Understanding YOURSELF and the other human beings around you is one of the trickiest and most complex aspects of life and relationships — Your personality begins to form from conception, in the womb, and as you grow as a child. You don’t start to become aware of this until much…
We all have blind spots. We all have things we’re doing (or not doing) that are causing or contributing to our own problems. In our coaching, we often work with people who keep doing (or not doing) the things that are keeping them miserable and unhappy. If they could just…
You may have seen or heard that we’re planning a move to Portugal — and hoping to travel while making the transition. We received some questions about this: “We would love to travel more, even long term, but I am getting more hesitant because of predictions about downturns in the…
When Greg Denning was out on his own as a teenager it wasn’t difficult for him to realize that his life sucked… but he desperately wanted it to be better and different. Nobody wants to live a sucky life and stay there. But it was so interesting to him to…
Have you ever thought of chores as child abuse? I haven’t either. But I shared a post on Instagram about our system for organizing chores and I was shocked at the number of NEGATIVE comments I received from people who believe that giving your children chores is akin to child…
We get a little serious in this episode -- and Greg sheds a few tears -- because in our work with clients, we've seen the trauma caused by yelling parents. We do not use this word lightly. “People are people no matter how small.” Your children are people. And when…
There is a lot of ‘surface tension’ in the media today -- social and mainstream. Lots of polarity and opposition about intense topics. And it bothers me. Because it paints the picture that there are only two sides to any issue. And that’s just not true. We (as individuals and…
Emotions can be big and scary — for both parents and children. But it is possible to teach — and model — emotional management for your kids. Emotions are EVERYTHING. Our lives our experienced through emotions, so by default, the quality, quantity, and content of our emotions determine the quality…
As a parent, if you knew there was ONE major characteristic which — if developed — would drastically increase your child’s chances of success and happiness, not only now but as an adult… wouldn’t you want to know what it is? And wouldn’t you do everything in your power to…
"I would like to be more confident but my face turns red if I am embarrassed, nervous, shy, afraid, or just talking with someone. Without that handicap, I know I would be more confident, but unfortunately, I let it stop me all too often. But I heard that Mr. Denning…
In our line of work coaching families for the past 20 years, we get an up-close-and-personal look into the lives of many different types of people. It’s a sacred privilege and we learn so much. We often experience a wide range of emotions, from empathy to despair to elation. And…
Many of us have been taught or grown to believe that unconditional love is the highest of virtues. And in many ways it makes sense. Loving others — without conditions — seems to be the highest level of love possible, partly because it sometimes seems so unrealistic, especially when it…
Many, if not all of us, know of someone — are ARE someone — who has dealt with the devastating effects of anxiety and depression. Methods for dealing with these issues can be very charged. It’s a subject that’s often difficult to discuss, for a variety of reasons — shame,…
Can we start with a ‘slap’ in the face? In all sincerity, most of us suck at communicating with other people, especially in our family relationships. Plus, ‘communication’ seems like such a vague or broad topic. What exactly does it mean? And how do we improve it? We’re not the…
All of us have been ‘conditioned’ by society when it comes to things such as HOW to behave and WHAT to care about. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It fact, social conditioning can be very positive. Caring what other people think or how others view us helps us to…
Greg Denning often says, “Tell me your habits and I’ll tell you your future.” Habits are the MOST important thing to determining the outcomes and happiness of your life. Habits will make or break your mental, emotional, spiritual, social, physical, family, and financial life. Where you are right now —…
Getting things done is one of the most critical ingredients for achieving your dreams and goals and building a lasting family legacy. Yet it’s also one of the hardest things to do because of the natural ebbs, flows, and interruptions of family life. There are mouths to feed, diapers to…
Every great story, movie, or book contains elements of what’s been called the ‘Hero’s Journey’ — a series of events and experiences that makes the story meaningful and transformational. It’s the process by which the hero-to-be becomes the hero of the story. The interesting thing is that the same elements…
Fear is a universal emotion. We’ve all experienced it at some point. It is very real and very relevant. As a teenage girl, Edith Eger was a prisoner in Auschwitz Concentration Camp. She said that after she was released once the War ended, it was then that she learned that…
We are busy people. And so are you. We have a LOT going on, as I’m sure you do too. Human nature often makes us feel that we’re “too busy” to do things like morning routines or rituals. We’re “too busy” to do morning discussions with our family. But because…
We’ve all had the experience of being around someone who’s grumpy — even our spouse or children — and then soon we’re feeling grumpy as well. A mother of multiple children recently asked us, “When the people around me (aka my children) are grumpy, negative, or ‘down’, how do I…
We’ve been asked several times over the years by coaching clients and others regarding masturbation. Specifically, they want to know how to approach masturbation in general — with their children or teens, and in their marriage. Is it normal for teens to masturbate? What are the side effects or outcomes?…
I remember the first time I realized that humanity’s desire for luxury was actually a driving force for improving the world. Previous to that I often felt that wanting luxury and comfort was wrong or bad… perhaps from generations of Puritanism passed down through religion and culture? But as I…
"My husband and I have been struggling a great deal in our marriage, mostly over parenting issues. We have specifically been struggling with our 13 year old daughter who told us she is gay." Many emails and questions we receive from parents begins with something like this statement above. Spouses…
