If we don’t practice self love, how can we truly love another and participate in a mutually beneficial, healthy relationship?

This time of year is a season that provides for us the opportunity to stop our busy lives for a moment and give thanks for our many gifts and blessings.

If you have lost a loved one or suffered a breakup with a spouse/significant other or friend, the holiday season is a constant reminder of the pain. 

With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. As a result, gratitude helps us connect to something larger than ourselves. Research shows that having a connection to something bigger, even in times of challenge and change, makes us happier and healthier.

By embracing flaws and imperfections, we can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art.

I’m not sure why people do what they do or why they don’t always appreciate the treasure they have been given, but one thing I know is that if I don’t love and respect myself, I should not expect others to!

When we think about aging, our ideas may be somewhat outdated. We expect those getting older to slow down and move aside for the next generation. But, that doesn’t have to be the case.

The fact of the matter is: we judge ourselves by our intentions, but other people judge us by our actions.

It has been reported that the divorce rate in America is 50 percent for first marriages, 67 percent for second marriages, and 73 percent for third marriages. These numbers indicate that many people repeat the same mistakes over and over again. While a new relationship may look different at first, before long we are right back where we started, dealing with the same issues again, repeating the same patterns.

It wasn’t until my life literally imploded and I came out the other side that I started to wonder how I made it through those challenges, relatively unscathed.