6 Love Lessons I Learnt From My Mother

BY JORDAN TAYLOR

My parents separated when I was just 15 after a turbulent marriage. To say divorce was the best thing for them is an understatement. While my father flung himself head first into a rebound fling that later resulted in another marriage, my mother took a higher approach, she set off into the world and she found herself.

Maybe it was my young impressionable age or my parents drastically different approaches to life and love that influenced me; but as the older I’ve got, the more I’ve seemed to admire my mum’s non tolerance to bullshit in relationships. To date, she taught me some of the most valuable lessons I could have ever learnt when it comes to matters of the heart. Here are 6 love lessons I learnt from my mother.

How to Get Out of A Life Slump and Defeat The Blues

Once upon a time, I was severely ignorant towards people who called themselves depressed, and I was harsh and angry at them because I thought of it as if it were the simplest excuse they could possibly find. Now, I can honestly say that this isn’t something you should learn from your own experience.

By nature, I’m a cynic and a pessimist, which only made it easy for depression to get to me – if you have a mindset similar to mine, you should know that you’re an easy target as well.

Never Settle in Your Quest for Love. You Deserve More.

I will never let fear guide me in my search for love and make me accept anything less that the real thing. Instead, I will trust myself and listen to my heart, because there lay all the answers. No logic can explain how love happens; even though we try to put it in scientific terms, it defies logical laws. It can only be felt. Therefore, I will let love guide me and trust the process of life, instead of trying to rush it by settling for an unfulfilling relationship for fear of being alone or not going through important milestones “on time.”

Don’t Surrender To Any Definitions — You Can Decide Who You Are

It’s the ultimate cliché and something we all hear a thousand times over: to be truly happy, you need to start with yourself. But how often do we not live up to this? Media outlets are bombarding us with images of how we should look, society is telling us how we should act, and people with limited beliefs are telling us how we should feel.

A lot of the time, we are forced to define ourselves by other people’s ideas and perspectives. We seem to care too much about what other people think of us and live our lives pleasing or conforming to what society as a whole tells us is right.

Embrace Your Little Faults. They Are What Defines You.

How much of our lives have we dedicated to perfection? The straight A’s, the beach bodies, the perfect scores; the list goes on. Striving towards perfection and then not achieving it can lead to depression, unhealthy mood swings, and self-deprecating doubt. These frustrations pile on, and eventually, a perfectionist may find themselves struggling to accept themselves.

If a person can’t accept who they are, they lose sight of their selves, and then, seek out ways to sculpt who they are supposed to be. I am a straight A student. I am a size zero. I achieved one-hundred percent. Underneath all those titles expressed through accomplishments, who is the person who achieved all those things? They couldn’t have possibly made it through without having made some mistakes and being imperfect in other things. Faults and flaws are what make individuals different from each other.

How To Effectively Communicate With A Hypersensitive Spouse 2

4. Paraphrase

When you get the chance to answer or tell them how you feel, make sure you paraphrase what they have just told you. They will feel that you were intently listening and that you empathize with how they feel. One-word answers are not enough. I know this because I was the king of one-word answers. Paraphrase first, then reply to their question or statement. This also lets them know that you understand them and that you aren’t just trying to fix the issue at hand. They need a lot of this because it helps them figure their own thoughts and feelings out.

How To Effectively Communicate With A Hypersensitive Spouse

BY JAY CHANTHALANGSY

I love my wife. She is a beautiful, caring, and loving person. She has taught me a great deal about myself and how I communicate.

You see, I wasn’t always a sensitive person. I was raised to be tough and numb to feelings. I kept all feelings inside because I was not allowed to express them. My father was strict and to him feelings were nothing more than a sign of weakness. Imagine over 20 years of that type of conditioning!

As an adult, I had a difficult time expressing my true feelings to anyone because of my lack of experience with sharing while I was growing up. I do not at all place all blame on my dad — he came from an upbringing that was identical to mine, so to raise me this way was all he knew.

In my relationships, I struggled

5 Signs You Blame Other People For Your Problems

We learn as children that becoming an adult entails maturity, responsibility, and problem solving. We assume that when we finally reach adulthood, we will naturally encompass all of these traits. Yet, the ability to remain accountable in life proves elusive to many adults, though we may not be aware of this fact.

Generally, there are two types of people in this world: those that blame others for how they feel and the predicament they are in, and those that take accountability for their situation and focus on problem solving. Of course we know which group we think we are in, but what group are we really in? Here are five signs that you blame other people for your problems.

5 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re Feeling Lazy

Picture this: you have a mile-long to-do list and three hundred goals you’re working towards achieving. You know you should be working, but you just don’t feel like doing anything. It’s hard to stay focused and you’re just so unmotivated. Sound familiar? If your answer is yes, just know that you’re not alone.

Honestly, everyone has days like this. I know I do. Sometimes we don’t feel good, sometimes we’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the work that’s in front of us, sometimes we’re in a bad mood, or sometimes we’re just feeling lazy. But no matter

10 Signs You’re Raised By A Strong Mom

A strong mom isn’t only strong on herself. She makes you strong as well, and even stronger than herself. They don’t teach you what the society teaches you. They teach you to be yourself and go for what you want. Without them, you won’t be at where you are today.

Here are 10 signs you’re raised by a strong mom: