“Why did she give me that gift? She knows I hate red.”

"Romanza" by Mimi Stuart ©
Live the Life you Desire


So what I really meant was…

“It’s the thought that counts. If I can’t exchange it, at least I’ll be ready for the next white elephant party.”

A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.

~Thomas á Kempis

by Alison Poulsen, PhD

Read “Resentment.”

Negative Assumptions:
“He didn’t talk to me this morning. He must not like me.”

"Grazia" by Mimi Stuart
Live the Life you Desire

So what I really meant was…

“He was probably upset, preoccupied, or rushed by something else.”

Don’t take things personally. We don’t know what others are thinking.

Your assumptions about other people’s feelings can influence how they feel. So don’t assume the worst. If the behavior continues, ask if he’s all right.

by Alison Poulsen, PhD

Read “You’re so irritable.”

Read “Dealing with Angry People.”