Let’s be real: no relationship is perfect, and we can all vouch for this in our lives. Every couple argues, gets on each other’s nerves, and has off days. But sometimes, things evolve in a way that goes deeper than little disagreements. That’s when relationships cease feeling fulfilling and start to feel draining. Here are a few of the biggest ways relationships can suck — and what to do about them. 1. Communication Turns Into a Battlefield When every conversation ends in defensiveness, sarcasm, or raised voices, the relationship starts to feel more like a war zone than a partnership.  It’s not just about what’s said — it’s how it’s said. If both sides stop listening, resentment takes the wheel and drives the relationship off a cliff.  Maybe Pat Benatar was onto something when she said that love is a battlefield.  Fix: Slow down and take a deep breath. Choose your words with care, and watch your tone. Listen more than you speak. And if you can’t talk withou...

I stumbled upon this quote on Facebook and felt it resonated with me, as I'm someone who suffers from anxiety and has worrywart tendencies. What I've realized, though, is that incesssant worrying does nothing to ease the nerves; if anything, it frays them. Instead, we should aim to be warriors, people who confront life's challenges head-on. Warriors get excited over what could go right rather than concerned about what can go wrong. They're bold, optimistic, and determined to see their dreams come to fruition. They see setbacks as temporary. Criticism and negativity from others (and themselves) fuels them to work ever harder toward achieving their goals. I realize it isn't feasible to be a warrior 100 percent of the time. It's only natural that we worry sometimes, especially in the face of intense pressure. But we must never let doubt paralyze us. The more we worry, the less likely we'll make progress. We won't reach our destination unle...

If your plans fail, change the plans -- not the goal. Far too many people give up when their initial strategy or approach doesn't immediately bear fruit. Ever heard the saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result"? Sometimes it's all a matter of fine-tuning your approach. For example, if a baseball player is in an awful slump, he won't give up on his goal of getting hits and driving in runs. In such cases, the batter will merely change his approach at the plate. It might take a while before he finds something that works, but at least he's working toward breaking out of the dry spell. Rather than trying to swing for the fences each and every time, he may decide to go back to basics and focus on making contact. Once he's regained his confidence at the plate, he's bound to hit homers and provide a jolt to the offense. If you want to achieve something badly enough, you won't just abandon your goa...