Back in 2003 I was going through a funny part of my life, associating with entirely the wrong boys for me, until I came across this iVillage.com article, already one year old by the time I saw it.

Of course, it took me one more flawed relationship for the principles to sink in, but Dr. Brenda Shoshanna’s short article with excerpts from her book, Zen Miracles: Finding Peace in an Insane World, set me going the right way and put a name to the pitfall that plagued my relationships: counterfeit love (falling in love with the fantasy of someone).

I went on to read the whole book, learning not to “sweat the small stuff” (as the popular saying goes) and identifying when my “monkey mind” is taking control, even if I didn’t do the practice exercises at the end of each chapter. The article set me straight about relationships while the book put life into context when I was younger and badly in need of context.

The funny thing is that I found the article and book at the right time of my life for the message to deeply impress on me. These days, the same might not affect me so much, even if a first reading. These days, I’m looking for the next paradigm shift because a different stage of life gives you a different set of hurdles, doesn’t it?

Ways to Get Satisfaction from Your Relationships (4-page article)
3 Ways to Get More Satisfaction from Your Relationships (summary)

On this day..

• Flood - 2008