Communication

Demo Four Time Wasting Communication Walls

Glenn Kimball2024-01-08T01:16:44-06:00Communication|

“What do you mean, I DIDN’T CLEAN UP THE KITCHEN? Remember, it’s YOUR TURN! I cook – you clean, those are the rules. Don’t try and pawn this off on me. You’re the one who didn’t hold up your end of the bargain.” Sound Familiar? Why is it when we have a conflict with our partner, it seems like there’s a wall between us. Nothing gets resolved, and we end up more frustrated than when we started. 4 Communication Walls that Will De-Rail Every Conflict Blame Game. Trying to pin responsibility for what happened on the other person. Whose fault is it that such and such happened? Sounds just like [...]

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Avoid Marriage Fractures by Discussing Expectations

Glenn Kimball2024-01-08T01:16:47-06:00Communication, Expectations|

Think of something you treasure. It might be a valuable heirloom clock, a Civil War gun passed down through the family, your great grandmother’s china, or a handkerchief given to you by your mother on your wedding day. What would your expectations be about protecting this treasure. What words would you use to describe this treasure? VALUABLE, CHERISHED, SPECIAL, ONE-OF-A-KIND SENTIMENTAL, HEIRLOOM, PRICELESS All of these words could be used to describe something you hold dear and precious. Typically we take good care of these items by keeping them safe. We store them for use on special occasions and make sure they don’t get abused. So if this is the [...]

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The Devil Really is in the Details

Glenn Kimball2024-01-08T01:16:49-06:00Communication|

There are two main ways to understand the details in your life as a couple: • Details that are the real minutia. That only get in the way and get your relationship derailed; or • Details we need to investigate to see what is going on deeper, underneath Scenario 1 It’s a Friday night and a man and a woman have just finished eating pizza. “What’s for dessert?” says the woman. “I’m having applesauce” says the guy. “I want thin mints!!” says the wife. (Girl Scout Cookie season don’t ya know) “Are you suuurrrre you want thin mints?” Pause. “Ok,” she says, “Bring me an applesauce.” The next evening the [...]

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Three Real Differences in “Exceptional Couples”

Glenn Kimball2024-01-08T01:16:50-06:00Care, Communication|

Average couples wanting their relationship to be better have a very similar story. It goes something like this: “We don’t talk very well together, she says. The little things become bigger and bigger. I don’t even know what we fight about. I don’t feel like I’m very important to him. He doesn’t listen to me. So I get upset and try to get him to understand.” He says: “We just don’t communicate. I can’t seem to do anything right. She gets upset a lot, and so I shut down. We can hardly talk about anything without fighting”. “We are just so different,” they both say. How We Talk So many [...]

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Couples Accomplishments Can Lead To More Satisfaction

Glenn Kimball2024-01-08T01:16:51-06:00Accomplishments, Communication|

We were recently at a conference in Nashville with Michael Hyatt and Best Year Ever LIVE. This is our 2nd year to attend this two-day intensive goal setting event. But goal setting just doesn’t encompass what this time is really about. One aspect is reviewing the accomplishments of the past year. I am a driven, high achiever; so goal setting isn’t new to me however it’s not usually accompanied by a review of the past. If I’m looking back, it’s to check something off as “complete” or because I feel regret and shame about not accomplishing something I set out to do. Spending some time revisiting the past year’s goals [...]

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Am I a Victim or Just Blaming Someone So I can Shirk Responsibility?

Glenn Kimball2024-01-08T01:16:53-06:00Blame, Communication|

When we blame others for situations and circumstance in our lives, we give up! Rather, we give up the right to make a change. When the right to change is gone, there is no more hope of something different. Not long ago I got really frustrated with a perceived problem. This is really a very 1st world issue. We live in a lovely suburb neighborhood with curbed streets and sidewalks and yards. In our part of town the houses are on pretty small lots and very close together. Our neighborhood is also blessed with lots of growing families with teenage kids who are learning to drive and getting cars of [...]

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Introvert vs. Extrovert – Can They Live Happily Ever After?

Glenn Kimball2024-01-08T01:16:54-06:00Communication, Introvert|

Life is so good. We are blessed and dreams really do come true. On a recent weekend, we experienced a fairytale wedding for our daughter Lauren and her fiancé John. We’ve been praying for the man Lauren would fall in love with (i.e. John) since before Lauren was born and knew about the 2nd time we met him, he was “the one.” Now I would classify everyone in our family, including our dog, as an extrovert. Except for Mike, he is an introvert. Lauren, John, me, and Rigby (the dog) all love to be around people and get lots of energy from the love that flows from a warm, friendly [...]

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Saying “Hello” and “Goodbye” Could Energize Your Marriage

Glenn Kimball2024-01-08T01:16:57-06:00Communication, Emotion|

Scene: Wife is scraping dried pasta off the stove top from 3 days ago. The dog needs to go outside and ends up peeing on the kitchen floor. One kid in a high chair flings peas at the dog. Another kid in the living room spills something red from a sippy cup on the carpet. Husband comes in and says, “Whatcha’ been doing today?” Now, most of us girls would say, “Are you freakin’ kidding me? Can’t you see what I’m doing?” Neither communication is the most loving or observant. But at the moment it may be the best communication you can muster. Am I RIGHT? Fortunately, or unfortunately, however [...]

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How Speaking Well of Your Spouse, Reflects Well on You

Glenn Kimball2024-01-08T01:17:31-06:00Communication|

Early in our marriage, Mike and I were acquainted with a couple where we attended church. We saw them weekly in our young married class and socially with our group several times a year. We had a sense that there were some relationship issues, but the comments they made about one another became more and more pointed and ugly over time. Ultimately they divorced, and by then it was no real surprise. They shared the evidence of their relationship issues with everyone they knew through their uncomplimentary comments about each other. […]

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One Essential Relationship Hack Everyone Should Know

Glenn Kimball2024-01-08T01:17:41-06:00Communication, Relationships|

Ask anyone what great qualities a healthy relationship has in common and they will give you a list such as honesty, kindness, love, trust, commitment, fun, and many others. The majority would say there is nothing more important for a couple than their communication. As a matter of fact, couples having difficulties will tell you “we just don’t communicate.” Communication is a broad topic, and it is really the quality and type of information that is most important and how you say it to each other. Remember: How you talk with each other will always be more important than what you talk about! Now there are communication tools and tricks [...]

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