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Relationship Coach PodcasterAward-Winning Author JOHN CERTALIC

HELPING PEOPLE OF FAITH FIND THE JOY WE WERE MADE FOR IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS.

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Actionable relationship insights delivered weekly to your inbox

    You Were Made For This

    Our relationships are so important to living a fulfilling life, we do ourselves a favor when we do what we can to make those relationships the best they can be. To that end, listen to Episode 139 of You Were Made for This. You’ll learn the benefits of listening to this podcast in helping you find more of the joy God intends for you in your relationships.

    Latest Episodes

    “At the end of the day, nothing matters MORE than relationships.” — John Certalic

    206: Thankful for the Stories of Others

    November 15th, 2023|Categories: Finding Joy in Relationships, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    The Thanksgiving holiday will soon be upon us here in the US, so I’ve been reflecting on what I’m thankful for. And this year I’m thinking about things

    • A meaningful conversation deepens a relationship

    205: How to Have a Meaningful Conversation

    November 1st, 2023|Categories: Finding Joy in Relationships, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    To deepen our current relationships, or to develop new ones, it’s helpful to ask ourselves an important question. Namely, “How do I have a meaningful conversation with someone?”

    • Be stingy in sharing your story when listening to others

    203: Three Reasons for Being Stingy in Sharing Your Story

    October 4th, 2023|Categories: Becoming a Better Listener, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    There’s a school of thought out there that says to make friends it’s important to be vulnerable by sharing your story. Some call it “being authentic.” Yet it’s

    • Listen to someone's story

    202: The Best Stories

    September 20th, 2023|Categories: Becoming a Better Listener, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    Most of us like a good story. I have found that the best stories are those that draw us in with emotion. They’re usually about relationships and often

    • like wild flowers. we bloom and die

    201: Three Relationship Tools to Remember in September

    September 6th, 2023|Categories: Podcast, Relational Skills|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    Hello everyone, I’m back!  To start season 8 of this podcast we’re going to talk about three relationship tools we can use to become better listeners this fall

    • Give people the gift of hope

    200: Give People the Gift of Hope

    March 1st, 2023|Categories: God in Our Relationships, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    One relationship principle I’ve come to appreciate over time is the power of giving people the gift of hope when they have so little of it themselves. It’s

    • We Don't Know What We Don't Know

    199: How to Help a Friend

    February 22nd, 2023|Categories: Podcast, Relational Skills|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    Today’s episode is about how to help a friend using a model of deepening relationships I’ve talked about before. The ORA principle. You remember it, don’t you? O

    • Read Your Way to Better Relationships in 2023

    198: Read Your Way to Better Relationships in 2023

    February 15th, 2023|Categories: Podcast, Relationship Principles|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

    In episode 192 I explained my rationale for suggesting that our word of the year for this year should be READ. Go to johncertalic.com/192 If you missed it.

    Episode Topics

    Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation

    I recently read Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation 2023. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. A little long, but what

    211: A Men’s Breakfast Like No Other

    A men’s breakfast can be fun and still have a greater purpose than eating and conversation. When organized with a larger objective in mind it can be a

    196: How Will You Be Remembered?

    I received a touching email the other day that got me thinking about how I want to be remembered when my time on earth comes to an end.

    202: The Best Stories

    Most of us like a good story. I have found that the best stories are those that draw us in with emotion. They’re usually about relationships and often

     Recent Articles

    People To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

    Dear Reader, I’m making several changes regarding release of new episodes to my You Were Made for This podcast and the weekly blog posts/articles I’ve been sending your way. But before we get into that, I want to focus on thankfulness. We set aside one day out of 365 to consider this virtue, which clearly deserves more of our attention. To illustrate this, today’s podcast episode begins with th a quote from Garrison Keillor: “Old age is the age of gratitude, when I come to appreciate the...

    Ask Questions Like Jesus Did

    Hi Reader, If you’ve been following my writings or podcast for any length of time you’ll know I’m a big fan of asking questions to deepen relationships. But not just any questions, for despite what your 5th grade teacher told you, there are dumb questions. Some really dumb ones, even harmful questions that are destructive to relationships. I’ve conducted workshops on asking meaningful questions, and I’ve aired more than a few podcast episodes on the subject. But I realized recently there’s...

    Beauty Beyond the Landscape

    Reader, Episode 228 of our You Were Made for This podcast is now live. In it I talk about my recent vacation trip to Ireland. It’s less about scenery and landscape, and more about relationships. I think you’ll find it encouraging. For example, I reflect upon what encouraged me on our trip. Things like: Beauty found in relationships The man who wore bib overalls all the time The most common expression I heard from people in Dublin Several gray-haired men who make art all day long, hunched over...

    Talk About These Amongst Yourselves

    Reader, When I wrote my book THEM several years ago, one of the things I enjoyed most was finding an interesting and relevant quote to begin each chapter. Not many people have read the book, so I thought I’d share a few of these quotes for you to talk about among yourselves. Depression on my left. Loneliness on my right. They don’t need to show me their badges. I know these guys very well. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert, from Chapter 5 “The Visitor No One Wants.” If anger were mileage, I’d be a frequent...

    Writer's Digest Best Inspirational Book of 2016

    THEM is all about relationships and how to make them better. You’ll read real-life stories showing the joy found in bringing out the best in others, which brings out the best in ourselves.

    Have you ever wanted to understand and help someone who is depressed or angry? How about someone who is fearful, or has trouble forgiving and reconciling with others? Maybe you want to know how to better encourage someone.

    In THEM – The Richer Life Found in Caring for Others, John Certalic weaves together real-life stories that practically show how to help others – and ourselves – deal with the challenging relational issues that affect us so deeply.

    Winner of Writer's Digest Best Inspirational Book of 2016. Endorsed by Dr. Laura Mae Gardner, Ruth Van Reken, Dr. John Powell, Stuart Briscoe, and numerous missionaries.

    Writer's Digest Best Inspirational Book of 2016

    THEM is all about relationships and how to make them better. You’ll read real-life stories showing the joy found in bringing out the best in others, which brings out the best in ourselves.

    Have you ever wanted to understand and help someone who is depressed or angry? How about someone who is fearful, or has trouble forgiving and reconciling with others? Maybe you want to know how to better encourage someone.

    In THEM – The Richer Life Found in Caring for Others, John Certalic weaves together real-life stories that practically show how to help others – and ourselves – deal with the challenging relational issues that affect us so deeply.

    Winner of Writer's Digest Best Inspirational Book of 2016. Endorsed by Dr. Laura Mae Gardner, Ruth Van Reken, Dr. John Powell, Stuart Briscoe, and numerous missionaries.

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