Given that Thursday marked Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., it made the perfect occasion to take a moment and acknowledge the efforts of the special people in our lives who show they genuinely care for us -- whether it be our parents, partner, close friends, and/or co-workers. (Yet, this should be done over the course of the entire year, not just one day of the year.) As we well know, one thing is to profess you care, and another is to show it. Showing it means going out of your way -- inconveniencing yourself, if you will -- for other people. It means putting someone atop your priority list every so often, even though you have a slew of things you still need to tend to. It means being there when someone needs you, even if it's just via text or by phone. It means that you don't just surface on the person's birthday.  Real relationships are about putting into them what you get out of them .  Those who care aren't only thinking about what they can extract f...

When someone treats you like you're just one of their many options, help them narrow their options by removing yourself from the equation. Whether the woman you're after tells you that five other guys are in the running for her affections or your friend claims to already have plans every time you propose hanging out with him, you can do so much better. You deserve better! People make time for those who matter to them. If you're always playing second fiddle to other people, it's plain to see where the person in question's loyalties lie. More importantly, you should ask yourself why you're even pining for someone who appears to be in such high demand. Is this person serious about building long-lasting relationships, or are they simply trying to stroke their ego by having several people vie for their time? In case no one has informed them, life isn't a popularity contest. Stringing people along is selfish and inconsiderate of others' time ...