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Showing posts with the label accountability

A New Lease On Love? : Love Lessons

A New Leason on Love? : Love Lessons  Photo by  Matt Artz  on  Unsplash There was this man I met years ago, and when I met him I wasn't even into him. I thought that he was a nice guy but there was no spark. We just hung out and chat and while it was a nice time, it wasn't phenomenal. It's funny that as the years go by, we change or at least one would hope that we do and the same person who didn't leave a strong impression can now make a lasting impression on your heart. So one day, a few years ago I told him that I loved him. I told him that I wanted us to just be together. I told him everything that I only thought in my mind. I exposed myself in a way I seldom do and his response was silence. He was too fearful to say he didn't feel the same, or he didn't want that from me, or anything. He just closed himself to me. While I didn't need the reciprocated feelings, the lack of acknowledgment was what hurt. I forgave him. However, I utilize wi...

The Top 5 Reasons Why Your Marriage Is Failing

The Top 5 Reasons Why Your Marriage Is Failing You're Cheating. Now you don't have to take this literally. It doesn't mean that you are stepping outside of the relationship to meet your sexual needs. Cheating can be emotional or social. Let me explain: If you're investing your time into everyone and everything else before you invest in your partner (which is synonymous for your marriage), then you are in essence cheating your spouse out of the time and attention that they need. It may seem hard to do but nothing falls out of that category; family, friends, work, kids, etc. Your spouse should trump all of those things. If you are putting your spouse first, they will give you the balance and support you need to tend to that work assignment, family gathering, ailing parent, or growing children. So often people put other things ahead and logically justify it however if your spouse is last on your list to address, so is your marriage. Confiding in your friends more ...

Silencing The Pain: My Battle With Depression (Part I)

Photo by  Ian Espinosa  on  Unsplash I tried to die. I think I was 18 when I had my first crisis. A "crisis" is the term used to describe when the depression has consumed its sufferer to the point of debilitation or suicide. I was 18, and I failed my road test for the second time. For some reason, I felt completely defeated and the most logical solution to escape the pain and hopelessness that consumed me was death. So I took at least 8 ibuprofen and chugged some Trinidadian rum that my mother stowed away for holiday cake making. I drafted a sorrowful letter to my mother, brother, sister and nephew telling them that I loved them, but the pain was far too unbearable to endure for any length of time. I asked God for forgiveness. I placed the letter under my pillow and went to nap only, I wasn't very tired. Had I not taken enough? My sister was a nurse. Maybe I needed to adjust my intake according to my weight. Rummaging through the cupboards, I searched for any OTC p...

Passion Takes You Places: A Lesson In Love

I dated some in my day and there was a season of my dating life that I like to call "Chopping Season". That was the period of time when no man was worthy of my time and as soon as they gave me whatever I perceived as "good reason", I chopped them. Chopping someone is as a superior action  word. It's a verb with cojones. I have several ways of doing it. Sometimes I would make sure I did it in person. Other times, it would be a text or a slew of them if I were angry enough. Sometimes I would just block the person; allowing my silence to tell the story. Chopping happened frequently to the point my close friends termed what I did as "chopping". "Did you chop him?" My sister and best friend would often ask. If I was complaining a bit too much my friends would say "chop his ass, he's not worth it". If men were trees, I was surrounded by limbs of lumber. By golly, I chopped. I later realized that I was too hasty sometimes in my dec...

Here Comes The Lies, All Dressed In White : Relationship Honesty

"In my divorce, I stood up and said to my ex-wife, 'Hey, I messed up. This had nothing to do with you. I didn't understand what marriage was. I cheated. I was wrong. We couldn't fix it; it got worse. I stepped away because I didn't want it to get any worse. You're the mother of my kids - I don't want to hate you." -Kevin Hart When it comes to relationships, we all tell our fair share of little white lies. Some of us even graduate to Olivia Pope status and have full on scandals. We often speak about the lies that we tell to  get out  of situations that may harm our relationship but we seldom speak about the lies that we use to  get into  them.  Online dating has allowed us to advertise our greatness with a few photos and a catchy paragraph. However, even then in the midst of our most narcissistic moments of boasting about how awesome we are lies very apparent moments of deception. The angled seflies that obscure that sc...

The Punisher: Relationship Prejudice

When started dating after separation, I did it in phases. The first phase was catch up. I wanted to catch up with every man I had a spark with to explore where it would have went had I not gotten married. Once I realized that these "what if's" were really "don't bother's" I moved on to try to find "the one." After several failed attempts and false starts with "the one" I began making rules. I didn't always know what I liked but I was certain after several failed relationships of what I didnt. However, now that I look back, I realize that plenty of the red flags that made me run were almost always a shared similarity with my ex. If a man said he was interested in anything my ex was interested in, I began to feel uneasy and delve deeper for more "flags". I'll even admit that if a man were from the same country or continent as my ex, I would get turned off. I now know that I was suffering from PTRD (Post Traumatic Re...

Why I Hate The Word 'If"...

If I had the money...If I had a job...If I had a degree...If I were married...If I was feeling well... If you would have told me...If I never met him...If I never met her... If you listened to me... I hate the word 'if". If is normally the prelude to an excuse. Nothing becomes of 'ifs'. Stop using the word. As a matter of fact, just drop the "f". Start using the word "I" instead. When you use the word I, you are now holding yourself accountable and hopefully making affirmations instead of excuses. I have the money, I have a job, I have a degree, I am married, I feel better, I told you, I met him, I met her, I listen to you.... Doesn't that sound better? A persons word is very important to me. When the only word I keep hearing is "if", all other words just don't seem as important anymore. So if you are a person that makes a ton of exscuses... when I shut you down and hurt your feelings... ask me IF I care.