Has anyone done you wrong this year?

Has anyone -- whether it be your partner, friend, relative, neighbor, or boss -- done you wrong this year?

If so, heed this important end-of-year tip: Let it go.

Start 2019 with a clean slate. Don't carry other people's drama and negativity with you into the new year.

Let your hopes and dreams crowd out your fears and worries.

Sure, we can never rid ourselves of all our concerns, but why not start the new year on a high note?

If you can't excise from your life the people bringing you grief, e.g., your toxic boss, make it a New Year's resolution not to get hung up on their every word or move.

Refuse to allow these people to sour your mood, lower your self-esteem, and eat away at your mental well-being.

If we're not careful, we can become trapped in a vicious circle of questioning people's motives, possibly blaming ourselves in the process:

Why did they yell at me over the phone?
Why haven't they answered my texts?
Why did they seem to give me the cold shoulder at the party?
Is there something I did wrong?

Sometimes we read into things far too much, later discovering that we were thinking the very worst.

In other cases, no matter how try we may try to get on someone's good side, they can't cease affronting us with their lies, rudeness and/or criticisms. Some people are hopelessly hostile, and all we can do is walk away or make do with the situation as best as we can.

Get the new year off to a good start by focusing on:

The things and people that make you smile
All that you're grateful for (some of which could also fall under the previous bullet)
The things you strive to achieve in the new year, whether personally or professionally

Rather than harping on the past -- what you didn't do, what you could have done better -- leverage the lessons you learned in 2018 into making sounder decisions in 2019.

Whether it be in the realm of business or relationships, push yourself to take chances you took a pass on this year.

Maybe it's time to get that baking service you've always dreamed of off the ground, or to ask out the cute girl you've noticed at the gym for months now.

It might sound like a cliché, but tomorrow is never guaranteed. There's no reason to put off until tomorrow what you can get cracking on at the start of the new year.

The sense of a fresh start can give one the feeling of being in the driver's seat of their life, with near limitless possibilities.

What better time to focus on the things, people, and relationships that will not only bring you happiness, but help you become a more well-rounded person?

And while adversity ultimately makes us stronger in the end, there's no reason to hold on to negative thoughts that serve no purpose but to foment anxiety and depression in us.

Let 2019 be the year that you rise above yourself and achieve amazing things. You can do anything you set your heart and mind to doing, so never quit believing in yourself.

Never let others hijack your mind with their incessant drama and negativity. Be fierce. Be bold. Follow your gut and make your life into what you want it to be!

This will spell the end of your relationship

When asked to think about the most common culprits for a relationship's going south, most people will point to cheating, complacency, and taking one's partner for granted. While these are all valid -- and documented in various posts on this blog -- there are certain habits on the part of partners that may not kill the relationship right away, but cause it to erode more gradually. Among the most egregious of these is expecting your significant other to be perfect. They pick at your follies any chance they get. Nothing you do is ever good enough. In fact, you will never measure up to an ex, neighbor, or accomplished co-worker. Perhaps this all sounds a bit familiar. When you feel as though you're constantly being put under the microscope, it can inflict lasting damage on the relationship and your self-esteem. You're walking on eggshells all the time, praying you don't say or do something that's going to trigger your partner. This is no way to live, let alone ca

No response from someone IS a response

Make no mistake about it: When you don't get a response from someone -- whether they fail to answer your texts or return your phone calls -- it is still a response, and a powerful one at that. When a person fails to respond, it's a direct reflection of their interest -- or lack thereof -- in the relationship. Few things are more aggravating than having to hound a partner, friend, or relative for some sort of reply after we've reached out to them. Yes, we get busy from time to time, but that doesn't give anyone the right to leave the other person hanging. A terse text with something like "Been busy, will reach out soon" doesn't say much, but at least it shows some effort to bring the other person up to speed on why they've fallen off the radar. Failing to provide a response for weeks -- if not months -- communicates that you are just not a priority, and that you'll have to wait your turn to get this individual's attention. This is n

Misconceptions about quiet people

Earlier today, I came across a Facebook page that features motivational quotes intended to improve people's moods and enhance their overall self-esteem. Interestingly, I noticed two quotes that focus specifically on quiet people: "Be afraid of quiet people; they're the ones who actually think." "The quietest people have the loudest minds." I've observed that most people's views of quiet individuals can fall under one of two categories: 1. The ones who say quiet people are antisocial, suspicious, snobbish, and/or full of themselves. 2. The people who say their introspective nature and propensity to be deep in thought makes them smarter than their more garrulous peers. The quotes above speak to this mindset. As an introvert known to be quiet at work and at social functions where I might not know anyone, I feel I'm well positioned to dispel any inaccuracies surrounding quiet folks. First of all, the above statements misguidedly put

Understand People

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