Over the past few months, I’ve been paying closer attention to my digital life and how I spend my time. What I’ve found is that certain platforms are consuming my energy and attention, but not giving much in return. They haven’t led to meaningful results, deeper creativity, or healthier relationships.
January is a perfect time to reflect on the past year and reassess your goals for the year ahead as a couple. Some years are filled with joy and ease, while others require persistence and growth through challenges. Regardless of the season, as Christians, we have the ability to overcome habits and actions that no longer serve us and embrace new behaviors that lead to a flourishing relationship.
It is not uncommon for me to remind clients during sessions that love is more than an emotion we feel, but also a choice we make daily and an action. Love is an emotion we feel powered by connection. Love is a choice we make each morning when we wake up, and actively throughout the day. Love is the way we show affection to our partner. Love is such a deep concept. I was reading, A Roadmap for Couple Therapy, in some of my downtime, and in chapter 3 the quote above really stuck out to me. Let’s break this down and explore it together, shall we?
As human beings, we’re naturally drawn to connect with others. We crave relationships that bring us joy, support, and strength. But while connection can be fulfilling, it can also expose us to misunderstandings and moments of hurt. Life often presents us with difficult moments when we feel isolated and vulnerable, and it’s in these times that the power of community can step in, providing us with comfort, understanding, and a safe space to begin the healing process.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, many are still grappling with its impact. Sadly, it’s often only after we lose something that we realize how fortunate we are. Millions lost power, and many in rural areas were left without water because they relied on electric wells. Gas became scarce as stations lost power, and food spoiled quickly with refrigerators and freezers out of commission. Only the most prepared among us escaped with minimal impact. Who would have thought a chainsaw would be an essential item for preparedness? We may not be laughing at those “preppers” anymore.
The other evening I finally had the chance to go see Inside Out 2, which recently came out in movie theaters. It has been on my to-watch list since I saw its previews. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the first one (Inside Out). I was blown away after watching the second one! After the credits rolled I looked over to my husband and told him we needed to talk about this movie in the car because of how much they did well.
Recently, several of my new clients have come to me highlighting that they are struggling with specific areas in their life where they feel stuck. As I have been working with them, the topic of habits has regularly arisen in our conversations. These conversations reminded me that our tendencies play a huge role in the outcome of most things we do. Yes, other factors affect our daily lives, such as the environment, other people, specific circumstances, and more. But it’s amazing how our consistent patterns of behavior and choices play a large role in our successes and when we fall short of our aspirations.
“Everyone, your task is to get your team and the horse across the river. There are piranhas as well, good luck!” That was all the instruction we were given concerning our task. Our team consisted of 24 people and the horse. We had all signed up for ethics training at an equine therapy facility to meet our Continued Education requirements for the year. We had never met one another until this day. A mixture of personalities were in the group, some leaders, some followers, some go-getters, and some just going with the flow.
Self-care: the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health or the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.
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