part0039

I would not have written this book if I hadn’t learned and experienced so much in the field of interpersonal communication from some very special people.

Thanks to Dr. Bernard G. Guerney Jr., and Mary Ortwein who co-authored Mastering the Mysteries of LoveTM and Ready for LoveTM , excellent relationship skills curricula for couples and singles respectively. These programs are born out of Dr. Guerney’s Relationship EnhancementTM curriculum, and the communication skills they teach have transformed so many lives, including my own, particularly their insights into the power of listening to truly understand. I also appreciated Mary’s wise and caring tutoring of me along the way to become a program facilitator and ultimately a trainer of facilitators of these programs.

Thanks to Dr. Carolyn Curtis who taught the Relationship Enhancement class in Sacramento where my journey in this field began in April 2005, and thanks also to Dennis Stoica who co-taught with Mary the very first facilitator training of Mastering the Mysteries of Love, which my wife and I attended in Oakland in June 2005.

Thanks to Patty Howell and Ralph Jones, my dear friends and work colleagues and co-authors of World Class MarriageTM and World Class Relationships for Work & HomeTM . They trained me as an instructor in these fine courses that I have taught to many hundreds of couples and individuals. Patty and Ralph model the love and pillars they speak of in their own lives and marriage, and it’s a beauty to behold and try to emulate.

Special love and thanks to my wonderfully supportive wife Kimiko—who lovingly tries to keep me on track with these skills on a daily basis to be a better person and husband—and to my son Yong-Sung and daughters Yu-Mee and Jin-Mee who are teaching me with their love and patience how to be a better father every day.

Particular thanks to Jin-Mee for her many hours professionally editing this book, and to a few dear friends who read my drafts and gave me their excellent suggestions. You all helped me so much!

Lastly, thanks to all the couples and individuals I’ve had the pleasure of teaching these courses to over the past several years. You are an inspiration to me. I learned so much from you and hope you learned as much from me.