationship Challenge – Day 8

Control the Cubicle in Your Pocket

21-DayChallenge-BlogPhotoToday’s resolution suggests that you “Control the Cubicle in Your Pocket.” It’s important to give your time, attention, and energy to the people you love—but technology and the blurred line between home and work can make this resolution a challenge.

If you tried this resolution, what strategies did you use to control the cubicle in your pocket?

Did it make a difference to your happiness?

We can all learn from each other, so please post your experiences with the resolution in the comments section below.

21 Day Relationship Challenge – Day 7

Abandon Your Self-Control

21-DayChallenge-BlogPhotoToday’s resolution suggests that you “Abandon your self-control.” But, perhaps surprisingly, to abandon it by giving up something altogether.

Self-control, in this context, presents a challenge in relationships, because some people are more comfortable indulging in moderation, while others do better when they give up something altogether. There’s no one right way, so it’s helpful to figure out what works for you, follow it, and allow others to follow the way that’s right for them (even if it seems wrong to you!).

Which approach works better for you? Moderation or cold turkey? How about the people around you?

We can all learn from each other, so please post your experiences with the resolution in the comments section below.

21 Day Relationship Challenge – Day 6

Dig Deep

21-DayChallenge-BlogPhotoToday’s resolution suggests that you “Dig deep.” That is, push yourself to stay patient, forbearing, or appreciative, or to find the humor in a situation instead of becoming annoyed.

Did you have an opportunity to dig deep? (They tend to arise pretty often!)

Did it make a difference to your happiness?

We can all learn from each other, so please post your experiences with the resolution in the comments section below.

Secret of Adulthood: You Can Choose What You Do, But You Can’t Choose What You Like To Do.

Further Secrets of Adulthood:

ChhoseWhatYouDoNotLike_124728

For instance, I can decide to go to a concert, fly-fish, or do a crossword puzzle–but I can’t decide to like going to concerts, fly-fishing, or doing crossword puzzles.  And in fact, these are three things that I wish I enjoyed, but I don’t.

What do you think? Agree, disagree?

It’s also true that I can’t choose what I like to do, but I can choose what I do. Like driving. You can hear me tell my story about that Secret of Adulthood here.

There’s a related Secret of Adulthood: Just because something is fun for other people doesn’t mean it’s fun for me, and vice versa.