Communication is all about relationship and relationship is all about feelings. Sure, we share ideas, inspirations, opinions, beliefs, uncertainties. But underneath it all, like music behind the words, are the feelings: love, fear, hurt, anxiety, disappointment, anger, frustration, jealousy.. so Read more…
Every relationship has its limit, an edge called ‘disappointment’. Things are going well and then suddenly there is a shift. We discover that our new friend has a shadow side: a nasty temper, a secret addiction, a habit of putting Read more…
My friend Laura and I were sitting in the shade yesterday next to a local community garden in Vancouver, talking about how emotional intelligence relates to leadership. It seems any kind of leadership depends on how much you care about– Read more…
Mindful communication is all about relationship. As a family systems therapist I regard communication patterns to be like the circulatory system of our body. When there are blockages, our relationships are at risk for heart attacks. Sometimes these attacks are Read more…
In this interview by Dr. Duanita Eleniak of the Mentoring Project, Susan describes the five Greenlight Conversations workshops at the Baldwin House on Deer Lake. [audio:Podcasts_At_The_Mentoring_Store_susan_chapman_31.mp3]
Outside the apartment building, next to the gas station, are two lines of park benches along the sidewalk facing each other at a respectable distance. Sitting here I watch people and dogs of all ages and sizes gather in the Read more…
“Complaining is a waste of time and I have no more time to waste” said P, a hospice patient during my visit with him on Wednesday. He had flinched while shifting his posture in bed and I had asked him Read more…
This morning was my 12th aerobics class at the senior center and three completely new things happened. There are about 25 of us ranging from age 55 to 75 and as usual we were marching and dancing and grapevineing to Read more…
As I reach over to turn off my printer, it occurs to me that even this small gesture can be either mindlessly habitual or mindfully awake. When I remember this, I suddenly feel appreciation for this amazing electronic servant that Read more…
After a mindfulness meditation retreat this past weekend, it is horrifying to hear the news about the Arizona shootings. This morning, commentators are discussing the negative power of toxic communication, the political rhetoric that crosses the line from disagreement to Read more…
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