The Lost Art of Self-Reliance

by Michael Mamas | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 | Personal Growth | 2 comments

HuffingtonPost.com just published one of my latest articles. It begins:

“When I make a point or explain a concept, people often request scientific studies or objective examples in order to prove the point is right. Shockingly, it seems they believe that truth lies outside of oneself. Most of life—our feelings, morals, ethics, and values—transcends provable points and mechanical logic. In that sense, truth is found within ourselves, not by looking out to the objective world. Whether we deem it as truth or not is weighed on the scale of our own inner, moral fiber…”

Read more:
“The Lost Art of Self-Reliance”
(Comments are helpful – click “Comments” at the end of the article)

If you would like to share the article on social media, please use the following social media posts:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+

To Understand

by Michael Mamas | Sunday, August 28, 2016 | Personal Growth | 3 comments

When in conversations, it can be quite eye opening to ask the listener to repeat what was just said and visa versa. Very often, those two statements are very different. Such misunderstandings, accumulated over time, can severely harm relationships. Striving for clear communication, clear understanding, requires that we respectfully and sincerely speak up when something said feels hurtful or incorrect. It is also important to remember that the tone with which something is said, often carries more meaning than the literal words that are used, not only by the speaker, but also by the response of the listener. Anger, resentment, and negativity are not the place to speak from in constructive conversations. Holding such emotions in until they finally explode through words, tone, and action is as unhealthy for the relationship as it is for our physical and psychological health.

To speak from the heart is important, but that does not mean it needs to be flowery. It merely means to, when speaking, remain in touch and in harmony with our soul, with our depth, with the place that lies deeper than impulsive reactionary emotions. Being able to do that when emotions run high can be very difficult, but is essential.

There is a place of wisdom within us all. We do well to strive to speak in harmony with that place. That can be done in even the most objective conversations. Heartfelt understanding is the essence of effective communication. Effective communication is the foundation of healthy relationships.