Hassidic philosopher Martin Buber wrote that people have two kinds of relationships. Buber defined these as either ”I : it,” or “I : You.” The difference is that in “I : it” the other person becomes a thing, an object, whereas in “I : you,” they retain their essential humanity. Since in “I : it,” the other has lostRead more
Life Experiences
Relationships – Our Greatest Teacher
The most telling thing about a person’s spiritual development is the nature of their relationships. Relationships can be open and loving and sharing, heartfelt and filled with joy, or they can be dismal prisons of stress, discouragement and failure. What would it look like to hold love with another person, without all the garbage? Jesus loved in aRead more
Relationship Failure
Of all the things we do, relationships vex us the most. They cause us no end of pain and frustration. We want them, yet we’re afraid to be vulnerable. Sooner or later every relationship we have will either fall apart or test us, and when this happens it hurts a great deal. Sometimes we are wiser for theRead more
Being Successful
Two Flowers (a short story) The morning sun broke gently over the pond. The frogs and dragonflies awoke and crawled out of the shadows to warm themselves and dry off the evening dew. They greeted the sun with a cacophony of sound that announced the beginning of another day of pond life. The morning mist disappeared into theRead more
Having Hurt Feelings
OK, so your partner said something hurtful and it stung! You are wounded, angry and you feel betrayed. Inside, you feel like you have leprosy. No one likes being in these situations, even though we all end up there from time to time. When something like this happens we usually get caught up in the drama and feelingRead more