In ìONE: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadershipî, I have written about the illusion of separateness and the imperative of oneness ñ†how important it is for us all to understand how everything is connected and make this awareness a part of all our actions and thoughts. Quoting from the book, I have written, ìIf we have a rancorous exchange with our spouse, it isnít just the other party who is hurt. We are both hurt because our relationshipóour onenessóis strained. This damages our partnership and therefore both of us, along with our children and friends, our work, and our health and well-being.î

Research was reported today that strongly†corroborates this. In the December 2005 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers, Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser and Ronald Glaser, of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research (IBMR) at Ohio State University, suggest that spouses engaged in hostile relationships have consistently elevated stress levels that significantly impede their bodies’ wound-healing capacity and raise blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which have been linked to a higher risk of developing depression, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and general physical decline.