In the past few years, how many times would you say you've been hurt by someone you care deeply about? Too many to count, right? Maybe you were cheated on, lied to, or ignored outright. Perhaps the incident came about at work, school, or home.  As unsettling as the pain can be, you must remind yourself that such feelings won't linger forever. However, you have to do your part to get the wheels rolling.  What I've observed that holds so many people back from conquering the hurt is that they fail to acknowledge it in the first place.  And men are especially prone to this form of denial. Indeed, it's tempting for us to sweep the feelings under the rug as if nothing happened, or to carry on believing they'll fade away on their own. On the contrary, this wrong-headed approach causes those feelings to fester. Denial provides the very fuel for intensification, like warm water powering a hurricane ever more. This, in turn, produces doubt and blame, which can snowball into a...

People who think they're right all the time and above others are a drain on our time and energy. There's something to be said for humility, which the dictionary defines as "freedom from pride or arrogance." In a world of people jockeying for power and prestige, those who own up to their mistakes and admit that they don't have all the answers are a breath of fresh air. Those who apologize, even when it kills them to do so, command others' respect. Indeed, individuals who try to project perfection are clearly showing they are anything but perfect, because all human beings are fallible. It just makes it that much worse when a person is in full denial about it. We may come across people like this in a variety of places. Maybe it's the know-it-all at work, the cocky weight trainer at the gym, or that immature cousin of ours who never acknowledges fault. Unless one is willing to get off his or her high horse and swallow that pride, they will continua...

Once you stop chasing after the wrong things or people, you give the right things or people a chance to catch you . Unfortunately, it isn't always easy to tell when certain things or people -- say, a stressful job or inconsiderate partner -- aren't right for us. Then again, some of us find ourselves in such a situation time and time again. Take the girl who can't help but fall for the bad boy, or a former alcoholic who repeatedly falls off the wagon. If you persistently engage in these damaging behaviors, how do you expect to progress in life? You'll continue to miss out on job opportunities, potential suitors, and hobbies/interests that can greatly enrich your life. Some people are simply in denial. They recognize something or someone as adverse and yet they still have a hard time extricating themselves from it. For example, they hang on to the idea that their insolent boyfriend will change for the better. Or, they justify smoking or drinking with the argumen...

Lying . We all do it almost daily, though in varying degrees. Some of us have made a habit of lying through our teeth, while others are masters in the art of little white lies that often go unnoticed. Whatever one's propensity for lying, we can usually detect lies through certain verbal and non-verbal cues, some of which I elaborate on below: 1. Eye contact : If a person is having a hard time maintaining eye contact while talking to you, it usually means they're hiding something. For example, let's say the person you're chatting with routinely looks at the floor or ceiling during the conversation. Yes, this can be indicative of sheer boredom or a lack of self-confidence, but in most cases, it signals that the individual can't deliver his or her words with conviction. Instead, he or she is displaying the kind of sheepishness characteristic of a person caught in a lie -- or about to be caught in one. 2. Speech patterns : When someone is lying, they're more...