Straight Talk Blog
Understanding Relationship Complaints: Listen the First Time
"When your partner complains about a pattern of behavior you do, listen, the first time." ~LMB The key way out of a struggling relationship is finding the courage to change in the area your partner has been asking you to change for years. Too many people respond to...
A Series on Relationally Toxic Behaviors – Toxic Behavior #1: Volatile Anger
"It's impossible to have emotional intimacy with someone who is unsafe to be honest with." ~LMB Expressing anger safely is healthy. In fact, anger can be a potent motivator for powerful change, growth, and even connection. However, the key differentiator between...
Choosing Wisely: The Most Important Gift to Your Future Self
"Choosing wisely means valuing your future enough to walk away from what threatens it." ~LMB Choosing your life partner is one of the most critical decisions you will ever make. This choice has the potential to impact every day of your life going forward, the lives of...
What I Wish My Mom Taught Me About Relationships
"The best relationships rest on a rock-solid foundation of safety, allowing for fun, connection, growth, and love to flourish." ~LMB If you’ve ever looked around and thought, “Why didn’t anyone teach us how to do relationships well?” — you’re not alone. There’s so...
Radicalized Masculinity™ — The Rising Inferno of Violence and Disconnection
"Manning-Up" through dominance and aggression doesn’t make you powerful, it makes you dangerous—to yourself and others. ~LMB Across America, bullying, intimidation, control, and violence are escalating—and too many are responding with silence. The old...
The Cost of a World Without Empathy
"When empathy dies, the heart of humanity soon follows." ~LMB On September 10th, Charlie Kirk—a 31-year-old far-right political activist—was assassinated while speaking at a Utah college campus. He was shot at approximately 12:10 p.m. MST. Kirk leaves behind a wife...
“Man Up”: The Message that’s Harming Men—and Killing Women
"Raising emotionally shut-down boys creates fragile, disconnected—and often violent—men. Be careful what you teach." ~LMB One of the greatest needs for human beings is a sense of love and belonging. We are social creatures who yearn for connection. Regardless of your...
Labor Day Relaxation Tips: How to Unplug, Be Present & Recharge
“Take rest. A field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” ~ Ovid Happy Labor Day! Labor Day is meant to be a celebration of the working people and all they have done to help our country thrive. Whether you work out in the world or your...
Single-Earner Households: Are You Controlling or Partnering with Your Spouse?
"Giving your spouse an “allowance” sets up a parent-child dynamic every time. Financially partner, don’t control." ~LMB Managing money responsibly is not for the faint of heart. Balancing saving with spending on your own is hard enough; throw another person into the...
Caught On the Jumbotron: Would You Be Proud or Panic?
"If you’d panic at your actions being broadcast to the world, it’s time to take a hard look at your actions." ~LMB It’s hard to imagine that you haven’t heard about the Coldplay Jumbotron incident—where a CEO and his head of HR were caught on the Jumbotron holding...
How to Navigate Conflict With Integrity: Why Decency Matters More Than Winning
"Defending your beliefs should always go hand in hand with honoring the humanity of others--and yourself. Integrity should always lead the way." ~LMB Communication dies without listening. Listening dies without safety. And safety can’t exist where there’s contempt,...
These Are Not “Relationship Problems”—They’re Warning Signs
"Don’t confuse mistakes with harmful patterns. Harmful patterns destroy relationships." ~ LMB When it comes to relationships, no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, and even the healthiest couples have conflict. However, making mistakes is very different than...
Why We Honor Soldiers on Memorial Day: The Freedoms They Died to Protect
"Countless soldiers have fought and died protecting the rights and freedoms of people they've never met. Don’t ever take their courage and sacrifices for granted." ~LMB More soldiers have fought for your rights and freedom than you can imagine. Defending your rights...
The Real Reason Relationships End: It’s Not Just One Straw
"In relationships, the "straw that breaks the camel's back" is often not a single event—it's the unending, repetitive pattern of thousands of similar "straws" playing out over the years." ~LMB In your marriage, you may find yourself tolerating harmful behavior for...
The Silent Relationship Killer: How to Spot it—and Stop it
"The easy road looks great—until it costs you everything." ~LMB In my last post (A New Trend), I discussed how people—from spouses, to bosses, to world leaders—are doubling down on bad behavior by defending, justifying, and rationalizing it. Some of these people call...