Rock.Paper.Glam.

Part of having self esteem and respect is being able to communicate openly what we will or will not tolerate. Healthy boundaries in a relationship are another form of communication. They help steer and guide how you would like the relationship to go. It is an act of love and appreciation for one another’s time, space, and expectations. When healthy boundaries are present in a relationship, you have the ability to grow even stronger.

Today, we are discussing examples of healthy boundaries and how to set them. Let’s dive in!

We discussed what self esteem is and how to gain more healthy self esteem in the previous two articles. Now it is time to distinguish the difference between having self esteem (or self worth) and being self centered. There is a clear distinction between the two traits. However, there tends to be confusion around valuing who we are, and thinking it’s the same as being self centered. It’s not and here’s why.

Yesterday we defined what self esteem is and what a healthy range looks like. If you missed it, head on over to that article first! I think it is very normal to have issues with self esteem. Especially with the presence of social media. So how do we gain more self esteem? When I first broached this subject well over a decade ago, I was told, “You gain self esteem by doing esteem-able acts.” We’ll dive into what exactly that means, and other ways to boost your self esteem.

We have entered the third and last week of the LOVE edition series. If you have missed any of the lessons so far, you can always click the tab above. The third week is geared towards self esteem and confidence. We briefly touched on why these are two important traits when it comes to relationships and love. To summarize, when we have a healthy level of self esteem we make better decisions, especially when it comes to choosing partners. Lack of self esteem can lead to dangerous situations such as being in codependent or abusive situations. It also typically leads to lack of healthy friendships, toxic work environments, and low self respect and love.

So yes, self esteem is extremely important when it comes to love. Today we will discuss what healthy self esteem looks like. We’ll define what self esteem is, what affects our self esteem, and how to tell if we are in a health range.

This is the last article in the relationship section of the LOVE Series. We did not hold back when it came to discussing relationships. Today is another rather large topic that we all face at some point, and that is how to navigate growth in long term relationships. It is inevitable that we all grow as each year passes. Some grow leaps and bounds, some mere inches, both are perfect measurements. However, it is tricky to be in a long term committed relationship where two people are growing at different rates or different directions. So what do you do when this occurs? That is what we are discussing today. Again, I am not a relationship expert, but I am pretty awesome at reading people and situations like these. Let’s begin!

Hello again! We are half way through the relationship portion of the LOVE Series. We’ve discussed the heavy topics, such as what a healthy relationship looks like, being whole in a relationship, and red flags to notice. Now comes the fun stuff, actually dating and meeting your match. If you are single, stick around as I am diving into where to meet your next date and also what places to avoid. Um, spoiler alert, dating apps are not where you’ll find your husband and should be deleted, every single which one of them. Find out why below.

It is not lost on me that THIS is the article that lands on Valentine’s Day. The irony is real, but who knows maybe someone needs this today. We might as well begin with a big fat red flag, and that is if your partner is conveniently “working late” tonight on Valentine’s day, they are most likely out on a date with their side piece. Believe me, it happens, it happened to me last year so I know real well how often this occurs.

Okay, with that said, let’s talk about what red flags to look for within a relationship and when it’s time to get out. I have combined my own personal experiences with a list of common red flags others have faced. If you experienced any one of these, truly reconsider why you are in the relationship, and if possible leave immediately.

Okay, here we go! This is a mega topic that most people don’t discuss, even more don’t want to hear, but we are going there. One of the major, MAJOR, downfalls in relationships that typically result in a fractured partnership, a dissolving marriage, a toxic situation, or pure resentment is due to relying on another person to make them whole. We see it all the time, a flood of insecurities, complete desperation to have someone “fix” the situations, feeling incomplete on their own, or feeling unworthy unless married… You get it, we’ve either been there, done that, or know someone who has.

Today we are discussing how to be whole in a relationship. Meaning, not needing someone else for validation, to rescue us, feel complete, or depend on for ANYTHING (yes that means financially and I know that really burns to hear). I am also sharing WHY this is so crucial and what happens if we don’t heed this advice. Buckle up, this one is a doozy.

Friends are typically the people you know the longest and whom you have the most impactful relationships with. They are the ones we confide in, trust, and opening love. They have the ability to sway and influence our decisions, change our mood, and challenge us to become better humans. Friends, and all relationships, are essentially life teachers. Some friendships may have started in kindergarten, others from college. Here is the thing, a lot changes between those informative years!

While I would like to believe the majority of friends want to see us happy and successful, there are those who delight in our misery. Some people, whether they are conscious of it or not, are afraid we will get too big for them and leaving them alone. While other’s are inspired by our growth, and challenges us to push forward. It is incredibly important to take a moment every once in awhile to reevaluate friendships, to see if they are adding to our lives or holding us back.

Girl… We have officially entered into relationship week of the LOVE Series! This is, I believe, the biggest week of the series because I truly feel that relationships are the hardest part of life that we all are trying to navigate. There are some who are relationship masters. To those individuals, share your secrets in the comments below and help your fellow sisters out! I would not call myself a master, but I have made many mistakes (more like dated mistakes), and learned several life lessons along the way on what qualifies as a healthy relationship. Let’s dig in with a series of what healthy relationships include and don’t include.

We all have this one life, don’t waste it away worried about what other’s think. Today we are discussing the last lesson on self love for this series, which is how to show up for your life for you! That means, only committing to things that make you happy, elevate you, or are worthy of your time. It also means going for your life dreams and stop viewing it from the sidelines. If you are ready, let’s begin!

I mean, what a title. One lesson that I truly believe needs to be taught regularly in classrooms is how to become whole, independent, self loving, and enthusiastically kind humans. Today we are discussing just that. I am diving in to what it means to embrace yourself one hundred percent. What it looks like, feels like, and sounds like to be kind to yourself. And how to become wildly optimistically in love with who you are. So share this post if you are here to learn how to full-heatedly fall in love with yourself. Let’s begin!

In today’s session of the LOVE Edition, we are discussing why it’s important to date yourself. It hit me one day when I was traveling alone (the ultimate date with yourself) how are we suppose to be in healthy relationships (romantic and friendships) if we don’t know who we truly are? This exercise allows us to tap into being authentic while building a relationship with ourselves. Yes, at first it can be a bit lonely, awkward, scary, and weird. But if we don’t challenge ourselves to push past those initial feelings, we never get to experience the incredible delight of meeting who we are as a person. Such a concept, I know!

Through this exercise, which I will explain in a moment, you’ll discover what truly makes you happy and what you don’t care for. You’ll develop skills that will take you further in life, and become a person who doesn’t need anyone else to validate them. It’s a large step towards being independent and free, which in turn, places you in the best position to develop healthy and whole relationships. So let’s begin!