The Overwhelmed Brain | Stress | Anxiety | Relationship | Critical Thinking | Emotional Intelligence | Emotional Abuse

What do you do when someone doesn't like or trust you? Do you try to make them realize that you're not so bad or that they are wrong about you? I'll share why this doesn't always work.

The guilt and regret from something we did in our past can haunt us for the rest of our lives. Living with guilt decreases happiness and is a constant reminder of who we were. I share how I alleviate guilt when it comes up for me, and I even address a common subject almost all of us face at one time or another (or maybe often). 

Do you do and say what you want to do and say without fear? Or is fear in the driver's seat? If that's the case, you may never be as happy or fulfilled as you want to be. It's important to figure out just who is the primary decision-maker in your life: You or fear.

How can you show someone you care about that they are worthy? You could probably think of many things. But are you doing anything that might make someone you care about feel unworthy? You may not even realize you're doing it. 

Our past lessons and learnings can sometimes sneak up on us as a challenge to pass to prepare us for what may come. "Passing" usually means facing a fear of some sort. "Failing" usually means repeating the same old thing over and over again until we get it. Or not.   

Have you ever been told to reconnect with who you were, but really have no clue who that is? Some people started their life in a toxic or dysfunctional environment and have no healthy self to reconnect with. What do you do then?  There are steps to defining or redefining yourself. I talk about them in this episode. 

As an adult, you've learned to take care of yourself. You believe you are making the right decisions and following the best steps you can to find happiness. But then there's family. Some family can believe you're doing the wrong thing and want you to follow their way and their path. If you don't want what they want, it can cause a big issue. 

Experiences of loss, such as a breakup and losing your job can have a profound emotional impact on you. In fact, it can feel devastating. Afterward, a childlike confusion can follow. Will the pain, sadness, or confusion ever end? Is there a path forward? If you can get out of the rut, yes there is. But it takes a perceptual shift you may not have while you're down and out.

Going for goals can be, well, disappointing. Trying to get something done might give you feelings of failure when you don't get it done. Are you a goal setter or do you wing it? I hate goal-setting myself. I'll share some of my thoughts on this to help you avoid disappointment after disappointment. 

What drives the important decisions in your life, fear or desire? In this episode I talk about a person's fear of visiting his father because of family that doesn't want him there. I also talk about how to start trusting again after someone betrays you... is there a path to wholeness after such an event? 

There's a fine line between real suffering versus just getting stuck in a cycle of feeling sorry for yourself. The chronic complainer's suffering is real, but is it self-inflicted? Do they really want to change? And do some people benefit from expressing their pain and suffering?  There's no victim-blaming here. I'm just exploring a subject many of us might run into.         

Trying to encourage a friend in a relationship to see the truth about their toxic partner can come with its own set of challenges, especially when the friend doesn't want to hear it and the toxic person wants to shut you down. 

What happens when you fall for someone who might still have feelings for the person they were with? Is it a relationship that can survive? Or will the fear of them returning to the person they cared about before you be too much for you to keep it going? 

When someone constantly puts you down, it’s not just hurtful; it’s destructive. I’ll share some personal strategies that could help you navigate these rough waters, aiming to keep your self-esteem intact.

A "germaphobe" shares their challenge at a work function with food being the catalyst for an embarrassing moment that ended up in tears. When you have behaviors and nuances that others might judge you for, do you hide them from the world? Should you? That's a great topic to talk about.

Why is it so hard to strike a balance between our own happiness and the happiness of those we care about? In today’s episode, I tackle the challenges of relational conflict and the importance of acknowledging when we’re not okay. We face tough moments in life. And it takes courage to assert our dignity. Sometimes, standing up for yourself is the most respectful thing you can do—for you and your loved ones. Let's explore the fine line between pleasing others and recognizing that you might be inadvertently contributing to your own unhappiness. Sometimes that means facing what you fear head on. 

Is there light at the end of the tunnel of a troubled relationship? Past difficult relationships can certainly leave you with sensitivities to current and future ones, so it's important to make sure you align with what's most important to you and follow that path. If you don't, you could end up sticking around for something that may never, ever change - and you'll wonder if you will regret your decision when all is said and done.   In this episode, I address one woman's question about how her partner put his hands on her in anger and she's not sure if she is wasting her time sticking around or if she should hold on to hope even though she can no longer trust the person she's with.

Why is it so hard to strike a balance between supporting someone's goals and managing our own reactions? Sometimes, we have to traverse a tightrope walk of love and support without the comfort of a safety net. When you want to love someone but they make it hard because of a habit or behavior they're doing, you might have no choice but to make a hard choice for yourself. 

Should you concede to another person's flaws to maintain peace?  We all seek approval at times, but in some relationships, this quest can take on a different hue, especially when one’s own insecurities are creating difficult and sometimes toxic conversations.   Getting through some conversations without one or both people getting upset might take some clever communicating. That's what I'm talking about today. 

What is the consequence of withholding a big secret from the person you are supposed to have an honest, transparent relationship with? Secrets can lead to lies that lead to people feeling betrayed, causing pain when all of it could have probably been avoided in the first place.