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Lifestyle

Advice Column Lifestyle

The Power of Love: Nurturing Relationships on Valentine’s Day

February 8, 2023

Love, an emotion that transcends cultures and boundaries, is one of the most profound and cherished aspects of human existence. It has the remarkable ability to bring people together, create lasting bonds and provide a sense of purpose in our lives. This Valentine’s Day, we celebrate the significance of love and relationships and explore ways to nurture and strengthen these precious connections.

The Significance of Love and Relationships

Love and relationships play a pivotal role in our lives, shaping our emotional well-being, happiness, and overall quality of life. Whether it’s the love between two romantic partners, the bonds shared with friends and family, or the deep connections formed with mentors and colleagues, these relationships have a profound impact on our sense of self and our place in the world. Love provides emotional support, comfort during tough times and a sense of belonging. It inspires us to be better, to grow and to care for one another.

Ideas for Meaningful and Unique Valentine’s Day Celebrations

Valentine’s Day offers a perfect opportunity to celebrate love and relationships in all their forms. Instead of defaulting to the clichéd gifts and gestures, consider meaningful and unique ways to make this day truly special:

  • Create a Memory Book: Compile photographs, mementos, and notes that capture your journey as a couple or your relationship with a loved one.
  • Plan a Surprise Adventure: Plan an exciting adventure or road trip to a place that holds significance in your relationship. It could be the location of your first date, shared interest, or simply a place you’ve always wanted to explore together.
  • Volunteer Together: Giving back to the community can be a profound way to bond. Volunteer at a local charity or organization that’s close to your hearts. The act of helping others can bring you closer and provide a sense of fulfillment.

Tips for Improving Communication and Strengthening Relationships

Strong and lasting relationships are built on effective communication, trust, and mutual respect. Here are some tips to help you improve communication and strengthen your bonds:

  • Active Listening: Truly listen to what your partner or loved one is saying without interrupting or formulating your response. This demonstrates that you value their thoughts and feelings.
  • Open and Honest Conversations: Foster an environment where both parties can openly express their thoughts and feelings without judgment. Honesty is the foundation of trust.
  • Surprise Gestures: Keep the spark alive by surprising your loved one with small, thoughtful gestures of affection, even when it’s not a special occasion.

This Valentine’s Day, let us celebrate the power of love, not just with chocolates and roses, but with meaningful gestures and a commitment to strengthening the connections that enrich our lives. By practicing open communication, trust and the art of thoughtful celebration, we can nurture and cherish the bonds that mean the most to us.

Lifestyle

Opinions.. We all have one but do I?

April 4, 2021

Oh Boy…

Nowadays, the topics of discussion are either politics, employment, Covid 19, the shots or vaccines, economy, and more. The several news outlets are constantly reminding us of what most people are passionate about or trying to avoid talking about.

See, I do have opinions. Mostly likely, I will keep them to myself. I will tell you a few things.

I believe…

  1. Stepping up and protecting those that are hurting,
  2. Feeding the hungry,
  3. Being kind,
  4. Being compassionate,
  5. If you can say something nice, don’t say anything at all.,
  6. And most importantly, If someone tells you something in confidence, don’t repeat it. It Ain’t your Story to tell!

“I’ve had to go against all kinds of people through the years just to be myself. I think everybody should be allowed to be who they are and to love who they love.” ~ Dolly Parton~

Advice Column

Ask Ms. Deborah – Finding My Passion

June 30, 2017

Dear Ms. Deborah,

I am at a road block. I want so desperately to find a job that I’m passionate about. No matter how hard that I try, I can’t seem to find that one thing that drives me to get up every day and pays enough for me to live comfortably.  Do you have any ideas on how I can figure out my passion?

Sincerely,

Extremely Confused

 

Merriam-Webster defines passion as “intense, driving or overmastering feeling or conviction”.

Everyday people are trying to figure “it” out. What is it that I want to do for the rest of my life? People are hanging in limbo focusing on trying to find that one thing they are passionate about and make them happy. Honestly, I think that many people go about finding their passion the wrong way.

Our minds can be our worse enemy by over analyzing everything. Well, even for me, a lot of time and energy is wasted with all of that mind trash.  I truly believe that people can have more than one calling and enjoy life to the fullest.

With that said, here are my suggestions on finding your passion:

  1. Mediate – Being still and quieting your mind can push aside all the noise, thoughts and emotions so you can open your heart to finding what truly makes your happy.
  2. Journal and write down a list of your skills – By writing a list of what you can do, you can find out what you hate and what you love. Note, you can do more than one thing. It’s better to have options. It keeps life interesting, because boring is out of the question.
  3. Let go of any fear – As you may know, fear can prevent you from accomplishing your goal. When you come to a moment of fear, write down everything about that fear on a piece of paper. Then write out a plan to overcome it. Taking steps, even baby steps, is moving forward!
  4. Be enthusiastic with everything you do – Being enthusiastic about everything you touch creates a wonderful habit and opens up opportunities. Nobody likes a whiny, oh poor me person hanging around them.
  5. Stop talking and start doing – Now that you have a plan, it is important to take the steps and don’t stop. That is where the passion comes in. When you have that “intense, driving or overmastering feeling or conviction”, nothing will stop you from achieving your goals.
  6. Not everyone will understand your vision – You don’t have to explain your dreams or justify your actions to anyone, because it is not their path. It is important to surround yourself with individuals that will help stay focused and push you towards your goals.

I hope this helps. Stay in touch and let me know how you are doing.

Health & Fitness Lifestyle

Fitness Journey – Before & After

May 30, 2017

Wow… While looking at this picture, I smile because I fought for every ounce of muscle on my body. It is hard for me to gain weight. I was just 92 lbs in the “before” picture and 105 lbs in the “after” picture. You are not going to believe this, but I am 112 lbs today!

Through this process, I learned how to gain healthy weight by doing it the correct way and all the while, having a balanced life with some fun food too.  I will be the first to tell you that it was NOT easy at all. It takes a lot of planning and commitment.

With all the so-called diets or food plans out there, I didn’t fit into any of those programs. I worked with my trainer to find the foods that worked best for my body and slowly incorporated them into my food plan. I tracked my food and slowly increased my intake of those key foods in a healthy way to work with my metabolism. Everyone’s metabolism is different, so it is best to find a trainer or nutritionist that is willing to understand your body and focus on your goals.

Remember you can’t out train a bad diet. For me, good nutrition and weight lifting is the key to being successful in gaining weight the correct way and building my fit body. I have tons of goals for this coming year. I am really excited to share my journey with you.

What are your fitness goals?  Have you accomplished something outside your comfort zone? I would love to hear from ya.