How to be in Control of Your Life

How to be in Control of Your Life

Olatunde Howard

I want what you want:  Mastery over “me.”  The key is the word “me.”  Think about that with me.  Think about any relationship problem you're having right now, as you read. Tell me if I'm right:  

1. Someone is trying to get you to do something you don't want to do.
2. You're trying to get someone to do something they don't want to do.
3. Both 1&2.

Tell me if I'm wrong.  Really.  In the comment section, tell me if you have a relationship problem that doesn't involve 1-3.  Mine can be summed up nicely---by those three things.  But when I only focus on controlling my life, both I and my loved ones are happier.  You’ve probably experienced the same without knowing it.  I’ll show you how.

Think about your best friend.   When you think about him or her, what do you like about your relationship?  I know what I like about my best friend.  We like each other.  Because we like each other, we talk every other week…of our own free will.  I don’t make him call me, and he doesn’t make me call him. 

In other words, in friendships, especially best friendships, we don’t usually attempt to control each other.  But why is that?  (Stay tuned for part 2.)

Photo credit: https://flic.kr/p/Le8ZAc

June Wedding, Lifetime Relationship

June is here, the most popular month for weddings. Did you ever wonder why? According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, "the goddess Juno was the protector of women in almost all aspects of life, but especially in marriage and childbearing, so a wedding in Juno's month was considered most auspicious." Plus the weather is generally cooperative, many people take vacations, and there are plenty of flowers to choose from!

If you're getting married - congratulations!! Planning a wedding takes a lot of time, coordination, and MONEY! The average cost of a wedding is $25,200, although most couples spend less than $10,000 (see http://www.costofwedding.com/). Thousands of dollars and thousands of hours spent on making this most important of days as perfect as possible, as "auspicious" a start as could be imagined.

What if more of that time, effort, and yes, even money, went toward preparing for the marriage? Think about it - the wedding is a single, albeit very important, day, but it's the start of a lifetime commitment. What if couples were able to learn more about how to manage the "for worse" that life will bring, before it actually arrives? That's the idea behind Prepare/Enrich, an online relationship assessment. Each member of the couple completes the assessment separately, then meet together with a trained facilitator to review the personalized results. 

Prepare/Enrich is great for premarital and newlywed couples as a "preventive" measure, and it's also helpful for couples who have been together for a while. Prepare/Enrich highlights areas of strength as well as issues that need attention, then builds skills to manage those issues. The assessment is only $35/couple, and sessions with a trained facilitator at Pfeiffer Institute Reach are only $30 (sliding scale available; see more here). Put your time and resources toward strengthening and improving your relationship - Reach for a better tomorrow...today! 919-941-2900 or contact@pfeifferreach.org.