Emotional Cheating

Emotional cheating can be just as devastating if not more so than sexual cheating. Sexual cheating is exciting but doesn't necessarily involve emotional bonds. Emotional cheating is more destructive and leaves one with deeper feelings of betrayal.

Although there may be no physical contact, when two people start sharing intimate details of their lives they begin to form a bond. They share secrets they are not sharing with their partner, believe they understand each other and have a deeper connection than with their current partner. They delude themselves into believing that they are just good friends, yet deep down they feel it means far more than a regular friendship would.

As two people are drawn closer together an underlying sexual attraction will develop, which can be just as exciting and flirtatious as a physical affair. Therefore, when someone has been emotionally cheated on, they find it much harder to deal with because the betrayal is so personal.

Being a Friend

Treat your friends as friends should be treated: be sincere, considerate, courteous, truthful, loyal, sympathetic, helpful and above all, keep your word. If you are a friend, you will stay when others walk out; you will lend a hand when others are too busy.

It takes time to make and hold friends; for relationships made fast seldom last. Always remember…the cannibal who eats you up the first time he sees you will just as quickly become nauseated with you later.

On the runway of life...

...when the wind
shakes me off balance
I want to steady myself
in the arms of a man
who won’t ask me to be
what he needs
but lets me exist as I am.

The free spirit of a lioness
a tempting seductress
the highly creative artist
with an unquenchable exuberance
for living life to the fullest.

Will reality and imagination
combine into a jigsaw puzzle
of unmatched pieces?
Or, will the vivid pictures
in his mind spur
the tranquility of this reality?

One thing’s for sure
this you will see
as I strut down life’s runway
I’ve got to be me!

To Daddy With Love

We are fortunate that fathers offer us experiences and insights quite different from our mothers. While our mothers caution us, “Be careful,” “Button up,” and “Wash your hands,” our fathers shout, “Better not let your mom find out,” and “Go for it!” (Thank you, daddy!!!)

But fathers can be as nurturing as they are macho. I’m sure you remember crawling into your dad’s lap to listen to him read you a story or the feel of his hand on the back fender, steadying the bicycle as you took your first wobbly ride.

Most of us owe our courage, self-confidence, competitive spirit and ability to drive a stick shift (Amen) to our dads. He is a teacher, coach, protector, hero, friend and cheerleader. Whether we call him father, daddy, pops or dad, one thing’s for sure – he’s the Main Man!

Like the Energizer bunny, the things my father taught me keep me going and going and going…

So daddy, this hug’s for you!!!

Gentlemen, This One's For You

The word "coaching" is very appealing, especially to men. It allows them to access basic psychological principles in a way that's socially acceptable. You begin talking about work and that's the place where most men feel competent or at least comfortable. At some point, the coach then begins to ask about work-life balance and that acts as a bridge into the personal life.

Coaching is not the same a therapy. One is an open-ended exploration of the origins of emotional makeup; the other is usually short-term and focused on achieving concrete goals, often in the context of career. You don't have to get in touch with your feelings; instead you are taught how to manage them. Typically men prefer this approach as it enables them to concentrate on such things as emotional intelligence, better relationship management skills and a more successful personal style.

People often trace their personal style at work back to their family of origin and even back to some defining crisis, i.e., throwing one's self into their job to overcome the loss of a loved one. Career or life coaching effectively induces changes that usually move from the person's work life into their private life. Nine out of 10 times the side effects from coaching is improved personal relations at home.

Coaching began its growth in the 1990's with the surging growth of Internet and tech companies. This happened so quickly that employees and managers had to learn social and management skills on the fly. These were the IT types who were accustomed to working by themselves, alone in a room. Then, suddenly, they're managing people and know absolutely nothing about human dynamics.

Asking for help, showing weakness, admitting you have no control and revealing yourself to a stranger just aren’t things guys are taught how to do. By and large, these are not the men who seek solutions on the couch. Therapy itself is antithetical to everything it is to be male in this society. This is why coaching is so appealing to men. After all, it was Michael Jordan who once remarked, "A coach is someone who makes you do what you don't want to do in order to be what you want to be". If a great natural athlete like Michael Jordan can benefit from coaching, perhaps coaching will continue to provide needed support for performance improvement in more executive suites as well.

Are Your Riches Rich?

In his last will and testament, Patrick Henry wrote, “This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich indeed.”

Our most precious riches are in the heart, not in the bank. If your heart is filled with faith, hope, love, self-respect, peace and good will, you are rich, the richest rich! Why…because those means supply the greatest need.

Remember, when you are laying away valuables never forget to put a few in your heart…they count the most!

Live a Rewarding Life

For life to be the fullest, sweetest and most rewarding:

• Do more than move; improve.
• Do more than get; give.
• Do more than regret; learn.
• Do more than look; see.
• Do more than sympathize; help.
• Do more than build a house; make a home.
• Do more than breathe; live.
• Do more than live; love.