Hey C, just stopping by to see how you are doing. Sounds like things are going well for the most part.
I know you have had some trouble with patience in the past. Can you think of some ways you can try to change how you react in the moment?
Count to 20, take a walk, sing a song, whatever. What you do isnt important. What is important is that you take a timeout before you speak or react to something that you know is a trigger for you.
It takes practice and work. I know how hard you are trying. You will get there, sweetie. You are doing great.
As far as valildating, a good friend of mine wrote this. I hope it helps.
There is a huge difference between being heard and being listened to. Simply repeating words back to a woman, does not mean that you listened to them.
It means that you simply understood the language that they were speaking.
Feeling the emotion, the subtleties in which it was meant, finding the value in their thoughts, validating their words, feeding the conversation with acknowledgement that you are present, and being available to "just be" for them. Asking them if they want your opinion afterward, or are they just looking to vent. Taking the time to appreciate that their feelings are worth YOUR time.
