Dave Shields is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Relationship Advice". You can find complete information on Dave Shields and his products by visiting Kenosis Center.
“Miracles do happen,” wrote Chaim Weizman , the first President of Israel “but one has to work very hard for them.”
To grow up and out of a painful, dysfunctional past and all its leftoversfeelings, memories, pain, confusion, anger, fear, and persistent ... Views: 1755
Dear Dr. Romance:
I am a happily married man in my mid-forties with 2 small kids who has become overwhelmingly infatuated with a 22 year old co-worker. She is friendly but certainly not coquettish and there is no suggestion she reciprocates. I have no intention of trying to pursue ... Views: 7773
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Pressuring yourself might be causing resistance, stress, anxiety, physical pain, insomnia and even illness.
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How many of you put a lot of pressure on yourself? How often do you feel anxious because of this ... Views: 1378
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Are you shy? Is your shyness getting in the way of your connection with others?
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Have you struggled with being a shy person?
Lily asks:
"I try hard to overcome my shyness and reluctance to stand out, speak ... Views: 1393
Most relationships have to endure a history of trauma experienced by one or both partners and a current trauma(s).
Traumas include abandonment, neglect, abuse, rejection, control, accidents, assaults/attacks, catastrophes, infidelity, infertility, loss, relocation, birthing and becoming ... Views: 1768
Beliefs, thoughts and education play a vital role in one's personality overall. Our minds determine our personality types. We all judge different things in our own unique way and this attribute make our identity distinguished from others. We just cannot survive without our brains! Some people ... Views: 1545
It is often said that women are more intuitive than men, and this could be due to a number of reasons. One reason is because they are often more in touch with their feelings. Men on the other hand, are often more logical and out of touch with how they feel.
This is simply a generalisation ... Views: 2037
Being parented by imperfect parents/caregivers is considered a traumatic experience of childhood in some of the trauma and attachment literature and information I have come across. This includes being abused, abandoned and/or neglected to various degrees.
When trauma is defined in this ... Views: 1774
I was an instructor at the Learning Annex in NY City for many years. Classes ended at 9 pm and the ride home was a long one. One evening, after teaching an anger management course for three hours, I pulled into my driveway around 11 pm, exhausted and anxious to crawl into bed. I pulled my car ... Views: 1608
Dear Dr. Romance:
I'm nearly 30 and have been living with my boyfriend for several years. Last year we encountered a rough patch and I felt neglected and unloved and like all respect had gone from our relationship. Unfortunately during this time I got very drunk and kissed another man. I ... Views: 3564
Research conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish and others shows that the happiest and healthiest people are those who are well-connected to friends and family. But, in our mobile society, keeping friends is not always possible. Long-term friendships are wonderful and valuable, but if you dont make ... Views: 1768
What is an affair? What constitutes cheating? Infidelity? These are very personal definitions. Most people have their own version of what constitutes what. Here is a definition I have adapted from experts in the field that works well: An affair involves one of the partner’s passion being ... Views: 2099
It’s very interesting to me to watch couples struggle and go around and around… I find that this happens with the ones where partners refuse to take ownership of their own contribution to their relationship’s status quo and are fixated with having their partner change… These are the partners ... Views: 1826
It is very painful to experience betrayal in our relationships. I am primarily referring to betrayal by loved ones. This is the most painful betrayal. Betrayal may happen in many different forms and can be experienced by anyone at anytime during their life time
Betrayal might take place in ... Views: 1860
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Love is not something that can be described – it needs to be experienced, and when you experience it through loving yourself, you will know how to love.
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We read many things about what love is and what it isn't ... Views: 1384
Dear Dr. Romance:
We are co-workers and I've know him for about two years. He's very nice, funny and in very good shape. We've built a pretty solid friendship. We hang out a couple times a month (when I'm home from school). But, lately he's been pushing for a ... Views: 1488
Our wedding vows include the words: “for richer or poorer” – but as we all know, keeping this vow is easier said than done. For almost three decades, I’ve seen love diminish when couples fight over money! To avoid these damaging fights about money, follow these five (5) simple guidelines for ... Views: 942
In Chinese Astrology, the birth chart of a person allows us to determine the quality of spousal relationship through an intricate destiny analysis. One of the branches of Chinese Astrology known as Four Pillars of Destiny or BaZi can reveal the luck of marriage of a person.
In Ba Zi, the ... Views: 3815
There is a reason you picked your partner, and there is a reason why you have friction in your relationship. The areas that are still unresolved are due to the inability to overcome the potentially meaningful challenges. If you are willing to take full responsibility for your life and make a ... Views: 1456
Dear Dr. Romance:
I came across your web site when I was desperately looking for motivation. I'm a salesman selling first class products but I couldn't get motivated and it's been a problem for months. It's been getting worse.
I read "Motivation and How to ... Views: 1794
Once upon a time, In high school, I memorized a poem that has been a constant source of help and direction in my life and relationships. It’s simple and much more sentimental than today’s cynical age can handle, but the very simplicity of it made it a great navigational tool for me ... Views: 1587
Dr. Romance sees many clients who are having marital problems because of the following bad habits. If you find yourself doing any of these things, consider changing your behavior or getting counseling.
1) You place social media above real communication; This can be a big problem, ... Views: 1821
What is the Fun Quotient in your relationship? Couples have the tendency to become complacent in their relationship including the fun aspect of their relating. This is traumatic to the relationship as it stifles its energy flow creating a numb, stuck and disconnect feel and dissatisfied ... Views: 1734
Do you know when you get on your partner’s nerves? There is a general underlying theme to the complaints couples usually share and that is that their partner is being egocentric. Egocentrism gets in the way of witnessing our partner’s beauty, gifts and contributions. It keeps us trapped in our ... Views: 1873
After the infatuation and dating stage, fun and romance doesn’t just happen in relationships. Great committed relationships don’t just happen. We have to put in conscious effort to create the relationship we want. Here are some tips for creating and enhancing your intimacy, romance, passion and ... Views: 1823
There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” Aristotle
OK we all know this right? And yet how many of us enter into the most intimate relationship with our partners “saying nothing.” For those who still can’t discuss sex, it is time to lift that veil. ... Views: 1179
After all the hours of therapy and self-help, self-discoveries, self-realizations, and self-improvements I’ve made, I just identified yet another layer of unresolved issues that I need to deal with. Can you relate?
When will we finally be done evolving and growing into the person who we want ... Views: 1671
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Do you get stuck not knowing what to say or do when your partner treats you disrespectfully?
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Louise asked me:
"Do you have any suggestions on what to say when my husband says unloving words to me in front ... Views: 1196
As a parade went by, one of the horses pulling a float entry left a memento in the middle of the road, right in front of where we were watching from the sidewalk. From that point on, every band or group that came marching down the road marched bravely on, right through the pile of horse manure. ... Views: 1569
The most valuable thing in a long-term stable relationship is having a partnership, and most new couples don’t realize that money is a major factor in marital happiness. Money is one of the biggest generators of problems, arguments, and resentment in long-term relationships. Couples argue ... Views: 1526
While everyone has times when they are in an extreme mood, a person with bipolar can be very depressed and at other times be so happy that they seem like they are driven by a motor. Their mood can change very suddenly, and it often seems that there is no apparent cause. This is called bipolar ... Views: 2604
Fun is important in our relationship. Having fun releases different chemicals in the brain that engender good feelings which get then associated with our partner. This is a good thing. Having fun with our partner should be a priority in our relationship. We can get huge returns on this ... Views: 1933
Dear Dr. Romance:
This question is a little hard for me because it is very personal. My husband and I were married for 24 years before he passed away. During our time together, I developed a severe case of alopecia which has left me with very little hair. This did not bother my ... Views: 1700
Spring is a time for renewal and fresh beginnings. People come out of hibernation from the long winter months to enjoy the outdoors and fresh air. Many people plant seeds in their garden and spruce up the inside of their homes by throwing out old things and replacing them with fresh new items. ... Views: 1030
Business Success & Intimate Relationships
Are you an entrepreneur or small business owner? If so, do you realize how much your intimate/primary relationship matters to your business success? Really think about this for a moment.
If there is upset in our primary relationship what often ... Views: 1276
There is a tendency towards passiveness in our relationship as time passes.
Couples get comfortable in their routine, whether it is an efficient and satisfying routine or not, and lax in their relating, whether they are on the same page or not. They settle into whatever relating they have ... Views: 1939
Our connections through relationships are so important. Sometimes we get so busy that we intend on calling that special someone, or taking them to lunch, but before you know it’s the weekend and you have a full agenda.
It is easy to sit back and claim that this one didn’t return your call, or ... Views: 1482
Dear Dr. Romance:
I fell in love and married a man from another city. We have been married for three years. I livedwith his family, which included his parents and his three younger sisters, plus children. In my eastern culture, we mostly live with our inlaws. My mother in law's ... Views: 1716
1. Seek first to understand. If you know your partner's frame of reference, you can speak to him/her within it.
2. Pay attention to how your words are landing. If your companion's response looks off the mark for what you said, check out what he/she is hearing....
3. Focus on the solution ... Views: 1431
Understandably so, much has been said and discussed about relationships by people all around the world –including relationships experts. One of the most deliberated points that are argued is: how to keep a relationship. Below is a compiled list of tested and proven tips on how to keep a ... Views: 893
Do you have problems committing to a relationship, or are you involved with someone who has a fear of commitment?
Louis wrote to me:
"I have been dating an amazing girl, but recently ended it because I am not sure if she is good for me. Our relationship has ... Views: 1275
There is no better way to create wonderful memories and meaning in one’s relationship than with rituals. Rituals are a special way to show love, appreciation and importance for the partners throughout time in the life of the relationship.
Relationships are made up of interactions between two ... Views: 1740
One characteristic satisfied and successful couples have in common is that they are part of each other’s lives. Duh-ah! I’m sure this does not come as a surprise. The trick though is how the partners are part of each other’s lives.
Partners have difficulties negotiating what this means to ... Views: 1876
When a relationships ends, there is the chance that it will lead to one experiencing a lot of emotional pain. There is also the chance that one will be quiet happy with what has happened and although there may be a mild sense of loss for example, they will soon settle down and be on their ... Views: 2241
About one in five families of veterans will never be the same once a soldier returns from combat. That is because the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs finds that one in five combat veterans develop a mental illness known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. PTSD can be developed after ... Views: 1540
Civilians will never know the struggles and torments that soldiers endure while in combat. Because of the highly-stressful and volatile atmosphere of war, it is no wonder that combat veterans find it hard to shake their wartime experiences when returning back to civilian life. It’s as though the ... Views: 1332
Although each and every one of us is physically separate and therefore has our own needs and wants, it doesn’t mean that one is always aware of what these are. So instead of one looking within for guidance and a sense of purpose, they can end up looking to other people.
This is what will be ... Views: 1794
The average person pays more attention to what she’s saying or thinking about than what she is hearing, or how her words are “landing” on the other person. This self-involvement gets worse during an argument. You can become a much more effective communicator by using ... Views: 1515
While there are a lot of tips on how to attract a girl, not all of them will work for you. To effectively attract a lady, it is important that you understand how they think and how they perceive men. Women are different from men and to make matters even harder, they can change their minds faster ... Views: 939
Dr. Romance: tips on spring cleaning your marriage:
Over an extended period of time, dust and detritus can accumulate in even the best marriage. Spring cleaning, to clear out the cobwebs and re-energize your connection, is a great idea. Just like a regular housework schedule, regular ... Views: 1733