Not Everyone Who Is Single Is Lonely
5 Ways to Cope with Family Bullies
“When we can no longer change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ~Viktor Frankl
Bullies are everywhere. One of the most insidious and destructive forms of bullying is family bullying, because it’s often done in the name of love.
As someone who was bullied by family members for more years than I care to count, I spent a lot of time learning that most of the bullying going on was not about me or my failings—it was more about what other people needed to unload.
Family bullies often pretend to (or believe they can) help by offering criticism…
Stop Trying to Fix Yourself and Start Enjoying Your Life
“You think that the goal is to be over there, and we say the goal is the journey over there; the goal is the fun you have along the way on your way to over there.” ~Abraham
I have a clear memory of my mother looking at my bookshelves several years ago and commenting, “You’re always reading all these self-help books, and where has it gotten you?”
I responded with a quip about how I’ll always be working to align my personality with my soul, to which she scoffed and said, “When will you grow up and realize you have …
6 Healthy Ways to Shed Layers of Emotional Pain
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~Anais Nin
Do you remember a time when you wanted to crawl under the bed and stay forever?
Perhaps you’d been dealing with chronic pain and anxiety, had recently experienced divorce or the loss of a loved one, maybe even lost a job or two. I had experienced all of these things in just a few short years, and, judging by the loud knocking as I hid, was about to have my car repossessed, too.
I …
Why Stress and Pressure Can Actually Be Good for Us
“A diamond doesn’t start out polished and shining. It once was nothing special, but with enough pressure and time, becomes spectacular.” ~Solange Nicole
It’s one of the last days of summer, and I wake up to my mother screaming.
I’m ten, and I pull off the covers and sneak to my door. Opening it slowly, I peek out and look down the stairs.
Men have stormed into our house. Ignoring my mom, they head into the living room, pick up the sofa, and throw it out on the lawn. They do the same with the dinner table and the rest …
What’s Really Going on When Someone Seems “Too Sensitive”
“For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.” ~Cynthia Occelli
The whole time I was growing up, I was told, incessantly, that I was “too sensitive.” These words, when I first heard them, came from the mouth of the person I vowed I would never become.
And yet, as I grew up, these words didn’t stay within the darkness of my childhood home. They began to roll out of the mouths of kids …
How to Develop Self-Love and Why This Will Strengthen Your Relationship
“An outstanding love doesn’t come from two half-fulfilled people coming together to make one whole, complete life. Outstanding love comes from two whole people coming together to share and enhance their already full and beautiful lives.” ~Pia Scade
My partner and I were having a conversation about our relationship recently.
We both told each other just how much we loved the relationship. We weren’t talking about how much we love each other, but about how much we enjoy this shared space between us, this thing we call our relationship.
We enjoy giving to it and nurturing it. We enjoy receiving …
Create an Extraordinary Life: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Daily
“We have one precious life: do something extraordinary today, even if it’s tiny. A pebble starts the avalanche.” ~K.A. Laity
Do you have a vision of a life you want to lead?
Doing work that you enjoy, being happy, healthy, and having great relationships?
You probably have your own idea of what an extraordinary life means. But how often do you feel that you are living that life?
Life is bound within the confines of our schedules, our money, and our limited resources.
There are many things that you want to do, or want to be, but most of the …
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