What to Do When You Love Someone Who Hurts You
“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” ~Pema Chödrön
There is a person in my life who I love with all my heart, but in this relationship I struggle to keep a full …
Category “love & relationships”
Why Silence Is Often the Best Response to a Verbal Attack
“Have the maturity to sometimes know that silence is more powerful than having the last word.” ~Thema Davis
It all started with the forks.
“You need to return my forks,” my roommate demanded one morning as I sat in the …
Increase Your Self-Love: 8 Ways to Be Good to Yourself
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love & affection.” ~Buddha
Someone asked me a couple of years ago out of ten, how much did I love myself? I said four. I had to …
Why Advice Doesn’t Help When We’re Hurting (and What Does)
“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we’re listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.” ~Karl A. Menninger
I remember …
You Don’t Have to Adjust Who You Are to Please Others
“If you are busy pleasing everyone, you are not being true to yourself.” ~Jocelyn Murray
Do you say yes to things only to keep people happy?
Do you fear saying and doing what you actually want?
I know how that …
Are You Being Too Supportive? (Yes, There is Such a Thing)
“We cripple people who are capable of walking because we choose to carry them.” ~Christie Williams
Years ago, I had a dear friend who needed a lot of support for various reasons. She was working hard to find her way …
How Technology Makes It Easy to Flake Out (And How to Stop It)
“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” ~Unknown
How many times have you made plans with friends, only to receive the dreaded, “Sorry, need to reschedule” text just minutes before …
How I Used My Phone as a Crutch and What I Know Now
“People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.” ~Joseph F Newton
Can you imagine your life without a cell phone?
It’s hard, right?
For most of us, we use our phones every day, whether it’s for talking with …
The Introvert’s Brain: Why They Might “Think Too Much”
“Only those who care about you can hear when you are quiet.” ~Unknown
I find it difficult to be understood. I seem to frequently create complexity out of something that is perhaps very simple and straightforward to others.
For example, …
Dealing with “Haters”: How to Rise Above the Negative
“The final proof of greatness lies in being about to endure criticism without resentment.” ~Elbert Hubbard
A splash of tequila to the unsuspecting open eyes is a brutal way to learn that someone has a problem with you.
My brother’s …
How to Leave a Toxic Relationship When You’re Still in Love
“Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” ~Marilyn Monroe
Why does it have to hurt so badly?
You’re so in love, but your relationship has become toxic. It simply can’t continue.
Night after sleepless night, …
How to Recover and Find Strength after Losing a Parent
“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways – either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.” ~Dalai Lama
There was a period in …
Live Without Regrets: Lessons from a Near-Death Experience
“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.” ~Natalie Babbitt
My former life as a diamond dealer was not as glamorous as one would think. I …
6 Ways to Make Dating Less Frustrating
“You are strong when you know your weaknesses. You are beautiful when you appreciate your flaws. You are wise when you learn from your mistakes.” ~Unknown
Social discovery apps and online dating sites provide us with an incredible amount …
What We All Really Need When We’re Struggling
“There are two ways of spreading light: be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” ~Edith Wharton
I tucked my boarding pass safely into my coat pocket, donned my eyeglasses, and searched for the overhead signs that would lead …
Why We Should Always Be Kind to Strangers
“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of rewards, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” ~Princess Diana
Recently I was reminded of the importance of kindness, particularly kindness to …
4 Things to Remember When Your Relationship Falls Apart
“At some point you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart, but not in your life.” ~Unknown
I was filled with excitement and nerves as I stood waiting to meet him for the first time in …
Set Yourself Free: 5 Things You Gain When You Forgive
“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” ~Catherine Ponder
Somewhere in the …
How to Respond to a Verbal Assault Without Losing Your Cool
“Often those that criticize others reveal what he himself lacks.” ~Shannon L. Adler
I answer the phone.
And then the yelling starts. The woman on the other end lets fly a barrage of abuse.
She’s angry and upset and she’s …
The Power of “No”: Better Boundaries Lead to a Better Life
“’No’ is a complete sentence.” ~Anne Lamott
When I went to counseling for the first time, my therapist told me I needed better boundaries. I had no idea what he was talking about, and although the book he lent me …
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