FOR CLOSENESS: T-R-A-V-E-L

[Rhonda]

FOR CLOSENESS: T-R-A-V-E-L

For closeness: travel. No, I don't mean to go to take a road trip or
to fly away to some exotic place. But there are ways to go deeper into a relationship -- like traveling. And there are things we can do to help a relationship really go somewhere. Let me explain.

Inmate Mitchell King had a visitor -- his wife. King was serving a
six-year jail term in Auckland, New Zealand for armed robbery. But his wife didn't want to be away from him for that long. So they held
hands. She wanted them to always stick together - through it all. Hand in hand, forever joined. And they did stick together. She had rubbed her palms with Super Glue.

Their new-found closeness was short-lived. And their separation
painful. (I suggest we put the Super Glue idea on a short list of
"THINGS NOT TO DO" when we want to grow closer.)

But if you want a deeper connection with someone your care about, if
you want relationships that are more intimate, more meaningful and
longer-lasting, then try this simple technique. Just remember the word "TRAVEL."

T is for TRUST. If we're seeking a glue to cement us to another, then
trust is that bond. A relationship will go nowhere without it.

R is for RESPECT. Some people talk about how much they have always
respected their cherished friends and family at a funeral. But why
wait? People want to know that we hold them in high regard. It's about valuing others and letting them know you respect them.

A is for AFFECTION. Sometimes affection means love. Sometimes it means a touch. Or a hug. Always it means kindness.

V is for VULNERABILITY. Though we may feel afraid to let another too
close, no relationship will go anywhere without taking a risk. Like
entrepreneur Jim Rohn says, "The walls we build around us to keep out
the sadness also keep out the joy." And the love.

E is for EMOTIONAL INTIMACY. It about learning to be open. Learning to communicate freely. The quality of relationships we make are largely determined by how openly we communicate.

L is for LAUGHTER. Victor Borge got it right when he said, "Laughter
is the shortest distance between two people." It's also the most
enjoyable.

So for a relationship that can really go somewhere, just remember the
word "TRAVEL." Then enjoy the trip.

-- Steve Goodier


P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP
I have a hobby. I have the world's largest collection of sea shells. I
keep it scattered on beaches all over the world. Maybe you've seen
some of it. -- Steven Wright

[Rhonda]

PUTTING IT OUT THERE

We used to play spin the bottle when I was a kid," says comedy writer
Gene Perret. "A girl would spin the bottle, and if the bottle pointed
to you when it stopped, the girl could either kiss you or give you a
nickel. By the time I was 14, I owned my own home."

Gotta admire persistence. Because rejection is hard to take.
Especially when it comes from someone you know. Or, come to think
about it, someone you don't know.

And we all want to be appreciated. We like being valued for what we do
and who we are.

American football coach Bum Phillips lives in a world where one can
become a hero or a heel in an amazingly short time. One mediocre
season and a coach, even a good one, can be out of a job. Like
Phillips once said, "There's only two kinds of coaches -- them that's
been fired and them that's about to be fired." Sounds like they might
want to make friends with rejection.

Few things hold people back more than the fear of rejection. They
don't ask for what they need because the answer may be no. They don't
ask their boss for a raise or for more time off. They don't ask for
help. They are afraid to be the first to say "I love you" (what if
they don't hear "I love you" back?). They don't ask for a better deal
or a lower interest rate. They don't submit that manuscript to a
publisher. In short, they don't let their wants and needs be known,
for fear of being turned away, turned down or turned out.

But the wonderful truth is this: If you can accept NO for an answer,
you can ask for anything. ANYTHING. When no is an acceptable and okay
answer to what you'd like, you can fearlessly ask for whatever you
need.

I love the expression, "I'm just putting it out there." Just put it
out there. Ask. And don't worry about the response. Nobody can say YES
if you never asked. Just put it out there and don't be afraid -- you
may be surprised at the answer you get. Sometimes people just need to
be asked. And if you don't get the response you want, are you any
worse off than before?

Hey -- I'm just putting it out there.

-- Steve Goodier

__________

P.S. CELEBRITY QUIP
640K ought to be enough for anybody. -- Bill Gate