If one thing is for sure, it's that not everyone is going to like us. Some people will find us annoying. Others will deem us rude. Still others will think we're conceited, messy, obnoxious, dumb, stingy, or lazy. And it doesn't really matter whether any of these labels have merit or are entirely baseless. All that matters is how we're perceived. Perception is, in fact, reality in the eyes of those who may not know us all that well. If not a single person has a beef with you -- if you feel everyone you know holds you in high esteem -- it boils down to one of two things: (1) They're lying. (2) You're in denial, or in the dark. Someone in our circle -- whomever it may be -- takes issue with something about us, whether it be our religious or political beliefs, our weight, our choice of partner or career, our hobbies, our favorite foods, and so forth. Granted, someone can like you and, say, still clash with you when it comes to politics. But to say th...

The world consists of 8 planets, 204 countries, 804 islands, 7 seas, and a whopping 7 billion people. We're merely a speck in this vast, ever-expanding universe. That being said, should you allow one person -- whether your obnoxious boss, an annoying neighbor, or the maniac who cut you off while driving to work this morning -- to sabotage your day? Of course not. In the grand scheme of life, the kinds of things we bicker and complain about are insignificant. Taking on this attitude is easier said than done in a tense, emotionally-charged situation where someone really tests your patience. For example, let's pretend someone cuts you off on your way to work, nearly hitting the brand new car you've worked your behind off to afford. While you're both at a red light, the driver of the other car gets out of his vehicle and exhorts you -- in an expletive-laden rant -- to learn how to drive, even though he was the one who failed to observe the rules of the road. And...

If there's one thing people don't like, it's to be bossed around -- much less by their partner. Relationships are all about compromise. Give and take. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Bossing your partner around is the quickest way to leave someone feeling oppressed and resentful. People should be afforded the flexibility to make their own decisions. They have as much a right to give their two cents as the other person does. You are each other's mate; you're one another's companion. No one -- no matter their gender, race, job, economic background, or personality -- has dominion over anyone else. Talking over someone, choosing their meals for them at restaurants, exhorting them to do things against their wishes, grabbing and searching through their phone at will: this kind of behavior is wholly unacceptable. Now, there's nothing wrong with one person always taking the lead so long as his or her partner is okay with it. Some of us are too gun-...

Have you ever noticed that the words "listen" and "silent" are spelled with the same exact letters? It's fitting that they'd be composed of the same letters considering that you need to remain silent -- if momentarily -- in order to listen to others. Alas, there are far too many Donald Trumps in the world who run their mouths but never stop to listen to what others have to say. If more people stopped and listened, there would be far less conflict in the world. You can be self-confident without being strident and brash. You can get your point across without interrupting others. I've advocated for standing up for oneself, but never have I said that you need to be loud and obnoxious to achieve this. I wish that people would leave their egos at the door and understand that communication is a two-way street. A conversation where one person is hardly allowed to talk isn't much of a conversation at all. Remember the saying "Do unto others as ...