PURPOSE OF DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIPS

In his book, "The Purpose Driven Life," author Rick Warren writes about the purpose of relationships: Isolation breeds deceitfulness; it is easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are mature if there is no one there to challenge us. Real maturity shows up in relationships.

How true! Often I hear from clients who have been hurt by others that they intend to heal their wounds by going into solitude. They don't want to be committed to anyone or anything so that they don't get hurt. Yet, relationships teach us about US. We can't learn such lessons by flying solo through life.

If you have a difficult person in your life right now and you feel like running, WAIT! Perhaps that person is in your life to teach you a valuable lesson about you. If you're not sure how to manage the relationship, I've developed a new resource for you. In my new e-seminar, Dealing with Difficult People: How to Protect Yourself From Professional Button Pushers, you'll learn how to set healthy boundaries, determine when to speak up (or not), and what to say. Living in isolation may be easier, but it's not the answer.

CONVICTION

I find Will Smith's passion infectious. My husband had a chance to interview him in person for his radio show and said the man lights up the room with positive energy, which is his intention.

Here's a video montage of Will Smith Wisdom. My question is not whether or not you agree with him, but rather, are you this clear on what you stand for? Can you state your own beliefs and values with the same level of conviction? Living your life on and with purpose starts with knowing what beliefs are guiding you on the deepest level.

MARATHON MILESTONE

I've committed to running a marathon by actually signing up. On September 25, 2010 I'll be running in the Road Runner Akron (OH) Marathon. Now, I'm sharing my goal publicly- there's no going back now! Feel free to ask me how my training is going (which includes keeping away from the sweets I love).

The registration was interesting because it asked me to predict my completion time. By being forced to put in the number, I was setting expectations for myself. The first expectation is that I will finish, and the second is the time in my head. Now I have a self-imposed goal to meet and or beat!

On February 12, I'll be attending a lecture at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Steve Win is the speaker. He's a 50-state and 7-continent marathoner. Talk about goal setting. After completing his first two marathons, he learned he had cancer. Wow. Stories like his remind me that I have no reason in the world not to get up every day and live life to the fullest.

Have you run a marathon? I'd love to hear about your experiences. Please share your thoughts on my blog!