What are you fighting for?: Understanding Relationship Conflict and How to Address it

I lead a group for couples on how to bring intention into their relationship.  This is a fascinating group and 
I learn so much from sitting with these couples as we tackle the many inputs into relationships that often 
trip us up.  One recent topic was conflict.  How do we have manage conflict in our relationship with 
intention?  Does it matter if the conflict is between both partners or experienced by one partner from an 
outside source?  As you can imagine, this was a lively discussion!

What is your relationship job description?

We work hard to get the job.  We interview as best we can.  We get the job.  But, how often do we really get a good job description.  I am talking about the job of partner, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, significant other, husband, wife.  More people sit in my office and say things like “S/he is just never happy…no matter what I do!” or “S/he keeps pushing me away and I don’t know why!”

Lessons from the labyrinth

Yesterday I put my own advice into action.  I invited a colleague to join me to walk the labyrinth.  Really, this is something I should be doing more of as it is an amazing path to mindfulness.  When I work folks, we often include some form of meditation, mindfulness or centering to help manage anxiety, fear, stress, discord and just general feeling blah.  There are many people who love meditation and find it to be an important part of their mental health. There are just as many who, try as they might, can seem to quiet their minds and bodies to be still.  I am one of the latter.  Quiet still meditation is hard for me – I can do it from time to time but it seems to take a great effort to get there.  I do it whenever I can.  However, when time is precious or being still just seems in possible, I try a moving meditation – like walking a labyrinth.