Have you reached out to a friend today?

Sometimes a friend needs to hear from you just to know you care. It’s more than just FB updates or a quick tweet.  Hearing a friend’s voice can provide peace that a person needs.

iLoveStrong’s Top Super Bowl Commercials

Here are the top 5 iLoveStrong Commercials that I liked during the Super Bowl.

 1. Dodge Ram – God made a Farmer. This commercial represents everything iLoveStrong is all about.

2. Clydesdales Brotherhood: Budweiser – iLoveStrong liked the connection between breeder and horse.

3. Doritos – Fashionista Daddy – iLoveStrong loves Dads that play with their daughters, even if it’s for some chips.

4. Audi – Prom. iLoveStrong loves when you just go for it. It reminded me of my Junior Prom. My dad should have given me an Audi..I might have kissed the girl I wanted to.

5. Volkswagon – Get In, Get Happy – iLoveStrong believes in having fun, not taking yourself seriously and living in the moment.

Honorable Mention:

Taco Bell – Viva Young. – iLoveStrong loved this commercial. It was just plain funny.

What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial?

Strive 2 Succeed’s Favorite Things – The Gift of Laughter

One of PG’s words of wisdom is, “You live, you learn and then you buy LUVS.” I would like to add-on to this profound quote. “You live, you learn, you laugh then you buy LUVS.

Laughter is an underrated aspect of marriage. If you and your spouse can laugh together and each other it can help sustain your marriage during those roller coaster moments. I am convinced that my marriage to ‘PG’ has lasted  these 15 years because we have been able to laugh.

Laughter is contagious. It’s also beneficial to life and marriage.

Benefits of Laughter

• Reduction of stress and tension
• Stimulation of the immune system
• An increase of natural painkillers in the blood
• A decrease in systemic inflammation
• Reduction of blood pressure
• Lifts your spirits
• Brings couples closer together
• Can help keep a relationship fresh.

There are other medical benefits than the ones listed above. Our cardiovascular and respiratory systems, for example, benefit more from twenty seconds of robust laughter than from three minutes of exercise on a rowing machine. Through laughter, muscles release tension and neurochemicals are released into the bloodstream, creating the same feelings the long-distance joggers experience as “runner’s high.” We agree. We have experienced several of these moments and , especially after watching multiple episodes of ‘The Office’.

Being able to laugh at each other is a totally different matter. There are several components needed in order insure laughter doesn’t turn into pain. You will need mutual trust, respect for one another and a positive view of yourself. The reason why these components are important because a practical joke, or if your spouse  is constantly laughing at your shortcomings can quickly cause a strain in your marriage. If you feel that your spouse has crossed the line, don’t hesitate to call them on it.

 Since “The number of cardiac deaths is higher on Dec. 25 than on any other day of the year, second highest on Dec. 26, and third highest on Jan. 1, according to the Circulation study, lets learn to laugh a little more. It  just may save your life, not to mention your marriage. To paraphrase Henry Ward Beecher, “A marriage without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs – jolted by every pebble in the road.”

 

 

Relationship Gratitude (Day 24) – Thanksgiving Day – The Super Bowl of Gratitude!

On Thanksgiving Day, you can either take a few moments to get away from family and friends, or just acknowledge it in front of the everyone around the dinner table.  Take time voice from the bottom of your heart how thankful you are for your partner.

At this point, it should be very easy to find a reason why you are thankful, if not let me know and I will help you flesh out a few things.

A special shout-out goes to my dad. Today is his birthday. Happy Birthday DAD!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody.

Coach Keith

Relationship Gratitude (Day 23) It’s all about the journey!

If you know someone who has been married 30 plus years, you understand they have achieved something that is very rare these days. The great thing about that it’s all about the journey that the two of them have been through. Over the course of the holiday weekend, send a note to a couple that inspired you to work at achieving greatness in your marriage. Send a note, treat them to coffee, or better yet take them to dinner. Your generosity will boost their energy and mood.

For example, my parents have been married 44 years and they are still very much in love as evident by their recent vacation picture. I strive everyday to stay plugged into my spouse, like my parents do.

 

How has couple that has been married a long time inspired you in your relationship?

Coach Keith

 

Relationship Gratitude (Day – 22) You can’t do it alone!

As part pf relationship gratitude day 22, e-mail or someone who has helped keep your marriage strong. During your relationship journey we all need other friends or couples in our life that can provide insight when we things get difficult.

If you have married couples in your circle who are struggling, here are some things that might help them get on the right track.

• Offer to baby-sit. Most couples face the additional expense and inconvenience of securing a sitter to watch children when they are trying to reconnect. Volunteer baby-sitting eases the financial and emotional stress of leaving the children.
• Make dinner. While serving as a concreted reminder of your support, bringing dinner frees both partners from one more responsibility on an already difficult day.
• Invite the couple to play games. Play reminds couples there will be life after struggling. Include them in a game night. Invite them for a barbecue. Meet for a hike. Enjoy a movie together. Caring friends help make the time endurable.
• Provide opportunities for listening – man to man, woman to woman. Ask the husband to play tennis or the wife to go for a walk. Have her ride in your car while you run errands. Let him hold the light while you change the oil in the car. These conversations validate each partner’s need to sort through their experience out loud, in a safe and confidential environment, outside the presence of the partner. Your advice is not needed; in fact, it may not be helpful at all. The best advice comes from trained professionals. But a listening ear can help each partner process what he or she is learning.
• Encourage. Frequently remind your friend of the courage he or she displays by facing and overcoming their difficulty. Remind them that this troubled season will pass. Send cards. Drop notes. Make phone calls. The healing process seems long to an observer; imagine how much longer it feels to those involved! “There are days when a card in the mail gave a couple courage to face another week.” It may mean the difference between perseverance and divorce.

Relationship Gratitude -(Day 20) If you Post it, they will read it!

Post thankful expressions or notes of thanks in visible locations around the house. Posting visible expressions of gratitude according to fellow blogger Les Visible is like leaving good footprints.

There is no hiding place. I sometimes wonder about how many people there are who are running from their footprints. The problem is that your footprints follow you. Good footprints can wipe out bad footprints by changing the person leaving the footprints into one unrecognizable from before. You can even leave deeper imprints.

Start off the week of Thanksgivng by leaving some prints.

~ Coach Keith

Relationship Gratitude – Day 2 (Remember the Time)

Remember the first time you really connected as a couple?

What was the day like? What smells do you remember?

How did it make you feel?

If you need a little inspiration, I have attached Michael Jackson’s song ‘Remember the Time’ which includes the lyrics.

Share that with your spouse/partner. For me, it was the night at my friend D’Nice’s wedding. You may ask, how did you connect the first time you  met? Let’s just say I was very blessed that she sat next to me at the reception and believed in love just enough to take a chance. We all know that she had plenty of reasons not to.

In your journal over the next three days, choose one way your spouse affects you in a positiviely? For example, I  love the way he/she touches my shoulder.

Coach Keith

I Want Something, Someone Real – (M.M.M. According to Jill Scott)

Several years ago I was playing a game with my wife PG,called the TRAP game. She asked me if I had to choose, who would be my celebrity GF’s. My wife already had her names, Kevin Johnson (former Phoenix Suns PG), Forrest Whitaker, the late Ed Bradley just to name a few. Men under any circumstances never play this game, or just make sure you add your wife even if she is a celebrity or not. One of my selections was Jill Scott. With a puzzling somewhat scowling look on her face, she asked why? Without hesitation, I said because of her voice. She could sing me a lullaby every night. Two, Jill’s words echo the fact that if you are real and you treat me right, you will receive the same treatment and more.

Being with a Black woman takes a certain amount of strength, patience and confidence that you can’t receive from any P90X workout DVD or John Madden Video Game. The great thing is Jill Scott with her lyrical prowess has provided the tools you need in order to be successful.  She just released her 5th album, The Light of the Sun, a few weeks ago. Jill Scott is the epitome of the world according to black women. She believes in empowerment and love. She is vulnerable and loyal to the people who are in her life. If she sees you in pain or not acting right, she will throw you a lifeline, but if you cross her, she will cut you. She may feel pain for a little while, but will move on.

If you are a man who loves and adores black women, but feel you have a hard time fully understanding your queen listen to Jill Scott’s new CD and the others. Her lyrics are words that should be studied if you want to thrive in your marriage. I’m not saying that Jill is the voice of all black women, but she is pretty close.

Here is Jill’s “Womanifesto” of what type of Real relationship women want so you can make the adjustments.

1. How to know and understand your beautiful black woman. – I’m the Real thing in stereo..I gotta little highs, I gotta little lows.. (The Real Thing)
2. Your woman wants you be all  in or not at all.  – I’m the magnificent with the sensational style Yes! Check her head to toe don’t forget the smile Blessed! If you were smart you would try to snatch it up Movin like a snail when you ‘gon catch up?! (It’s a Shame)
3. Your woman may have a strong exterior, but your woman needs you.  And even though I can do all these things by my damn self I need you..I do, I do, I do, I do (The Fact Is (I Need You)
4. Your woman wants you to communicate, the best way you can. Talk to me, break it down, spell it out for me baby (Talk to Me)
5. This is how your woman wants to be Treated.
   Grown woman, making decisions and choices
   Utilizing everything inside of me,
   my soul my heart my mind my voices
   So maybe, in the middle of the night, when
   the dreams just aint going right
   … I can use, a tug, a hug, a kiss,
   something, strong, something, fit, for a Queen
   … Something,… passionate, someone with esteem, a king,… that’ll knock a Sister down..down..down..
6. If you want her heart,  you have to work. It takes more than diamonds to woo me..Lalalala..It takes more than money to move me..Lalalala..It takes more than ooo material things (Spring Summer Feeling)
7. Wants you to bring it in the bedroom and be confident about it.  NO LYRICS NECCESARY (Crown Royal)
8. Even when the relationship gets tested, they will Always be there for you. Listen, I’m so in love with you, That I can’t help myself! Can’t help it! As long as it’s me and you We don’t need nothing else! (So in Love) V1OC_XmeIck
9. They do make mistakes when it comes to Love. I’m truly sorry baby for what I did to you While you were busy loving me, I was busy too I played you dirty boy, did some things I shouldn’t do While you were only trying to treat me good I was playing… damn (Can’t Explain –  42nd St. Happenstance)
10. If YOU decide if you aren’t all in..you will get Left. I have let you go  – And everything I went through was beautiful (When I Wake up.)

So Brothas of all races if you want to thrive in your relationships with your black sistah’s, buy Jill Scott’s CD’s. Study the lyrics, commit them to memory or study them like you should study your scriptures. It will make you relationship better.

Coach Keith

You know my wife laughed at me? I needed it!

Yesterday as I was driving to NYC to drop off my children with my sister-in-law. I was prepared to have a few hours to myself and go bike riding along the West Side when, I was caught in Jersey City’s end of the month capital fundraising campaign. The police were pulling over unsuspecting drivers for going over the 25 mph speed limit, and I was the lottery winner. As I was waiting for my ticket, a few things came to mind; my perfect driving record for the  past three years was ruined, how much is this ticket going to cost me, is there a way I can get out of it.

The latter was definitely out of the question, but what really set me off was the cost of the ticket. Jersey City must really be hurting for money because it was going to cost me more to pay this ticket than the SADE concert and the cost of a good seat at the Yankee game combined.

This episode really set my day off, and I was about to just go home and brood which I am prone to do when bad things happen to me. Before I decided to do that, I figured let me call PG, my wife first.

Immediately she asked me if I was ok. I told her no and the circumstances behind it. Her response! Laughter! She said, “That’s it! That’s what you are upset about. Please, don’t let this one ticket spoil your day. Go for that bike ride.”

During my periods of silence as she talked to me, I took in what she said. I went bike riding and enjoyed the day. Oddly enough in Jersey City.

It’s refreshing when your wife can be a good student, but a better teacher. That’s why I married her.