Ah, the famous (or infamous) grass is greener syndrome. We've all fallen prey to it at one point or another. In case you're not certain what it means: When one questions whether the grass is greener on the other side, they contemplate if there are better options out there for them. And, of course, one will never know if the grass is greener -- if circumstances will in fact be more favorable -- unless they take a particular course of action. So a certain element of risk is certainly involved. There are two primary areas where we are confronted with the grass is greener dilemma: jobs and relationships. 1. Jobs: Most of us do not detest our jobs per se, but from time to time, we wonder whether there is something better out there for us. Perhaps we have outgrown our current role and picture ourselves in a higher position, earning more money and receiving better benefits. Or maybe we envision working for a better boss, or at a bigger company, or in a different industry a...

One of the biggest challenges we face is trying to be ourselves in a world that is trying to make us like everyone else. Some people will stop at nothing to get you to think and act like them. Don't allow it! Make it clear that you will relinquish your uniqueness for no one. Assert that you will celebrate your individuality until your last breath. When they push you to blend in, learn to stand apart. When they goad you to compromise your values or beliefs, stand firm like a rock. Why would anyone wish to be a replica rather than an original? Sure, human bonding calls for a bit of compromise -- a little give and take, if you will. But never should anyone make you feel bad for being resolute in your desire to project your most authentic self to the world. Extroverts might try to convert you into one of them. No matter how well you fake it, though, your introverted temperament will win out because, well, it's the real you. You need solitude in order to recharge you...

Want to get to know people better?  Try to have one-to-one conversations with them. I've found that people tend to be more open and genuine in one-to-one conversations than they are when other people are around. Add more people to the equation and people begin putting on a facade just to fit in and make a good impression, particularly if several people in the conversation know each other. That's not to say it can't happen in a one-to-one conversation -- especially when both individuals met only recently -- but the chances of that happening are slimmer. When it's just you and another person, you're more vulnerable. Efforts be silly in order to elicit laughs may blow up in your face, and there's no one else around to back you up in case you say something you may regret. In addition, more participants bring more noise into the conversation. Suddenly you have people talking and shouting over another, not to mention going off on tangents. This makes it mu...

I currently work as a copywriter in the travel industry. While I have a stable job in a stable company that has been around since the 70s, I've realized that, after several years in the same position, I have hit something of a wall. I no longer feel challenged in this role; my creativity is being stifled and my skills have flatlined. It'd be easy for me to rest on my laurels and continue showing up merely for a paycheck. But I know I can do better. I'm too young to get complacent. That's why I've begun looking within my company -- and outside of it -- for other opportunities. My ultimate goal is to find a position that's more writing-intensive than the one I'm in now. I've also refused to let a sense of complacency seep into my marriage. Traveling to a new destination once a year has helped keep it fresh and exciting. I also do my best to take my wife to different restaurants, parks, and other venues every once in a while. If I ever feel as t...

One of the main reasons why relationships suffer or ultimately fail is because people become way too complacent in them. They stop doing the things that they did to attract the other person in the first place. That includes everything from staying fit and dressing nicely to being romantic and surprising your partner with little gifts. Thankfully, my relationship with my wife is still going strong after 10 years. (We've been married for close to two years now.) Still, it's evident we've become comfortable in our relationship. For the most part, the "cutesy" things we used to do for each other have taken a back seat to the responsibities of married life -- bills, laundry, and so on. That doesn't mean we don't love each other. It means that our relationship has evolved and matured. And we each still do nice things for each other, if sparingly. For example, I might surprise her with a romantic dinner at a charming restaurant, and she might cook my favorite...