Valentine's Day and lots of other "special event" days can be hard on people. In this episode, we explore different alternatives to how to think about these days that have caused us so much grief and continue to make our lives difficult. Through reframing, you can let yourself feel complex feelings but, ultimately, take back what any day means to you. Themes of this episode are appreciating yourself and creating your own happiness.

We all want to be there for people we care about. We listen, offer advice, and they do exactly what we tell them to do, right? Nope! They do not usually and not only that but sometimes we offer advice and guidance to those who no longer have a place in your life. This episode goes over a couple of situations where people have been overly emotionally and mentally invested in someone else's life because of strong ties they share or shared in the past. It's time to take a realistic approach to how we help others.

When people think of self care, there is this idea that it's about self indulgence and ways to outrun stress. In this episode, I talk about ways to show yourself appreciation through physical acts that we do everyday. Through these acts, we show ourselves that we care and that we will take care of US and lower the need for others' validation and affection. Oh and yes, stress reduction is also a nice bonus. Loving yourself doesn't have to be an abstract concept anymore.

Societally, I think there is a huge issue with not understanding what peoples' boundaries are and where to draw the line on certain things. This episode was inspired by conversations that came up in March 2021 of women in the UK surveyed (between the ages of 18 and 24) where it was found that 97% of them had been victims of some form of sexual assault. 

I will not be going into that in this episode and in no way should any of this be considered victim-shaming. I'd like this episode to serve as a small piece of information to educate about boundaries and boundary violations. I'll focus on dissecting "the chase" rhetoric (otherwise known as "playing hard to get") and how to combat that idea through honest communication. We have all been trained to accept "the chase" as part of the normal dating scene and it's harmful and, when left unchecked, it can easily open the door to other boundary violations being deemed as normal, when they should not.

Have you had a situation where you and another person both experienced the same thing and reacted to completely differently? For one person, the scenario may not be a big deal while for another person it may be a huge stressor. In this episode, I give you some advice on how to be a better friend when you cannot understand why that particular thing stressed them out. This comes naturally to some people, but here, I really try to break it down my process for those who struggle to understand someone else's perspective or can get overwhelmed with others' emotions and not know what to do when someone they care about is experiencing a stressful situation.

Time and energy are what are most precious to us, but for some reason, we seem to take them for granted the most. We have finite amounts of both and yet we treat them like they're endless. In this episode, I walk you through three things that you may be worrying about and spending your energy on that have no benefit to you, your growth, and your future. I also give you some helpful suggestions on how to refocus that energy into things that will benefit you in the long run.

What are some of the things that make you trust someone? In this episode, I follow up on my episode "Stop. Talking. Shit." and give you some practical advice on what you can do to improve yourself and be someone people trust. No games! No manipulation! Just realness.

When we "break up" with someone, whether it's a friend or a romantic relationship, things can get be bad. There can be a lot of bad feelings and the urge to lash out publicly or with mutual friends may be strong. In this episode, I explain why that is NOT a good idea. People are watching and your integrity and trustworthiness to possible future friends, associates, and partners are on the line. Let's end this unhealthy behavior.

No one gets a pass to treating you with less respect, kindness, and love than you deserve. As we grow to love ourselves more, sometimes it becomes painfully obvious that some family cannot stay in our circle. It is not helpful to be loyal to those who hurt you simply because you share blood. It's time to level up.

We've all rejected someone or had someone reject us, sometimes in nicer ways than others, but ultimately, it hurts. We humans are all unique like puzzle pieces and finding the other humans that fit with us is all trial and error. In this episode, I explain what rejection in friendships and relationships means to me and how it can actually help you more quickly find the people that are meant to be in your life.