Relationships are tricky and sometimes sticky!  Think of a situation where you and another person were not in agreement.  Bring mindful awareness to your patterns of communication with this person.  Jot down the following:

• what happened prior to the disagreement
• what you most wanted from the other person
• what the other person most likely wanted from you
• your feelings at the moment of disagreement
• your level of awareness regarding what was really happening
• the outcome

Be as honest and objective as possible.  Refrain from judging yourself or the other person.  You may want to shred or trash the paper after you have processed the experience.   Once you have acknowledged and accepted your emotions, ask yourself what you could have done differently to contribute to a more harmonious outcome.

If it involves setting limits, give yourself permission to do so.  Allow yourself to take care of yourself and honour your personal wellness.  If it involves embracing greater patience and a more open mind, commit to practicing loving-kindness meditation every day.  Repeating phrases such as “May I be peaceful.  May I be happy” and “May you be peaceful.  May you be happy” offers immense healing powers and builds your capacity for unconditional love and acceptance.  For more information on loving-kindness meditations, Mary Brantley and Tesilya Hanauer have written a wonderfully inspiring book titled “The Gift of Loving-Kindness”.