It’s Hard to be Eight

It is easy for parents to forget what it was like to be a kid. It?’s easy to forget what it? was like being so small, feeling as if no part of your life is up to you, and having to constantly play follow the leader.

Smile Your Way to Happiness

In his brilliant book Resilience, former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens delivers some amazing wisdom to a fellow SEAL struggling with the aftereffects of warfare. I just finished the book, and I can’t wait to share some of its lessons in future Daily Pauses. For now, take this piece of practical wisdom into your holiday weekend. […]

More Conflict, Less Resentment

Whenever a couple comes into my counseling office and exclaims they haven’t had a fight in 3 years, I always respond the same way: Oh my gosh, what’s wrong?!?! And then I listen for whose internal time-bomb of resentment is ticking the loudest.

Failure is not Fatal

One of the great gifts we can bestow on others is the gift of enthusiasm around failures. I know this sounds contrary to, well, every instinct we have. But given how much valuable information each of our failures can contain, it is no wonder that some of our greatest success stories actually came to celebrate failure.

The Only Way Forward

“What if my son hadn’t tried drugs?” But he did.

“What if my wife had more respect for me?” But she doesn’t.

“What if my boss didn’t freak out so much?” But he does.

Don’t Be So Nice

Those who know me personally know that I’m not really big on “nice.” I don’t really strive to be “nice,” I don’t really trust people who are always “nice,” and one of my favorite parenting books is The Danger of Raising Nice Kids by Timothy Smith. Now, all this is not because I prefer the opposite of nice; I don’t ever want to come across as mean or cruel or cold (well, almost never). But I also don’t ever want to be seen as so sweet or pleasant or “agreeable” that I really have nothing substantive to offer. Especially in my marriage

What’s Your One Relationship that Matters Most?

Here at ScreamFree, one of our missions is to help you bring peace into the relationships that matter most.
Naming what those relationships are is not terribly difficult for most people. But what about naming the ONE relationship that matters most to you? How would you determine that?

Separate, but Connected

I remember as a kid being fascinated by conjoined (“Siameze”) twins. I read stories in the Guinness record book, and I watched TV specials on the courageous families and doctors facing the challenges of separation surgery. These people faced unbelievable choices, and almost always (regardless of the outcome) came away with some sense of gratitude for the journey.

Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First

For today’s Daily Pause, check out this 4-minute video answer to one of the questions you guys sent in last week.

Questions for the Summer

Last week I asked you guys to let us know your anxieties about this summer. We were amazed at the response! So many of you wrote in, speaking of both your hopes and fears for these next few months. What we loved most was the variety of your concerns.