The past two or three years have felt like something of a blur -- a weird dream of sorts that we can't seem to wake up from. We'd never before experienced a pandemic in our lifetimes, and neither had our parents or likely even our grandparents. Between lockdowns and social distancing/mask mandates, COVID-19 seemed the perfect recipe for isolation and all of the adverse outcomes that spring from it, including anxiety and depression.  Now, this isn't to say that we've all felt helplessly lonely during these rather unusual times. Introverts -- those like me who recharge through solitude -- have welcomed with open arms some of the changes brought on by the pandemic. Among them are wider acceptance of staying home rather than partying out, people settling for WhatsApp video conversations vs. face-to-face encounters, and, at last, companies giving employees the flexibility to work from home regularly.  Still, the more extroverted folks among us who relish in-person connection...

Let's face it: There's no escaping hardship in life. Whether we're dealing with an impossible project at work or tackling financial issues at home, life has a way of throwing a money wrench at us when least expected. But this doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. Sure, we can feel lost and frustrated at first, but it's critical that we take the long view and realize we can emerge better -- stronger, wiser, more confident -- than before. And it starts with your mindset. If you can frame things differently in your mind, it goes a long way toward making it easier for you to surmount the challenge you face. Rather than meeting a challenge with trepidation, think of it as an exciting test of your will, drive, and mettle.  The former engenders feelings of fear and hopelessness. The latter approach fuels you with energy, motivation, and boldness. Sure, it isn't foolproof, but ask yourself these questions: If we didn't have challenges in li...

Finding out your significant other has cheated on you can be utterly devastating. You gave this individual everything -- your love, your trust, your loyalty -- only to discover they didn't value you enough to do the same.  It can be difficult to see a silver lining in such a horrible turn of events. But something good usually comes out of a bad situation, and this one is no different.  Here are three ways you can look on the bright side after you've been dealt such an emotional blow: 1. You're now more familiar with the red flags to watch out for. The writing was on the wall early on. You were either oblivious to the signs, or you sensed something might be amiss, but you gave your partner the benefit of the doubt. This terrible experience has at least sharpened your ability to sniff out a cheater. Going forward, the chances that someone's infidelity will go undetected are far lower. Now, this doesn't mean we need to become cynical with every pe...

Having a bad day?  Maybe you're having problems in your relationship, trouble at work, or issues at home.  No matter what you're going through, take comfort in the fact that we've all been there. But you know what? You'll get through this -- just like you have before.  You're strong. You're brave. You're capable of achieving anything you set your mind to! These storms will eventually pass -- and they'll give way to brighter, happier days. You will be smiling and laughing again in no time, relieved that the worst is behind you and confident once more that wonderful possibilities lie on the horizon.  Whenever you feel the need, take a deep breath. Don't feel afraid to spend time alone with your thoughts. Sometimes finding the right solution -- and ultimately, peace of mind -- means disconnecting for a few moments from other people.  And don't give into the temptation to: Blame yourself Point the finger at others Har...

Yes, you've made mistakes. Yes, you have regrets. Yes, there are past decisions that you wish you could change. But what good does brooding over the past do? If you're not careful, you could sink into a deep depression that will be very difficult to claw out of. There's a reason the windshield is bigger than the rear view: Because what lies ahead is much better than where you've been! Turn those missteps into lessons. Leverage those blunders into life-changing growth.  Think of it this way: If we never fell, how would we ever learn to pick ourselves up again? Seize the opportunity to become stronger and wiser . So maybe you wish you had never met your cheating ex or chosen law as your profession. A broken heart or load of debt later, you might kick yourself for not having seen all the signs. But don't spend all your time lamenting your mistakes. Embrace them, and allow them to transform you.  You will find a good partner who remains loyal to you. Y...

A real relationship is, plain and simple, one in which two imperfect people refuse to give up on one another. Let's face it: If one expects a flawless partner -- let alone a perfect relationship -- they're sure to have a rude awakening. If there's one thing we can all attest to, it's that relationships have their ups and downs. Sometimes partners will do things to test each other's patience and loyalty. Some may come to the brink of calling it quits. But if two people genuinely love each other, they'll do all they can to find common ground. They won't always agree on the best way to tackle a problem, but they'll each make some concessions so that each party feels as though their voice is being heard. A relationship will undoubtedly falter if both people are always out to get the upper hand. Relationships are about navigating challenges together so you can grow stronger together. But seeking to prove the other wrong or catch him or her red...

As we get older, we realize that things don't always turn out the way we planned, or the way we think they should. For example, there may come a point where you concede that your bad back precludes you from becoming the rich professional basketball player you aspire to be. Or, it becomes clear that you won't be going on a date with the new office secretary you've been ogling for months after realizing she has a boyfriend. Additionally, we come to terms with the sobering reality that troublesome relationships cannot always be fixed. As much as we may try, they may never go back to being the way they were in the beginning. Our relationships with certain people may become frayed or fall apart completely. Sometimes it's one person's fault, or it may very well be that both people are to blame. Nonetheless, it can be difficult to see a relationship we envisioned lasting a lifetime go down the tubes. But we must all accept that people and circumstances change...

While life isn't perfect, it is definitely what we make of it . Stop for a second and think about what that really means. How do we really make the most of our lives? Simply put, we recognize that although things won't always go our way, we refuse to let bumps in the road stop us from reaching our ultimate destination: happiness. People will disappoint us (and often such people will include ourselves). Crappy days at work are a certainty. We may run into financial and health problems here and there. And we're likely to see a venture or two fall through (e.g., launching a new business doesn't work out). But life isn't about what happens to you. It's what you do with what happens to you. In other words, we may not be able to control unfolding events, but we can control how we respond to them. Do you allow setbacks to knock you off course? Or do you use them as catalysts for achieving your goals? Do you let one obnoxious person ruin your day? Or do ...

Irish novelist James Joyce once said, "Mistakes are portals of discovery." And if you stop and think about it, he was absolutely right. We wouldn't have learned some of our most valuable life lessons had we not messed up in the past. Those missteps actually enabled us to grow and acquire wisdom we can in turn pass on to our kids, friends, and other loved ones. Sure, we might be ashamed of our mistakes and wish we could have a few do-overs. But one important thing to remember is that no one is perfect. We all make them and have to deal with the consequences thereafter. Harping on our mistakes isn't healthy.  At some point, we must recognize -- and accept -- that the past is behind us, and there's nothing we can do to change it. Rather than carry our mistakes around with us, we should place them under our feet and use them as stepping stones to bettering ourselves. Whether we got into a car accident while driving around tipsy, took a wonderful partner ...

Stop what you're doing for a moment. Take a deep breath. Put a smile on your face. Tell yourself these words: "It's going to be okay." You've come too far in your life to give up. Whether you're healing from wounds of your past or stressing over the question marks in your future, remind yourself that true happiness lies in making the most of the present. Things will get better over time. If you're mired in relationship, health, or money struggles, rest assured that the worst storms often give way to much sunnier days. Never feel afraid to reach out -- whether to friends, family, a professional (or even to me) for a helping hand. I know that sometimes being positive is easier said than done. Just when we think we've come out of a hole, life seems to put us into a deeper one. But resigning ourselves to the opposite state of mind -- negativity -- will only serve to exacerbate the depression or anxiety we're already feeling. As long a...

When life has you feeling down on yourself -- whether it's because you're stressed at work or beset by problems in your marriage -- letting go is usually the first step toward getting things back on track. Here are some ways you can let go and infuse your life with positivity: Let go of what you thought should happen and live in what's happening. Let go of your grudges, for they will only cause the resentment and bitterness in you to fester. Let go of your notions of how people should think or behave in a given situation, for the higher you set your expectations of others, the more likely it is they'll fail to meet them. Let go of feelings of envy or jealousy you may feel toward those whom you perceive as more accomplished. Rather than compare yourself to others, compare yourself to the person you were six months ago or a year ago -- for that is a far better benchmark for measuring progress. Let go of the past. It's behind you now. All you can do is ta...

We give up our power when we become convinced we don't have any. What power, you ask? While we may not be able to control everything that happens to us, we have the power to shape what comes after that. In other words, we can control what we do with what happens to us. Though it may seem difficult at times, we should try to look at hardships and challenges in a positive light. Notice how we emerge stronger after overcoming obstacles life throws our way, and are better able to navigate future ones. We should never take a defeatist attitude in life. Getting down on yourself won't solve anything. Instead, believe in the power within you to shape your own destiny. If you want to effect change, let your voice be heard. It doesn't mean you'll get what you want every time, but you will at least have tried. Imagine if people who changed the course of history -- George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Albert Einstein, and Martin Luther King Jr. among th...

Guess what? You are not going to have a good week. You're going to have a great one ! Forget about all the things that went wrong over the last seven days. This new week offers the chance to press the reset button and start over. Seven days to resolve problems. Seven days to work toward your goals. Seven days to find pleasure in great meals, new experiences, and fresh interactions with your friends and loved ones. Whatever you do, do not focus on the negative. Instead, try to be more optimistic. Believe you can accomplish those goals. Believe you will get through those storms. Believe you will emerge a stronger, wiser person at the end of this coming week than a week ago. You can only achieve such outcomes by believing in yourself and opening yourself up to new opportunities. Don't be afraid of being ambitious. Don't be afraid of taking risks. Don't be reluctant to go against the grain. This is your life to live. Make every day worth it. You're capable ...

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...

What sets a positive thinker -- an optimist -- apart from regular people is that he or she sees an opportunity in every difficult situation . For instances, a person who has just lost his job may try to capitalize on the downtime by boning up on his computer skills or trying to get his own business off the ground. A student who's just failed an exam may sign up for after-school tutoring, forging strong relationships with her teacher and fellow peers that may last beyond grade school. A troublesome car that's always breaking down may prompt someone to finally start saving up for a newer, more reliable vehicle. A person who's afraid of flying is tasked with meeting with the vice president in another country. While terrifying, it affords him the opportunity to finally conquer his fear, making future flights a lot easier to swallow. What's the common thread across all these examples? That a good situation can come out of a bad one so long as a person doesn't...

I know most of us try to avoid fighting with our partners and friends like the plague. After all, no one wants to be left feeling hurt or resentful. While arguments have been the primary culprit for the demise of many friendships and relationships, they've also been cited as the reason many became stronger over time. I've experienced this firsthand. In fact, I have had pretty bad fights with my wife and closest friends over the years. Somehow, though, I grew closer to all of them following the squabbles. I think an argument can only work in both parties' favor if they each concede some wrongdoing. Both have to be humble enough to admit that while they don't deserve full blame, some of the finger pointing is probably justified. If, however, one person refuses to acknowledge fault, fighting will only help the relationship see a quicker demise. Both parties must also be open to taking conciliatory measures. Saying "I'm sorry" is a good start. Both i...