Home Archives for Building Relationships

Using Constructive Conversation to Push Past Anger

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Anger takes too much energy to sustain for very long. And once it fades, it's time to put the pieces of your relationship back together again. If you sit with your anger for a few hours or days, it'll lose it's hold on you. That sharp, insistent sense of having been disrespected or betrayed gradually fades. After a few days, you might even forget who did what to whom and what was so hurtful. What Role Did You Play in the Dispute? Though you may still sense that you … [Read more...]

Categories: Building Relationships, Overcoming Challenges Tagged: , , ,

Ubuntu: I Am Because of You

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Ubuntu is the African word that means "I am because of you." It captures the idea that we are inextricably bound together. I came across this word in a lovely TED talk by Boyd Varty, a South African whose family knew and housed Nelson Mandela when he was released from prison. By chance, Mr. Varty was scheduled to give his TED talk on the very day of Nelson Mandela's death. This talk expresses our interconnectedness so poignantly through simple stories that I'm happy to … [Read more...]

Categories: Building Relationships, Kindness and Generosity Tagged: , , , ,

My Friendship with a Felon

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Meet Clemetin, my most unlikely friend. Nearly five years ago, I met Clemetin at St Mary's Park in the South Bronx where I exercise most mornings. I had no idea that he had spent most of his nearly 45 years in prison. Gradually, while we walked around the track at the park together morning after morning, I learned his story. But by the time I had learned enough about him to warn me away, we had become friends. Clemetin's story is both sad and uplifting. His life … [Read more...]

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Winning as a Hare — And as a Tortoise

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Though I have no scientific proof, I'm quite sure that our pace in life — the speed with which we function — shapes the way we see the world. For example, I'm like a hare — a speed demon. Ask me something and you’ll get the answer before you’ve finished the question. Walk down the block with me and I guarantee you’ll stretch your legs! But how much of what’s around me do I actually see? I’ve been thinking about personal pacing and observation because I recently … [Read more...]

Categories: Building Relationships, Increasing Awareness