Daily Thoughts

The one who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than he who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men.

-From The Dhammapada
(Sayings Of The Buddha)

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Then Almitra spoke again and said, And what of Marriage, master?
And he answered saying:
You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love;
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each others cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each others keeping.
For only the hands of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Four common mistakes that can ruin a relationship

Relationship mistakes can ruin even the best of relationships. Here are a list of four common mistakes, and what to do instead:


1. Partner Bashing
Bashing the one you love in public seems to have become a national pastime. The reality of this is that it reflects poorly on you, because after all, you chose this person.

Relationship Tip:

Rebel against the culture and instead praise your spouse in public. Always go the opposite direction if someone tries to pull you in.

2. Holding your partner back from their greatest gifts
Its hard to believe, I know, but many people fall into the trap of holding there partner back from using their greatest gifts.

Relationship Tip:
Celebrate and encourage the strengths of your partner. If you take the time to notice, the strengths of your partner usually you have two very strong advantages: They complete your strengths, and they compensate for some of your weaknesses.

3. Arguing to win
Arguing to win means you see the other person as an opponent. And once you begin to see your partner as an opponent or an enemy, lots of bad things begin to happen.

Relationship Tip:
When you argue to win, you may get to win, but you win at the expense of the relationship. Instead of arguing against each other, team up to solve the problems that come your way.

4. Getting Complacent
Taking the relationship and the other person for granted is so easy to do. Sometimes we treat our most important relationship like an item on a to do list.

Relationship Tip:
Always keep the passion alive. Put some extra care and time for your loved one. Little things add up to mean so much. Making the other feel special and a priority. Be creative with your time. Just taking the time to really listen to your spouse about there day can mean so much.


(Article by Jeff Herring)
Knight Ridder Newspapers

What makes for a lasting and fullfilling marriage

Hello readers, I hope everyone is well today. The weather here in wichita this morning is cool and foggy. Its a day of reflection.

Today I want to discuss marriage. Years ago I wanted to put a book together called "A housewife's recipes for a healthy marriage." I did a lot of research and spoke with alot of people on the subject, and then life's responsibilities got in the way and I had to put the book on the back burner. My life has calmed back down and I have the time to devote to the book again. I'm thirty-three years old and I know of someone every year that is getting a divorce. I'm just astounded at the amount of couples that are calling it quits. What is happening to our culture that this has become the norm? Does anybody take the sanctity of marriage and family seriously anymore? Or have the rules changed? What are peoples roles? What do we expect out of our partners? What do woman want and what do men want? So many questions go through my mind when I try to figure all of this out. What are the answers to theses questions and can we find a solution?

I would love to hear some feed back on this subject. Maybe you have some advice to pass down or maybe you have some opinions on why relationships are falling apart. I'm going to start my blogs with either some advice I've learned along the way or things that I have found that work for my relationship. I'm also going to posting certain questions or scenarios and would love to hear your opinions. I realize that so many books have been written on this subject, but I still find it very intriguing and feel that people are still searching for some answers. I feel that if we work together, maybe the answers will reveal themselves more clearly.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and I look forward to your comments. Peace be with all of you.

Namaste