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How to Become Strong Enough to Love
Are you strong enough to love, or does your insecurity and fears of rejection, abandonment, and engulfment keep you from being able to fully love?
This relationship book takes you on a healing journey to being able to create truly loving relationships through the Inner Bonding® process.
This relationship book takes you on a healing journey to being able to create truly loving relationships through the Inner Bonding® process.
142 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 16, 2011
19 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Paul
29 books64 followersDR. MARGARET PAUL is a bestselling author, popular MindBodyGreen writer and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® self-healing process, and the related SelfQuest® self-healing online program - recommended by actress Lindsay Wagner and singer Alanis Morissette. She has appeared on numerous radio and television shows (including Oprah). Her book titles include Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved By You (and subsequent titles Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved By God, and ...By My Kids), Healing Your Aloneness and Inner Bonding, and the recently published, Diet For Divine Connection. Margaret holds a PhD in psychology, is a relationship expert, public speaker, consultant and artist. She has successfully worked with thousands and taught classes and seminars for over 50 years. Go to http://www.innerbonding.com/welcome for a free Inner Bonding course and join Dr. Margaret for her "Love Yourself" Course at http://www.innerbonding.com/show-page....
Margaret lives in Colorado. She has three children and three grandchildren. In her spare time, she loves to play with her grandchildren, paint, ride her horse, read, make pottery and kayak.
Margaret lives in Colorado. She has three children and three grandchildren. In her spare time, she loves to play with her grandchildren, paint, ride her horse, read, make pottery and kayak.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 27, 2025
a weasel that needs to put phd on the cover to make the crap believable. strong enough? it has not worked on the author.
July 24, 2023
I had so many AHA moments learning about myself and my wounded strategies that I adopt sometimes to protect myself from my fears. A great masterpiece!
Thanks a million Dr. Margaret 💕
Thanks a million Dr. Margaret 💕
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May 26, 2025**How to Become Strong Enough to Love: Creating Loving Relationships Through the Six-Step Pathway of Inner Bonding** by Margaret Paul, Ph.D., presents a transformative approach to healing emotional wounds and building healthy, loving relationships. The book is based on the Inner Bonding® process, a self-healing framework designed to help individuals develop self-love, overcome patterns of self-abandonment, and become emotionally resilient enough to both give and receive love.
Margaret Paul begins by exploring why so many people struggle with intimacy, fear of rejection, and chronic dissatisfaction in their relationships. She explains that much of this pain stems from unresolved childhood wounds and a lack of a loving, supportive relationship with oneself. According to Paul, true strength in love arises from learning to meet our own emotional needs rather than relying on others for validation or happiness.
The heart of the book is the **Six-Step Pathway of Inner Bonding**, which guides readers through a step-by-step process for emotional healing and growth:
1. **Becoming Present**: Tuning into your feelings, both physical and emotional, without judgment. This self-awareness sets the stage for deeper exploration and healing.
2. **Intent to Learn**: Shifting from self-judgment to curiosity about your feelings and needs. This involves a willingness to explore your inner world rather than seeking to avoid or numb discomfort.
3. **Dialoguing with Your Inner Child and Inner Guidance**: Engaging in a compassionate dialogue between your wounded inner child and your higher, wise self. This step helps uncover the beliefs and fears that drive self-abandoning behaviors.
4. **Exploring False Beliefs and Behaviors**: Identifying and challenging limiting beliefs and protective behaviors learned in childhood that block intimacy and self-love.
5. **Receiving Loving Guidance and Taking Loving Action**: Connecting with your higher self or inner wisdom to receive guidance on what loving action you can take for yourself. This step emphasizes personal responsibility and self-care.
6. **Evaluating Results and Integrating Learning**: Reflecting on the outcome of your actions and integrating new insights into your daily life. This ongoing practice strengthens self-trust and the capacity for loving relationships.
Throughout the book, Paul offers practical exercises, real-life examples, and compassionate advice to help readers implement the Inner Bonding process. She addresses common relationship issues such as dependency, conflict, fear of abandonment, and difficulty with emotional vulnerability.
Paul’s approach emphasizes that becoming strong enough to love means developing the courage to face your pain, the wisdom to care for yourself, and the openness to share authentically with others. The book argues that when individuals cultivate a loving relationship with themselves, they become naturally capable of creating healthy, lasting bonds with others.
The message is ultimately hopeful: no matter your past or current struggles, you can learn to love yourself deeply and build fulfilling, loving relationships through inner work and self-compassion.
Margaret Paul begins by exploring why so many people struggle with intimacy, fear of rejection, and chronic dissatisfaction in their relationships. She explains that much of this pain stems from unresolved childhood wounds and a lack of a loving, supportive relationship with oneself. According to Paul, true strength in love arises from learning to meet our own emotional needs rather than relying on others for validation or happiness.
The heart of the book is the **Six-Step Pathway of Inner Bonding**, which guides readers through a step-by-step process for emotional healing and growth:
1. **Becoming Present**: Tuning into your feelings, both physical and emotional, without judgment. This self-awareness sets the stage for deeper exploration and healing.
2. **Intent to Learn**: Shifting from self-judgment to curiosity about your feelings and needs. This involves a willingness to explore your inner world rather than seeking to avoid or numb discomfort.
3. **Dialoguing with Your Inner Child and Inner Guidance**: Engaging in a compassionate dialogue between your wounded inner child and your higher, wise self. This step helps uncover the beliefs and fears that drive self-abandoning behaviors.
4. **Exploring False Beliefs and Behaviors**: Identifying and challenging limiting beliefs and protective behaviors learned in childhood that block intimacy and self-love.
5. **Receiving Loving Guidance and Taking Loving Action**: Connecting with your higher self or inner wisdom to receive guidance on what loving action you can take for yourself. This step emphasizes personal responsibility and self-care.
6. **Evaluating Results and Integrating Learning**: Reflecting on the outcome of your actions and integrating new insights into your daily life. This ongoing practice strengthens self-trust and the capacity for loving relationships.
Throughout the book, Paul offers practical exercises, real-life examples, and compassionate advice to help readers implement the Inner Bonding process. She addresses common relationship issues such as dependency, conflict, fear of abandonment, and difficulty with emotional vulnerability.
Paul’s approach emphasizes that becoming strong enough to love means developing the courage to face your pain, the wisdom to care for yourself, and the openness to share authentically with others. The book argues that when individuals cultivate a loving relationship with themselves, they become naturally capable of creating healthy, lasting bonds with others.
The message is ultimately hopeful: no matter your past or current struggles, you can learn to love yourself deeply and build fulfilling, loving relationships through inner work and self-compassion.
June 1, 2023
The Best Out There
Another excellent read by best selling author, Dr. Margaret Paul. I have read every single one of her books, they all stand the test of time and How to Become Strong Enough to Love, will be no different. If you truly want to learn how to heal old wounds, love your self and others, this is the book for you. The Inner Bonding process is life changing. When you put in the work and adopt Inner Bonding as your framework or lifestyle, the rewards of joy, peace, sharing love and living authentically are endless. I highly recommend How to Become Strong Enough to Love and all of Dr. Margaret Paul’s books. You will not be disappointed.
Another excellent read by best selling author, Dr. Margaret Paul. I have read every single one of her books, they all stand the test of time and How to Become Strong Enough to Love, will be no different. If you truly want to learn how to heal old wounds, love your self and others, this is the book for you. The Inner Bonding process is life changing. When you put in the work and adopt Inner Bonding as your framework or lifestyle, the rewards of joy, peace, sharing love and living authentically are endless. I highly recommend How to Become Strong Enough to Love and all of Dr. Margaret Paul’s books. You will not be disappointed.
April 30, 2025
The Inner Bonding process is the most psychologically accurate system I've found for healing emotional wounds and navigating life. This recent book of Dr. Paul's specifically applies Inner Bonding to intimate relationships, showing how a commitment to learn to truly love oneself and others instead of operating from one's Wounded Self can transform couples and families. Recommended to anyone seeking richer relationships. At the very end of the book the author's politics come out a bit, which is unfortunate, but this can be overlooked since Inner Bonding is truly universal.
January 20, 2024
I think this book has valuable tools to have a better life, though at first sight, these were not fully clear to me, it sowed a big curiosity in me to learn a lot more. The main ideas of the book are correct and logical for me. Practicing the ideas shown in the book was helpful and the work of the author over several years was worth it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews