Relationships can take us to the heights of passion and the depths of despair. There are days we look at our partner and ask ourselves how we got so lucky. Then there are occasions where we can't stand to be in their presence, if temporarily. Nevertheless, relationships entail taking the good with the bad. It doesn't mean you have to settle for less, or let the other person get away with everything. Nor does it mean expecting them to be flawless or of like mind in every way. Here are two musts in order for a relationship to be successful: 1. Appreciating each other's similarities.  Maybe you're both rabid football fans, hardcore comic book geeks, or the biggest Beatles fans anywhere. Or perhaps you're both optimistic, financially responsible, or averse to rollercoasters. There's no question that in order for the relationship to run smoothly, both partners should have some overlapping interests, fears, views, or all of the above. Otherwise, yo...

When you enter into a new relationship, it can feel as though you're walking on air. As you get to know each other, however, you may realize that you and your partner don't have as much in common as you originally thought. For example, in the beginning, your girlfriend may have tagged along for baseball games given your avid following of the hometown team. But a few months into the relationship, it becomes apparent that she can't be bothered to go to a game, let alone watch one at home with you. When you ask what brought on the change, she admits she was never crazy about baseball to begin with. She just wanted to make a good impression on and spend time with you. Now that she's comfy in the relationship, she doesn't have qualms about declining your invitations outright. Similarly, your partner may have led you to believe that they share other interests you may have -- whether reading, exercising, dancing, science, history, or cooking -- only to later ...

There's no question that February 14 marks a special day -- one most people like to call "the day of love." We give our significant other flowers, candy, jewelry, or some other gift to demonstrate our love for them, and as a token of appreciation for all they do for us.  Valentine's Day, however, should take place 365 days each year. And I'm not talking about giving someone gifts -- just the part about displaying our love for the individual.  You see, one can demonstrate their love through small deeds like leaving love notes in the other person's wallet, preparing their favorite breakfast or dinner entree, or carrying their bags to and fro. One needn't spend a red cent.  Valentine's Day -- much like Mother's Day and even Christmas -- has become so highly commercialized that most everyone associates it with chocolate and flowers. But the holiday's real meaning goes far deeper. It's the one day throughout the entire year...

Many people have asked me this question concerning relationships:  "What if I give someone a chance, only to get hurt by them later on?" The fact of the matter is that getting hurt is always a real possibility in any relationship. We all enter into a relationship with high hopes. In the early stages, the other person might seem so incredible that you would think they fell from the sky. Gradually, though, one's true colors come out, and they may not always be to our liking. No one's perfect, though, and relationships are all about accepting and working through each other's differences.  It's when those differences become irreconcilable that the relationship is in trouble.  You never really know how a relationship will turn out. The high divorce rate in the U.S. alone can attest to that. Still, if we don't take a chance, we'll never really know what the relationship holds in store.  Even if it doesn't work out, th...

No matter our political affiliation, faith, career, hobbies, or overall outlook on life, we should strive our best to get along and accept each others' differences. The 2016 election demonstrated one glaring fact: the U.S. remains bitterly divided. It pains me to see friends, coworkers, and people on the street bickering over politics, the conversations at times devolving into all-out mudslinging reminiscent of what we saw on the campaign trail. When you find your conversation escalating into a heated argument over immigration, abortion, gay marriage, religion, or any other touchy subject, interject and say, "We'll agree to disagree and leave it at that." Then change the subject. There is enough conflict and resentment in the world as it is. The last thing we need is to engage in a battle of words with people in our lives who mean a lot to us. I'm all for a vigorous intellectual debate. But once talking turns into shouting and shouting turns into a verba...