Love has no agenda …

Life is about falling down and learning from it, getting up and starting again. And if that doesn’t sound like fun to you, just watch a baby do it. Better yet, let the baby wrap his little fingers around yours and help him learn to walk. Look into his twinkling eyes and see if you don’t get a new perspective on resilience — joy in the stumbling and peace in the falling. There might be some cries and screams, but they won’t keep him down. With a little coaxing, you can turn his cries into smiles and laughter.

Why not encourage yourself—particularly in relationships when you can’t believe you messed up again? Believe in yourself? Show compassion and understanding for you? Don’t lose sight of the baby, or that pristine goodness, in you, your partner, and in everybody else. It hasn’t gone anywhere.

Yes, you have grown-up problems, and you’ve taken some tough falls. Like me, you’ve probably curled up and sobbed what felt like hopeless sobs. And maybe you’ve filed away enough lousy memories to make any person angry and bitter — any person who wanted to be, that is.

After you’ve aired all of your grievances, the hard knocks and the heartaches, with all the should-haves and if-onlys, ask yourself this question: Do you want to be happy anyway?… More

There is no real communication without real honesty. It doesn’t matter how much you know, how eloquent you are, or even how well you listen, if you’re not being honest. And you can’t be honest with somebody else until you’re honest with yourself.

When you ARE honest with yourself, and you’re not hiding something out of fear, you can also think clearly. You can be reasonable, even eloquent. You can wait your turn to speak. You can listen! You can work constructively toward a better understanding, rather than trying to be right.… More

… More