What do you think the three most precious things we can give someone are? If things like a whole lot of cash, a fancy car, or jewelry come to mind, you're not even close. The things I'm alluding to are intangible virtues that go far deeper. The three biggest gifts we can provide are our love , our trust , and our time . Love : This one is a no-brainer. Human beings seek others' love from the moment they're born. As adults, we turn to our partners, relatives, friends, and even our coworkers for love and support. If we can say that we truly love someone, it means they occupy a special place in our hearts, and we'd be willing to do virtually anything to make them happy. Trust: It can be difficult for us to trust people. After all, once someone breaks our trust, not only are we reluctant to trust that particular individual again, we make it harder for other people to earn it. To trust someone is to become vulnerable. Essentially, you're giving that person ...

People often ask me what they should do if they feel someone in their life -- whether their partner, close friend, or relative -- has been taking them for granted. They expect me to advise them to confront or yell at the individual. But I recommend they take a markedly different course of action -- one that leaves them visibly shocked. I advise them to thank the person, and move on. You may be asking why in the world you would thank them for anything. After all, all they've done is take advantage of the person. Well, you would thank them for one very simple reason. They've demonstrated through their actions that they're simply not worth your time, and you're simply saying thanks for helping you arrive at that conclusion. You're saying thanks for helping you realize that you deserve better -- and never again will you allow anyone to exploit your generous nature. You're saying thanks because, going forward, you're going to strive to be more judic...

Be careful whom you push away, as some of those people will never come back. At some point, we've all felt taken for granted, whether it's by a friend who just entered into a new relationship, a spouse who's too swamped to tend to you and the kids, a relative who seems to care more about fantasy football than having a deep conversation, or a boss who fails to recognize your valuable contribitions to the company. Or, maybe you've been the one to take advantage of someone else, only to regret it later. Unfortunately, many people have this false sense of confidence that even if they make others feel neglected or unappreciated, they'll always stick by. What they fail to realize is that everyone has a breaking point. Once someone has had enough, they will most certainly bolt. Sure, if luck is on their side, and if they can convincingly make the case that they'll change, the other person might just give them a second chance. But this is not a given, as many ...