family

The Things That We Love

Aug 1, 2022

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by

Ron Johnson

in appreciation, Connection, Development, family, feelings, love, mindfulness, Personality, self-awareness

We all love different things. Our most recent book, What’s Your Temperament, discusses how our temperaments determine what we like, and more importantly, what we love. We made a distinct point that one of the defining characteristics that we have is our temperament, and implicit in each temperament is a distinct tendency to love something.…
I Don’t Like My Kid

Jul 27, 2022

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by

Ron Johnson

in Children, emotional maturity, family, feelings, marital, relationships, self-awareness, social esteem

“I don’t like my kid.” This statement must sound outrageous. It certainly isn’t something that should be said frivolously or even teasingly. It most certainly shouldn’t be said to any child. It might, however, be a statement that could be said to a confidant who could be of some help understanding and dealing with not…
Do Women Ever Admit That They’re Wrong?

Mar 7, 2022

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by

Ron Johnson

in communication, Connection, Development, emotional maturity, family, feelings, love, marital, men’s issues, mindfulness, relationships, self-awareness, social esteem

Do Women Ever Admit That They’re Wrong? What an outrageous question, it must seem. I would never have thought of asking such a question, which of course, is not a question, but rather a rhetorical question suggesting that women don’t ever admit that they’re wrong. This rhetorical question came to me from the even more outrageous…
The Value of a Heart Attack

Jan 28, 2022

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by

Ron Johnson

in Development, emotional maturity, family, mindfulness, Personality, self-awareness

I had a heart attack a couple of months ago, and it has been a very good thing for me. Let me explain. I’m not saying that I’m “glad” that I had a heart attack, and of course I wish I hadn’t had this event, but as I look at the larger picture, I see…
The Deep Hole Phenomenon

Aug 18, 2021

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by

Ron Johnson

in Development, emotional maturity, family, feelings, self-awareness

Three is a deep “hole” inside many people. This “deep hole” causes people great distress and often causes other people distress. So, what does it mean to talk about someone’s “deep hole”? It means that this person feels a certain “emptiness” inside that cannot seem to be filled. This deep hole phenomenon has resulted in…
Good for Me; Bad for Me VII: Good for Me; Bad for You

Aug 17, 2020

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by

Ron Johnson

in emotional maturity, family, feelings, mindfulness, relationships, self-awareness, social esteem

My wife likes masks. I don’t. So what does this have to do with “good for me; bad for me”? Lots. Let me explain, but first let me review what I’ve been writing about in recent blogs. I have proposed that there is a spectrum of things that are, quite simply, “good for me” or…
Life of Ryan III: Family

Oct 29, 2018

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by

Ron Johnson

in Connection, family, feelings, mindfulness, relationships, self-awareness

(This is the third in a series of “Ryan,” a patient of mine who has MS. I serve as his amanuensis.) I love my family. That is for sure. There is nothing that is more important to me than my family. I think of them daily, if not hourly. I think of my wife. I…
The “we” of me

Sep 21, 2018

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by

Deb Brock

in appreciation, Connection, emotional maturity, family, feelings, grief, mindfulness, relationships, self-awareness, Spiritual

2:37 AM; September 20, 2018 I haven’t been sleeping well. Not since I booked Portugal. By day I am excited and mindful of my internal excitement of a new space, a new trail, a new breath in my senses, especially sight and sounds while I hike. At night however, when I lie beside my beloved…
Loving and Liking II: The Importance of Not Liking your Spouse

May 21, 2018

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by

Ron Johnson

in Connection, emotional maturity, family, feelings, happiness, marital, men’s issues, mindfulness, positive psychology, relationships, self-awareness, social esteem, Uncategorized

In our first blog on the loving/not liking phenomenon we discussed how important it is to distinguish liking and loving. Both of these phenomena are of central importance in having successful relationships as well as have an emotionally satisfying life. Simply stated: Loving is natural and often immediate. Loving is most immediate and natural with…
Loving and Liking I: Not the Same

May 19, 2018

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by

Ron Johnson

in Connection, emotional maturity, family, feelings, relationships, self-awareness

Loving and Liking I: Not the Same Some people are just easy to love. They attract your love for many reasons, but it isn’t necessary what they say or do: they’re just lovable. They’re like little kittens or puppies. I’m reminded of being with our grandson a couple years ago at Bear Country while the…