Listening is something most of us likely do not consider to be a skill, but rather an innate characteristic of being a human being. I disagree, however, as I do, in fact, consider listening to be a skill, and I firmly believe it is a skill most of us could use some assistance with. I … More Listening: a how-to guide
I am a firm believer in recognizing someone’s efforts and a job well done when appropriate. Perhaps this stems from a history of working at jobs where hard work goes unnoticed, because I’ve endured a few (like most of us, but regardless of where the incentive comes from to applaud people when appropriate, it is … More Giving credit where credit is due
Venting, if you’re unfamiliar with the term, typically involves a person unloading their stresses, anguish or frustration with a given situation via conversation with someone. It is something probably all of us have engaged with at some point or another, and a lot of us associate the concept of venting with positivity; getting things off … More Venting: good or bad?
Second chances are, I would argue, a controversial topic for a lot of us. Based on my own interactions and conversations with people on the matter, it seems as though we are either in favour of giving them, or we are entirely against it, with no in between. I had a conversation with my fiancé … More How do you feel about second chances?
Being wrong isn’t something I would think most of us enjoy. Rather, I would think it to be the complete opposite; no one enjoys knowing they’re at fault for something, and I would even go so far as to say that a lot of us avoid confrontation when we are to blame because of our … More Recognizing our wrongs: a needed practice
I think it is relatively safe to say that we live in a society that has, without a doubt, convinced a lot of us to believe that sharing an opinion is a rite of passage. Personally, I think this stems from a lot of modern social elements such as cancel culture, being woke, and further … More How to deal with unwanted opinions
Confrontation is something I’m willing to best most of us would prefer to avoid. Addressing an issue face-to-face with someone isn’t necessarily the most pleasant thing to do, and while at times needed, most of us tend to shy away from confrontation whenever possible. That being said, there are times when confrontation simply cannot be … More The beauty of straightforward confrontation
Maintaining healthy, balanced friendships is a relatively tricky concept. If you disagree with me, consider yourself quite fortunate; for a majority of us, though, keeping up friendships isn’t always a walk in the park. Friendships, like relationships, require effort, time, commitment and sacrifice, and at times, staying on par with multiple friendships and friend groups … More The reality of friendships when you’re a young adult
Honesty is something that I value. I always have, and likely always will, and I do believe being honest is a character trait in life that really isn’t overly popular among us. There is a difference between being honest and being blunt or brash, though, and I believe this difference is worth noting. Honesty in … More Is honesty really the best policy?
Judgment is one of those concepts that just about all of us agree to be detrimental. It isn’t right to do, and we know the implications that can present themselves as a result of judging someone. Yet, despite our recognition of the toxicity embedded in the act of judging a person, and our awareness that … More Here’s why we shouldn’t judge someone based on their appearance
Ahhhh, friendship. A conceptual relationship that can offer so much positivity, but also, unfortunately, negativity, depending on the quality of the bond. Friendship, while incredibly important to me in my own life, is something I haven’t had tremendous luck with. I’ve had a few people in my life that I believed to be good friends … More Here’s why having good friends in your 20s is so important
Projecting is something that a lot of us partake in, whether willingly or unwillingly. For anyone unaware, projecting is when we force our thoughts and emotions onto those arounds us, therefore it can be negative and positive. For the sake of this post, though, when I say projecting, I’m referring to the negative form of … More Here’s why we need to stop projecting
My older sister and I had a great chat a couple of nights ago when I got home late from work. I think it is important to mention that my big sister is, literally, my best friend, and I really don’t know what my life would consist of without her presence. If you’re curious as … More Socially awkward? No need to fret
Not too long ago a good friend of mine reached out to chat with me about a recent breakup she is going through. I was touched she thought of me to lean on and potentially offer her some advice pertaining to the situation, although once she got into the nitty gritty details of how her … More Here’s why knowing ourselves is so, so important
The sensations we experience when we are feeling inadequate aren’t exactly pleasant ones. Some that come to mind include inferiority, hopelessness, helplessness, isolation, and sadness, and that’s only naming a few. Feeling as though we are inadequate, or, in simpler terms, not good enough, is truly a debilitating sentiment. It is frustrating because while we … More How to grapple with feelings of inadequacy
I have observed, over the course of my life, that there are, generally speaking, two types of people in this world when it comes to accepting help; ones that do so gladly, and ones that avoid doing so like the plague. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for or accepting help, however some of … More The importance of recognizing the need for help
‘Enjoy the small things in life’ is a saying all of us, arguably, have been told or have said at some point in our lives, and for good reason. I am a firm believer that life is full of simple joys that don’t have to be particularly elaborate or over the top, and even more … More What do you consider to be simple pleasures?
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
