Okay, so can you tell I’m on holiday mode yet? That’s the “on the fence” issue for me right at this moment, 5m on a Wednesday, when my hubby is off from work and my kids are off from school for two weeks. More on the fence issues: what time to eat, or nap, or wake up, or play, or whatever. That’s what time off is for, I guess. No homework. No rules.
Just so you know, if you’re a person who is going through life without true sense of meaning, purpose and zest, the news is not good for your longevity. People who are happy, resilient and optimistic live longer and live healthier. And while some people may be born with sunny dispositions, happiness isn’t necessarily based on genes or luck. Psychologists now believe it’s a learned skill, almost like bike-riding. In fact, Harvard’s ‘how-to-be-happy’ course, with more than 850 enrollees, has become the university’s most popular class. Its first lesson? Embrace your failures and frustrations. “When you give yourself permission to be human,” says the course instructor and psychologist, “you are more likely to open yourself up to positive emotions.” (US News)
Well, I’ve officially been at this Blogging business for three months, and I have to say, I’m absolutely soaking up every minute. People ask me how I get my inspiration, or find the time, or simply why I like to do it. The truth is, it’s because of you ladies, around the world, wherever you are. My Tokyo readers, my Italian readers, my Russian readers, my Israeli women… the Internet is a powerful and incredible thing. To have friends around the world without leaving the comforts of your own coffee shop, in glasses and sweats, to feel so connected. It’s why I do it.
So if you feel yourself slipping further and further away from your partner, growing more angry and distant, stop and take a breath. Make a plan. And also remember, you’re not alone. Your best friend or neighbor could very well be in the same boat as you. Support is another amazing gift that comes to us in our darkest days.
Is financial strain taking a toll on your relationship?
For many women throughout their lives, their male influences rarely present them an opportunity to understand the depth and complexity of male issues. I think there is a falsely pre-determined notion in society that leads women to believe certain myths; that men are the providers, that men are less involved in family life, men do the cheating, men are strong and insensitive, and men do not truly connect with their spouses. I am living proof that there is a side to men that most women have chosen to ignore or simply do not make the effort to understand. We connect, you just have to know how.
It’s that time of year again! How quickly it came. You know, that time of the year when people start thinking about making resolutions, life improvements, and what their game plan is for the next year.
So as I pondered today’s Blog post, something about decisions and choices resonated for me. Choices and decisions we make about someone ELSE’S life. Be it a sick parent, a handicapped sibling, a child. Be it a decision a doctor makes for his patient, or a lawyer makes for his client. We often have to make choices and decision for others. How do we make the right choice?
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind other peoples’ closed doors? Certainly, we all speculate on the nature of someone else’s marriage or relationship. It’s human nature to look at others and try to get a sense of what their world is like. We’re all guilty of it to some degree from time to time. For the most part we wonder whether or not they’re suitable and/or compatible partners, whether they share a mutual love, whether it’s the real deal or whether or not they entered into the union with an agenda. Regardless, I often wonder about something else entirely. Finances. Yes, the verbal or not so verbal financial arrangement between husbands and wives vis a vis their daily lives.
In case you haven’t yet heard the expression, a ‘Cougar’ is a term for an older woman who seeks out and enjoys the company of a younger man, while still enjoying her independence. Think Demi Moore, Madonna, Mariah Carey. The intentions of a “cougar” can range anywhere from chasing after a young boy-toy for fun outings and sexcapades, to someone looking for a loving and committed relationship.
Each year, the stories get better and better, and are exceptionally moving. This year was no different. I knew we were going to be hearing speaker Leslie Morgan Steiner, author of Mommy Wars and Crazy Love. I had not read her books, and only briefly read her story. I knew that she had graduated from two ivy league schools (Harvard and Wharton). A smart, beautiful woman with a career on the rise. Brought up in a financially comfortable and loving family. She had the world by the tail… that is, until she married a violently abusive man and entered into a life of hell for four years .
I help busy women (like you!) prioritize self-care so you can experience less stress, more calm and greater joy every day!
