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Author: Maria Connolly

How to Relate WITH Others — Healthy Love Relationships Master This Skill

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Healthy Relationships.

Learning how to relate with others becomes easier when you follow these steps to forming,maintaining and enjoying a long-lasting love relationship.Like peanut butter and jelly or boots and sweaters, some things naturally go together. When you met the love of your life, you just knew the two of you belonged together. You wanted it to last forever. Yet in the day-to-day realities of life, the spark and sparkle may have grown a little dim, maybe you don’t think you’ll ever get the luster back again. This is when fortifying your skills on how to relate with others can help.

Did you notice I put the emphasis on relating with not relating to? Relating to others puts the emphasis on you in relation to them. Relating with others puts the emphasis on them.

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The Best Conflict Resolution Techniques Are Based on Love

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Embodied Leadership, Leadership Skills, Life Skills.

Does it surprise you that the best conflict resolution techniques are based on LOVE? At the office or at home, you don’t have to be tough to be heard.“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.” ~ Thomas Merton

At sea, mutiny can endanger lives because while fighting, the sailors are distracted from their destination. They can’t see the storm on the horizon, the pirate ship approaching, or the iceberg beneath the surface. The ship, and all lives upon it, could be lost if conflict resolution techniques and a cohesive team spirit aren’t maintained. When your life depends on those around you, you long for a strong bond of respect and trust and even better, one of love.

Since we’re taught to question authority, to stand up for our rights, to be in control of our own destinies, maintaining a balance between self-determination and interdependence can be hard. Being in control isn’t what makes conflict resolution techniques work. Fighting for control is counterproductive. It distracts you from what’s really important.

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Thrive Despite Life’s Ups and Downs by Learning to Weather the Storm

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Handling Change, Self-Leadership Skills.

While sailors have to live in the moment it also requires planning and foresight to weather the storms, which is a good analogy for life's ups and downs.I’m fascinated by sailing — you’ve probably noticed that theme on my website. I think it interests me because it’s a highly dynamic activity, so while sailors have to live in the moment it also requires planning and foresight. We’ve learned through life’s ups and downs in 2020 that we can’t control “the weather” but we can learn to use self-leadership tools to navigate through the elements and head in the direction we want to go! 

Does it feel like you’ve been blown off course — maybe a little or maybe way off course? It’s difficult to stay inspired day after day, no it’s not difficult. It’s impossible! There are days where we just don’t feel inspired. It might be the world situation or it might be something going on in our personal life. So then what, do we just let the wind blow us in any direction?

No, even on days where we don’t feel particularly inspired we can stay the course. Let’s talk about two things that will help.

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What Is Your Legacy?

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Embodied Leadership.

To live a meaningful life is to consider what is your legacy that you’ll pass onto others now and in the future, in a way that makes a difference. “All good men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that will take the next generation to a level we could only imagine.”  ~ Jim Rohn

When most people are asked, “what is your legacy?”, they immediately think of something they leave behind once they die — money, a business, a strong stock portfolio, or even a benefactor’s name on a hospital’s wing. Their focus is on leaving something as a legacy, but very few people think deeply about building a legacy. 

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Learn How to Be Vulnerable to Expand Your Full Enjoyment of Life

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Self-Leadership Skills.

We often build walls to keep others away, so we don’t get hurt. Those walls are not protecting us. They are trapping us! Here’s how to take baby steps toward opening up again.“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” ― Brené Brown

“I was badly hurt once. I’m not letting that happen again! I’m putting up walls to keep people at a safe distance and I’m not revealing my true thoughts or feelings so I’m not betrayed or ridiculed again!” Can you relate to these expressions? Many people I’ve talked with are afraid to be vulnerable to one degree or another. (In this article, I am not talking about the pain from sexual, physical or emotional abuse, as the healing of these often requires the assistance of a mental health professional.) 

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