Skip My Entrepreneurial Failures and Succeed Faster — I was in the hot seat under studio lights with the cameras rolling. Though the room wasn’t especially warm, and I was only in a dressy short-sleeved shirt and jeans, I was sticky and sweaty. I shifted in my seat trying to find a more comfortable position underneath the glare…

Is Teal Swan a spiritual healer or cult leader? And in the end, how much does it matter? — Teal Swan is a healer, spiritual leader, and self-help guru. Some people also think she’s setting herself up to be a cult leader. I have followed her work for a couple of years, having found her — like most of her followers do — while I was at a low…

I didn’t know how it was supposed to feel until I felt it. I’m hoping this will spare you extra tears and wasted years. — Before I knew how a healthy relationship felt, I knew how toxic and unhealthy relationships felt. I knew what I didn’t want, but there was still a part of me that was fairly certain long-term relationships and happy relationships were mutually exclusive. I am the child of divorced parents, and…

They leave behind tendrils of rot and garbage — The worst thing about scammers and narcs is that somehow they convince good people to believe in them. They manage to worm their way into the hearts of caring, empathetic people and set up their rotten laboratories inside. Laurie met John shortly after her father’s memorial service. She had moved…

When love evaporates. — Before you get married, know that it might not look like the movies. Movies focus on falling in love and saying the words. The End! They do not center on what it looks like to build a life together. They don’t show you how endless laundry, dishes in the sink…

This technique is more effective than walking a mile in their shoes — I dislike conflict. I hate arguing, and try to never say behind someone’s back anything I wouldn’t also say to their face. In person. With my mom watching. Sitting next to theirs. This applies to traffic situations, dicey customer service, and anything online. My MO when I’m feeling heated and…

People try to rise to the level of expectations you hold — Some people feel it is better to be a blank mannequin, rather than be truly seen and open ourselves up to the devastation. There’s something that is so scary about being vulnerable. About truly showing another person who we are, flaws and all. Will they run away? Will they point…

Ideally, it’s both. Practically, it’s whoever has the bandwidth at the moment. — Every time I post a piece mentioning how well my partner contributes to household duties, I invariably get one of two responses from women: “You’re so lucky. He’s a unicorn,” or “Most men suck, leaving women to do all the work in the house.” They’re really variations on the same…

How fluency in many languages fosters connection, with food first among them I realized on a recent trip to Mexico that I might have a knack for languages. When I was in high school, it was standard for everyone to take two years of a foreign language; While most kids…