September 30, 2022
top trending topics
🍂🧡 Connect & make memories together as a family with these must-do fall activities.
😔 Feeling like your spouse is a bad parent? Here’s what you can do.
🎓 Encourage your child & keep their motivation going strong when it comes to school and their future.
🚩 Red flags to look out for the start of a porn addiction.
🙅 So you found out your teen is having sex. Keep your cool & handle it with these tips.
tips & tricks for growth
enhance your listening skills
Most people believe they are good listeners, but when you get right down to it, we live in a society full of noise, and most of us have a hard time slowing down enough to listen well. In fact, many are so used to the chatter they literally have a hard time focusing when it’s quiet.
One thing is for sure: You cannot seek to listen well and also be doing something else.
The brain does NOT multitask. It may act in parallel functions (touch, sound, vision), but when engaging in distinctly different tasks, the brain operates like a toggle switch – jumping from one thing to another. You cannot be looking at emails and listening to someone talk about their day at the same time. It’s literally impossible.
If you want to enhance your listening skills, consider trying some of these strategies:
- Be attentive.
- Ask questions.
- Pay attention to body language.
Listening is a skill that takes practice. If we are honest, most of us would admit we can do a better job of listening to the people in our world, whether we agree with them or not.
forgive yourself & learn from your mistakes
Forgiveness is often defined as letting go of feelings of resentment, anger, or bitterness toward someone who has wronged you. Forgiving others can be tough. But we all can forgive. While you may be able to forgive others, how are you at forgiving yourself for mistakes you’ve made or wrongs you’ve committed?
Forgiving yourself requires empathy, compassion, kindness, and understanding. We all make mistakes. However, there is power in acknowledging, learning from, and moving beyond our mistakes.
Why should I forgive myself?
Forgiving yourself is a big deal for your own personal growth. When you forgive yourself, you improve your self-image. Studies have shown that those who practice self-forgiveness experience lower levels of depression and anxiety, too.
Forgiving also impacts your physical health. Research shows that forgiveness can reduce blood pressure and improve heart health.
let’s get REALatable
It’s time to take things a step further & get a little intimate with a Q & A. What do you say?😉 Learn a little bit about the faces behind all of this relationship gold. This week we’re chatting with Margo Mathis, wife to her husband of 3 years, Jebediah, momma to a new baby girl, dog momma, and the Email Specialist here at First Things First. Let’s get REALatable💛 & learn a little bit about her:
Q: What’s a hidden talent of yours?
A: 😝 Ummm, I can roll my belly… Weird I know but my husband can too & he’s the only other person I know who can!
Q: What did you want to be when you grew up?
A: 📝 I totally wanted to be a teacher! I used to look at projectors for sale on eBay (Whoah throwback!) alll the time.😂 I wanted one to uplevel my set up for “playing school”, which I did constantly! Ended up a marketer not a teacher, but I’m right where I need to be!
Q: Night in or night out?
A: 🏠 I’ll take a night in any day. I’m a homebody 100%- cuddled up on the couch with a movie is my jam!
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