There are times in our lives when we find ourselves "taking stock" of our current situation and how things have gone thus far. Often something happens, like a divorce, a death or a job change, which forces us to stop the routine of everyday living and really take notice of the state of our happiness and fulfillment. It's at these times of unrest and feeling unsettled that we tend to think about what would make our lives more enjoyable, whether it be money, love or a different career. How to achieve these changes in our lives can seem daunting and… more

Bad habits. We've all had them, whether it be eating junk food, smoking, gossiping, being too hard on ourselves, or criticizing others. A habit is something we do so repeatedly that it almost seems to become a part of us, to the point where the action is difficult to control. In our society, we've convinced ourselves that anything negative should be able to be waved away with a magic wand. The simple truth however, is that change of the lasting kind usually takes time, effort, and commitment. So how to we even go about the daunting task of changing something… more

Trust. It's one of those intangible aspects of life and relationships; elusive, yet necessary. When we trust people, we put our confidence in them, and expect they'll be honest, faithful, keep their promises, and stay committed and respectful to the relationship. However, because we're also human and fallible, we sometimes make mistakes which damage or break that trust bond. If the relationship is worth salvaging, trust needs to be rebuilt, because without trust, there is no foundation on which a healthy relationship can grow and thrive.

Tips for Rebuilding Trust

1. Forgive. In order to move forward, you MUST… more

We all have an outward persona we show to the world, as well as the "real" us who lives inside our heads and our hearts. As a single person in the dating world, it can be frustrating to get past that initial phase where people tend to judge us based on first impressions, preconceptions, and physical appearances. It's also difficult to have an objective perspective of what we're giving off as individuals; and what exactly the outside world is picking up on in terms of our personalities. Since dating is such an incredibly emotionally charged situation, being aware of the… more

Getting to know and experience someone we like is rarely matched when it comes to how great it makes us feel. Anticipation, excitement, butterflies, and pure happiness are some of the emotions we experience at the very beginning of a relationship, and everything seems to appear brighter and take on more meaning.
Of course physical chemistry can play a very big part in enhancing and amplifying our emotions; touching, hugging and kissing for the first time can seem to send us to the moon. Kissing especially, even though 90% of the world does it, can tell us a lot… more

Picture it. Your boyfriend or girlfriend's phone is sitting there, and they're in the shower, or out running an errand. It's almost taunting you, and there's this urge inside you to snoop through it. You start coming up with reasons why it's ok, or you become overwhelmed by this necessity to know - what, you're not sure. So what do you do? Do you tell yourself you'll look just this one time, or have you even done this before with your present or former relationships? With so much of our lives on the internet and stored in our personal electronics,… more

Secrets. We all have them or have had them at some point in our lives, and they can make certain relationships or situations complicated, to say the least. When we're in the process of dating someone, our goal is usually to get to know each other, thus becoming more intimate. But what happens when there's something we're holding back? Whether we're keeping a family secret, health issue or past situation from our partner, this can certainly weigh heavily on us, stopping us from becoming fully emotionally intimate and keeping the relationship in a holding pattern. So when we're at that… more

It seems as though the more chaotic life gets, the more we try to control it. We seem bound by time and schedules, we're constantly telling ourselves how things "should" be and how the people around us "should" behave, and by doing so, we're filled with unrealistic expectations which lead us to constant disappointment. Even though it seems like a logical human reaction to try to control what happens around us, everything around us points to the opposite being true. Nature, for instance, is filled with constant surprises, which if we're watching, would help us learn that life is also… more

There's not much worse in the dating world than being in a rut. When we find ourselves in the same situations, hanging around with the same people and wondering where love is, it can be discouraging. We can find ourselves wishing we had what other people had, and almost at a loss as to what steps we can take next. Of course we always hear any true change needs to come from within, which is also easier said than done, especially when we feel less than positive. So where can we even start to make a change? We start by… more

As we get older, we tend to realize that our idea of "normal" doesn't really exist. Most of us grew up around some sort of familial dysfunction - whether it be divorce, family secrets, emotional abandonment - the list goes on. And while none of these issues are certainly the fault of, or controllable by us as children, deep-seeded issues are hard to change. They can manifest in our adult lives in any number of ways; especially in our dating/relationship experiences. One common issue that presents itself in our adult relationships, is the creating and maintaining of personal boundaries. As… more