Having a toxic influence in your life, in any form, can be gruelling. Even worse is when the toxicity comes in the form of a person, and further, when that person happens to be your family. It is certainly easier to cut ties with toxic people who aren’t your own kin, and the prospect of … More Here’s how to deal with a toxic family member
Anxiety, if you’ve ever experienced it yourself, isn’t exactly a joyful thing. It absolutely fucking sucks, and as anyone who has anxiety will tell you, it can be quite difficult to cope with it individually, let alone if you’re dealing with it yourself but are also dealing with someone in your life who is attempting … More How to deal with someone else’s anxiety when you have anxiety yourself
The other evening, once again, Blaine and I found ourselves endlessly scrolling through Netflix, trying to decide on what to watch. We scrolled past a movie titled Head Full of Honey, which Blaine had watched a while ago and briefly told me about, and because he really enjoyed it and I hadn’t seen it, we … More This is why you need to watch ‘Head Full of Honey’
The feud that exists between millennials and baby boomers isn’t exactly a secret concept. It’s been around for a while now, slowly and subtly building force, and while I’m uncertain if this tension will ever reach a climactic point, I don’t see it dissipating anytime soon. Both of my parents are boomers, and both my … More Recognizing entitlement in older generations
Judgment is a toxic trait to possess. We’re all relatively aware of that. It’s unjust, unfair, and most times completely unwarranted, but despite our recognition of the issues associated with practicing judgment, a lot of us still engage with it. In fact, I would argue most of us, if not all of us at some … More The significance of avoiding judgment
I’ve come to the conclusion that hardships and struggles are an inevitable component of life. Assuming someone lives to be 80, that is a lot of time to spend on this Earth, and going so long without encountering any sort of challenge is highly improbable, and furthermore is highly unrealistic. Life is unexpected, unpredictable, stressful … More The importance of perseverance
Acceptance is a skill that is acquired over the duration of our lives, and is one that offers utmost importance in terms of the meaning behind the word. It’s far more than tolerating someone or something; it is the ability to recognize flaws and tendencies associated with a person or a thing, but being able … More The importance of accepting people as they are
I think it is safe to say that honesty is a rather important aspect of any serious relationship. Without honesty, trust cannot build, not really exist whatsoever, and without either of these things, a relationship certainly wouldn’t be a healthy one. In fact, there may not be a relationship at all. In addition to being … More The importance of utmost transparency in serious relationships
I realize that a lot of us are likely going to read the title of this post and think to ourselves, ‘seriously?’ considering how much of a shit show 2020 has been. It is hard to believe that at the beginning of this year we were mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant and fearing murder … More What are your 2020 highlights?
This past Thursday evening, my family and I reluctantly said goodbye to three of our seasonal migrant workers before they headed to Toronto Pearson Airport to catch a flight to go home to Mexico. I say reluctantly because as happy as we are for these men that they are able to return home and see … More The reality of saying goodbye to seasonal migrant workers
Last Sunday, Blaine and I had some engagement pictures taken. It was an interesting experience to say the least, and we certainly had a lot of laughs together, but because I wasn’t entirely sure of what to expect going into this photography session, I thought I would offer some insight to potentially help out anyone … More Tips for taking engagement pictures
Perspective is a pretty fascinating concept. Considering how it is essentially entirely subjective in nature as we all tend to interpret things slightly differently, perspective is something we are all familiar with but may not give much thought to. A couple of evenings ago, I was having a bit of a rough moment. I was … More Seeing things from a different perspective
Dogs, if you have or have ever had one, are one of life’s biggest blessings. They truly are some of the most loving, loyal, and special animals to walk the earth, hence why losing them is a loss that cuts so deep. My family and I lost our dog Sam several years ago now. He … More The harsh reality of losing a dog
When it comes to accepting blame, I would imagine most of us wouldn’t describe it as the most enjoyable experience. Being forced to recognize our faults and accept responsibility for them is a somewhat debilitating experience, which is why I believe a lot of us become defiant when faced with confrontation as it serves as … More This is why it’s important to handle criticism
Participating in social activities isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do right now. Thanks to COVID-19, a lot of the things we typically partake in recreationally have been kiboshed, therefore most of us aren’t as socially active as we likely normally would be if we weren’t in a pandemic. Personally, I haven’t don’t a whole … More The significance of socializing
I’ve made mention of my experience with an eating disorder here on my blog before, and today, we are going to sort of revisit the topic. Rather than discussing the details of my disordered eating, I wanted to share with you something that happened a few days ago that truly demonstrates how much it pays … More It pays to communicate
The temptation affiliated with the concept of perfectionism is a very strong force. With perfectionism comes expectations, hence why the influence of perfectionism in itself is so powerful; it stems from a fear of letting others down. I myself am a perfectionist. Not willingly as it is associated with my anxiety, like many others who … More Pushing away perfectionism
I’m not one to really incorporate religious themes and elements into my blog posts, but for this particular topic, I think it would be appropriate to cite The Serenity Prayer, which I am sure a lot of us are familiar with: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to … More The power of acceptance
When it comes to relationships of any sort, the aspect of investing and reciprocating effort is a vital one. It is difficult for a relationship to bloom and grow when effort is only being exerted from one half of the two people involved, and eventually, efforts are eradicated as a result of frustration. I am … More The significance of knowing when to move on
Conflict is an inevitable occurrence in life. It can happen both expectedly and unexpectedly, but regardless of the ways in which it presents itself, it is crucial to have a firm understanding of how to approach it in the most effective manner possible. We all handle conflict and confrontation differently, therefore it makes sense that … More The importance of knowing how to best approach conflict
Communication is a pretty major component of daily life for most of us. Depending on the sort of work we do, conversation can be a tremendous occurrence throughout any given day, and outside of the working world as well. I’ve found that as I have gotten older, I’ve come to realize just how useful and … More Choose to communicate
I think it is arguable that most of us know someone who has had their wedding impacted thanks to the coronavirus, or perhaps you have encountered this unfortunate happening yourself. I can’t imagine how stressful it is to plan a wedding only to postpone, cancel altogether, or un-plan, and my heart goes out to anyone … More Making the most of COVID-19 weddings
Chances are that we have all, at one point or another, heard the expression ‘don’t make time for people who can’t make time for you.’ It’s a well-known saying, and really, it should be, as its message is a powerful and significant one to know and remember. While most of us are familiar with this … More Stop making time for people who can’t make time for you
Assertiveness is, in my opinion, a topic with a lot of baggage attached. For whatever reason, many of us are hesitant towards assertiveness, based on my own observations and experiences, and quite honestly, I’m not exactly sure where this hesitation comes from. Perhaps some of us shy away from assertiveness because it has a negative … More Understanding the art of assertiveness
Conversation can be an incredibly powerful tool. It is a means to open up to and share with others, learn, communicate and even find solace via expression. Conversation is also a means to seek comfort or advice from someone we know and trust. Some of us refer to this as venting, but regardless of what … More Recognizing boundaries in conversation
The idea of knowing when to say no is one we arguably all should be familiar with. It’s a great mantra to practice as it is a means to lower the possibility of ourselves being taken advantage of, yet despite its importance, I think it’s safe to say that many of us could improve in … More The importance of knowing when to say no
The concept of being adaptable is a rather valuable one, in my opinion. When I say adaptable, I’m referring to ones ability to cooperate, compromise, and be flexible with others in any given situation. It’s a great character trait to possess, and the benefits of being adaptable significantly outweigh the negatives, in my opinion. That … More How adaptable are you really?
I think it is safe to say that time seems to be a concept that is dwindling in its nature the older we get. I’ve certainly noticed how time seems to slip by faster than it did when I was younger, and I think a quickening in the pace at which time passes is a … More Here’s why it’s important to make time for the people who matter
Honesty, as we are all aware, is a crucial component in any romantic relationship. There are a few other musts that typically preside in a relationship, for example, trust, kindness, patience, etc. But, personally, I believe many other important traits in a relationship stem from one pivotal one; honesty. Honesty is similar to transparency in … More Here’s why it is so important to be transparent in relationships
The idea of reaching out to someone and asking for help in a mental health context isn’t an easy one. In fact, for many of us, it’s daunting, terrifying, and relatively undesirable, hence why so many of us choose to remain silent in our fight with mental health, I believe. For a very long time, … More This is why we need to normalize asking for help
