Straight Talk Blog
Break the Cycle: Stop Reactive Complaining
"Reactive complaining can strain even the strongest relationships." ~LMB Reactive complaining happens when someone voices a concern, and instead of addressing it, you reflexively bring up a complaint of your own. For example: Sally: Honey, can you please remember to...
Why Silencing Yourself Won’t Save Your Relationship
“Silencing to save your marriage won't save your marriage.” ~Lisa Merlo-Booth One of the most common complaints I hear from women is that they're afraid to be honest with their spouse about conflict of any kind. They constantly walk on eggshells around their partner...
Mastering Clear Communication: Avoid Misunderstandings by Speaking Directly
“Speaking ‘in the grey,’ is a recipe for misunderstanding.” ~Lisa Merlo-Booth Have you ever been upset about someone's actions that you thought you both had an agreement around? A low-stakes example of this could be you becoming angry at your partner for bringing home...
Building Resiliency for Strong Connections
"Emotional fragility makes connection and intimacy difficult at best. Work your emotional resiliency muscles every day with everyone in your life." ~LMB Emotional fragility is a pattern of negatively reacting to issues, feedback, and experiences in a way that shuts...
The Harm of Dismissiveness: How to Strengthen Your Relationships Through Listening
"Dismissing or minimizing someone’s feelings, ideas, or experiences, because you don’t feel the same, is arrogant and harmful to relationships. Acknowledge and support; don’t dismiss." ~Lisa Merlo-Booth When it comes to relationships, the litmus test regarding what is...
Stop Blaming Yourself: How Oppressors Manipulate the Minds of the Oppressed
“The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” ~Steve Biko Too often, those treated poorly by others blame themselves for the poor treatment. They blame themselves when their boss rages, their spouse has an affair, their...
Building a Radically New Culture™ Starts with You
“Creating a Radically New Culture™ starts with a shift in what you view as acceptable and gets carried out in the minutia of every interaction you have. Shift the culture.” ~Lisa Merlo-Booth It’s time you step in to help create a Radically New Culture™;...
The Power of Staying Calm: Turning Anger into Inner Strength
“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr. Losing your cool when life throws you a curve ball will make an already...
Smooth Sailing in Relationships Comes with Knowing How to Navigate Through Storms
"Buying into the message that "Relationships are hard" is a setup for normalizing destructive relationships; don't buy in. When you know how to maneuver through the storms, relationships can be Smooth Sailing." ~ LMB Every relationship has conflicts, disagreements,...
Honoring Those Who Sacrificed for Our Freedoms
"Many died so you could live with the freedoms you have today. Don’t ever take those freedoms for granted." ~LMB More men and women have fought for your right to freedom than you can imagine. Appreciate the extent to which these men and women have been willing to...
Beyond the Affair: The Lasting Damage of Infidelity on Relationships
"Cheating on your spouse or partner is harmful to your partner, family, and yourself; don't ever minimize the damage of that choice." ~LMB We live in a world where hookups ups, cheating, affair sites, and sexual liaisons are a daily occurrence. We have married men and...
Uncompromising Safety Is a Prerequisite for True Intimacy
“Those who disrespect you with their mouth don't deserve your ear.” ― Curtis Tyrone Jones Radically New Relationships are safe relationships; there's no intimidation, walking on eggshells, shaming, or fear of retaliation/rage/emotional abuse. Your home is a safe haven...
Recognizing Meanness Elevates Your Bar for Kindness in Relationships
"If you can't recognize meanness, your bar for kindness will be far too low." ~ Lisa Merlo-Booth If someone buys you flowers on Friday, calls you stupid on Monday, and barely speaks to you when you're down on Thursday—shred the flowers. Kindness is a way of being, not...
If You’re Unhappy, Change Your Moves
"Doing the same thing expecting different results will leave you disappointed every time. If you’re unhappy, change your moves." ~Lisa Merlo-Booth A great definition of insanity is “Doing the same behaviors over and over again, expecting different results.” People do...
Healthy Relationships: The Importance of Being Willing to Play
"The truest form of love is how you behave toward someone, not how you feel about them." - Steve Hall When it comes to healthy relationships, there are those who are willing to ‘play’ and those who are not. “Play” means willing to do what is necessary for both of you...