Power and Control, 4

Intimidation. Intimidation gets less airtime than physical violence but carries out a similar function–power and control. Intimidation capitalizes on fear to gain wanted outcomes. Intimidation includes (but not limited to), aggressive language, damaging property, threats of physical violence, hostile physical posturing, and yelling or screaming. Journal Prompt: I have felt intimidated...

Power and Control, 3

Blame. Excessive blaming of one partner is a move for power. It puts the blamer in the position of superiority. It gives the illusion that responsibility for the blamer has evaporated. Healthy relationships recognize that both partners have responsibility of the state of the relationship and the direction it is going. Journal Prompt: I need to take responsibility of...

Power and Control, 2

Minimize. Healthy relationships happen when both experiences matter, not one more than another, not one less than another, both, with equal shares of mattering. Minimizing, is a communication pattern where someone's experience matters less. Someone's experience is shrink-wrapped. It's made trivial and they themselves feel insignificant. Overtime, minimizing leads to doubt and diluted self-trust. Journal Prompt: I felt that my experience was minimized when...

Power and Control, 1

Fear. Fear opens the door to power and control. If there is panic that something will be lost, security, connection, or belonging, people respond. Journal Prompt: In relationships I fear... For the sake of this series, we will not talk about abuse that has escalated to physical and sexual violence, obvious offenses that need to be taken seriously, here is a resource for more help. In this series rather, we'll process more subtle patterns that can as well be damaging to relationships.

Regret: Journal Prompt 9

Pressure. Regret feels like pressure to control something you no longer have control over. Leave the pressure. In your jaw, at the base of your neck, let the pressure go. Journal Prompt: The pressure of regret is…

Regret: Journal Prompt 8

Moments. The emotional experience of regret is like a storm. A storm blows through, aggressive, loud, windshield-wiper necessary. But clouds pass, the rain eventually stops, and the threat passes. You can choose to be an observer. Instead of storm chasing, you can accept the emotional experience of regret. You can build your tolerance muscle and wait out the passing of the storm, knowing that the experience of regret is a moment in time–apart of you–but not all of you. Journal Prompt: The emotional experience of regret is like...

Regret: Journal Prompt 6

Perhaps your exhaustive reflection on regret comes from a motivation that you don't want to redo something you paid dearly for. Admirable. As if you are paying penance in your reflection wheel, keeping regrets top of mind to ensure no relapses.

Regret: Journal Prompt 5

Regret is apart of actively engaging in life, like an occupational hazard. If you are only to sit on the sidelines, for sure, fewer regrets may occur. But might that be a regret in and of itself–to stay on the bench and not engage?

Regret: Journal Prompt 4

Isolation. Regret drags along isolation. Isolation traps your thoughts in narrow and unforgiving tunnels. Then, at epic speeds and alone, regret becomes about your own worthiness as a human. Journal Prompts: The isolation of regret steals... Regret Series Journal Prompts Anger Identity New Beginnings

Regret: Journal Prompt 3

Processing regret is about having empathy for the vantage point of the past self.