The Other 167 Hours

life outside the session

Archive for the category “Communication”

28 Sep 2011
5 Comments

A note to men about walking through the woods in the dark

dark forest night image 31002 Images
When, by chance, your car breaks down, your cell is out of range and you are walking through the woods to find help on a moonless, starless night, with the woman you love beside you…

When neither of you can see a hand in front of your face and she calls out, “Are you there?” because she can’t feel you next to her…

When, for a split second, it crosses your mind to be silent, just for a moment, and then you realize she would NOT think it was funny…

Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication, Fear and Anxiety, Marriage, Relationships and tagged
26 Sep 2011
1 Comment

The User-Friendly Husband

Firefox Error Message - Well, this is embarrassing
Image by Ivan Walsh via Flickr

Are you a user-friendly husband?

Having worked for a number of years as a software developer, I can tell you that an application can be the most powerful and ingenious tool to ever be created but, if the user gets frustrated with learning how to use it, it all goes to waste. It never gets the praise it deserves and it isn’t able to accomplish what it was created for. If the application were a person it would doubtless ask for a little more appreciation and respect. But it wouldn’t get it.

Does any of this sound familiar, guys?

In the home we can be so hard to read, or so painful to interact with, that our talents go unappreciated. It’s not that we don’t have anything to offer. It’s just that we are not as user-friendly as we could be. Think about these examples:

What’s happening with my computer? What is it doing?

It’s frustrating, isn’t it, when that progress bar on the screen just hangs there? We know it’s doing something but we don’t know what, or how long it will take, or if we need to keep watching in case it needs some input from us.

Where are you and what are you doing? When are you coming home? These are questions your family needs to know. They are not trying to ruin your life. It just helps them plan their day. Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Anger, Communication, Marriage and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
28 Jul 2011
5 Comments

BANG! BANG!

orange_vest_medium

I have never hunted.

Well, except once at summer camp in the coastal mountains of California when three of us jr-highers decided to go after some rattle snakes with our wrist-rockets. (It was a family camp so I’m really not sure where our parents were.) The camp cook promised he would cook it if we caught it. Yes, it did taste like chicken.

Ok. Now that I’ve defended my manhood…

I have never hunted but I do know what those ugly orange vests are for. You’re out in the wild tuning your ear to the slighted rustle and interpreting it. You’re on the alert because you are in a sort of competition. You win if you can react before your prey does. Your reaction involves shooting and the prey’s reaction involves running.

At some point in human history, someone noticed that under those circumstances we can shoot at something that isn’t really prey, like a fellow hunter. So hunters wear something a little extra, the orange vest that says, “Hey, we’re friends. Remember? Don’t shoot.”

Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication and tagged , , , , ,
24 Jun 2010
16 Comments

A National Day of Listening?

I want to propose a National Day of Listening. It will involve scalpels, marriage, and the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa María. Who do I talk to about that?

I probably love listening like surgeons love scalpels. A psychologist who can’t listen is like a surgeon who can’t break the skin.

One crucial difference: A surgeon will not have any expectation that, after you leave the OR, you will start wielding your own scalpel. I kind of do… with listening I mean.

Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication, personal growth
07 Jun 2010
5 Comments

The Freshwater Challenge From James

Clean drinking water...not self-evident for ev...
Image via Wikipedia

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God‘s likeness… Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? – James 3:9-11

Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication, Emotions in the Bible, Relationships and tagged , , , , , ,
27 Jan 2010
7 Comments

Top 10 Ways to Ruin Communication in Your Marriage

If your goal is to whittle away at the foundation of your relationship each time you fight, here are 10 field-tested strategies. They are in no particular order and can be used in any combination you like.

There is one foundational strategy that is not optional. You must hand over control of your emotions to the other person. That way, when you get so mad that you yell, or behave in some other offensive manner,  it is only because they have made you so mad. They had better try to keep you calm. If emotions cause you to shut down or get overwhelmed, it is also because they made you feel so bad. Either way, they better be more careful. This is known as the Eggshell strategy.

With that foundational strategy in mind, you are ready to pick freely from the 10 listed below.

Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication, Marriage and tagged , , , ,
08 Jan 2010
3 Comments

Taking Turns: Do we ever really learn?

In a world without peers, or equals, there would never be a problem with taking turns. If someone has a higher status than you, of course they would go first and you would go next, if at all. If you have a higher status, then you never have to wait for others, right? Everything’s fine. No confusion. No problem. Everyone knows who goes first at the intersection, who steps aside when you meet in a hallway, who enters the door first.

Wedding
Image via Wikipedia

But what if there is another? An equal, a peer, a spouse? What if we each have strong opinions and emotions that we need to understand and communicate (not necessarily in that order.) Let’s add into the mix a fear I have that I will never get a turn if you go first. What if what you say only makes what I have to say more urgent? What if it has to be solved now? What if there is no time to waste, because these emotions are so uncomfortable that I can’t imagine just containing them for another day or so. Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
17 Dec 2009
8 Comments

At least believe me!

When someone close tells us something that evokes uncomfortable feelings, it can be very easy to convey “that just couldn’t be!” Now, if they have told you that a conspiracy is underway to personally target your trash bags so that they always rip open just as you are taking them across the carpet, then… okay. But when your spouse is telling you something about herself, for example, how disappointed she was that you didn’t notice her new hair style… no.

“That can’t be! You knew how tired I was last night. That’s crazy!” or a similar statement by you, could almost be misconstrued to be saying that what she said  is crazy and couldn’t be true.. to the casual observer.

As this type of interaction is repeated over time, your spouse will feel the frustration of not being believed. Then the ground is all prepared for resentment, confusion, or an emotional cut off. Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication, Relationships and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
12 Oct 2009
3 Comments

The Power of “Okay”

The word, “Okay” or “OK” has a puzzling past with conflicting reports regarding its origin. Wherever it came from, it has become one of the most useful words in the English language. It offers a powerful reorientation to the struggles in life, whether those struggles are relational or logistical.

Just in case you have been overlooking or underusing this word, I would like to offer an expanded translation of the term. Of course, words take on different meanings in different contexts. So, let me clarify that I am not referring to the rather mild and common response to, “How are you doing?” I am referring to an intentional posture toward any of the many challenges that are thrown at us in life.

Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication and tagged , , , ,
10 Sep 2009
3 Comments

Just learn to talk to each other? Really?

I find myself, when working with couples, trying to convince them of the following principle:

Even though there is issue x,y & z that seem to be the problem, if you learn to talk to each other first, x,y & z will not be such an issue.

It sounds simplistic. Right? Talk, talk, talk, blah, blah, blah.. Let’s get down to the “REAL” issues!

Here is how it works and it really is far from simple.

Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication, Marriage and tagged , , , ,
24 Jun 2009
2 Comments

I can’t talk to my husband!

I posted earlier a simple rule for men to follow in talking to their wives. Now I have the companion rule for women. I want to make it clear that these rules are not gender specific. Either husband or wife is perfectly able to flagrantly violate both rules.  I just thought I’d address one to the wives and one to the husbands, rather than hit you with it all at once.

(the rule in the previous post was Only tell him something because you want him to know you better.)

New Rule: Only ask him something because you want to know him better.

Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication, Marriage and tagged , , , , , ,
22 Jun 2009
6 Comments

I can’t talk to my wife!

Guys, sometimes you may feel like you just can’t say anything at all without a fight breaking out. You both seem to be on high alert. In those times, follow this simple rule.

Rule: Only tell her things because you are wanting her to know you.

(another rule: Only ask  her things because you want to know her, I’ll discuss later)

Here’s what I mean. Only tell her things (as in making declarative statements) when your motivation is for her to know something new, preferably about you. You are showing her yourself, revealing something to her.

Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication, Marriage and tagged , , , , , ,
25 Apr 2009
8 Comments

Soft?

yelling“A soft answer turns away anger.”

I’m glad that verse is in proverbs. But sometimes I have to ask myself if I really believe it, since I don’t always act like I do. Sometimes I ask my clients if they believe it. But for now let’s assume it’s true. :)

What exactly does it mean?

We only have a few words to work with here. I kinda’ wish it said more. What type of soft answer? Does that include silence? Silence is pretty soft right?

Umm.. Anyone who has been on the receiving end of the “silent treatment” knows it doesn’t feel very soft. But, I can make the mistake of thinking “Silence is not as harsh as what I COULD say so it’s a soft answer.”

So why is that other person still angry?

Read more…

Posted by David Hamilton in Communication, Emotions in the Bible and tagged , , , , , , , ,

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