Friendship

One post I read from the Friendship Page Advice Forum was about a girl who was feeling left out from two of her friends.

Reflecting

I really liked this chapter over all because it offered me a lot to reflect on, in regards to myself and how I treat others.

Disconfirmed and Defensive

I can't think of a specific time when I have been in this type of interaction, but I can explain what kind of defensive-producing communication behaviors would make me feel disconfirmed and defensive.

Disagreeing with Others

The description the author provides for confirmation is "recognizing that another person exists," then next you acknowledge their feelings, and finally the strongest level of confirmation is endorsement, when you accept another's feelings or thoughts.

Identifying Our Emotions

The first step in communicating our emotions effectively is to identify our emotions correctly.

Social Influences on Emotions&Perceptual Influences on Emotions

I understood these two views the most, and the combination of them both made the most sense to me in understanding the expression of emotion.

Fallacies

I can definitely relate to some of the fallacies listed.

Mindfulness

The concept I found most interesting this week was about mindfulness. A couple months ago I bought a book titled "Peace is every breath," and it is basically all about being present in every moment, and taking time to focus on your breathing. It begins by teaching you to breath slow and deep and pay full attention while doing the simplest tasks, like brushing your teeth. When you wake up in the morning, take a few deep breaths to center yourself and become mindful. While your brushing your teeth, pay attention to how the bristles of the brush feel against your gums and be aware of the smell of your toothpaste. Being mindful means being completely and fully present in the moment, and I really try and live every minute of my life this way. It takes a lot of practice and focus, most of the time we are too tired to be paying attention all the time, but it's worth it because you feel more peaceful and relaxed.
Mindful listening is the same concept, just being fully aware and attentive when someone is speaking to you. You don't let your thoughts wander to what you are doing that weekend or day dream about something else, give that person your full attention and listen with all of your energy. I don't think many people do this or are even capable of doing this because we are always thinking, worrying or stressing out about what we have to do or are doing. Mindful living and listening should be something you practice everyday, and can benefit your life and relationships.