The Answer Key

Far too often you may bring baggage into new relationships that should have been left behind. Do not allow the faults of your former love to take a front seat in your new relationship. Take time to heal first. That will give the new person on their way into your life the opportunity to earn your love with a clean slate. Do not make your new partner pay the penalty for the transgressions of your former love. That will only make your new partner resentful and perhaps create issues for your relationship that would not otherwise be there.Whatever you do, make sure all of your experiences count towards making you the best you in your future relationship. Learn what you needed to take away from that experience and let it go. Do that as soon as you possibly can; dwelling on the past will stunt your growth. Let go of the woulda, shoulda, coulda, and get with the IS and AM. The next relationship IS going to be better and I AM going to be a better partner because of what I have learned, will giv

Have an appreciation for the blessings of others makes. This practice will make you more open to joy in general verses that solely based on your own accomplishments. Embrace the blessings bestowed on others in your circle with the same enthusiasm you would have for yourself. Appreciating the pleasantries, accomplishments, and successes occurring within your circle creates good, positive energy exchanges. Stay in the positive and share in each others joy. Everything that is meant for someone else, even if it may be something you want as well, brings positivity to your whole. Someone else's success or accomplishment does not lessen your chances with your blessing. That said, simply appreciate the fact that this is their time and be happy for them. Be so happy for others that it overflows into your own life. Your blessings will come in the time that is most perfect for you and your life. The best thing you can do for yourself is learn to be happy for other people's successes and a

Forgiveness is a choice. It can not be made without making the decision to forgive and taking the steps to get you there. The first step is to start with yourself. Acknowledge the role you play in your situation. It is much easier to point out the defects, poor choices, and bad behavior of someone else, but it is more helpful to accept what you have done, and what you will do differently to avoid the same situation later. In examining your own defects, poor choices, and mis-behavior you may find compassion for your loved one. At the very least, you will have a better understanding of yourself and the role you played in the situation and what you can do differently. Next, when you are no longer angry, address the issue head on. You can not expect anyone to read your mind or know the importance of your issue, if it is not important enough to you to address it. Know that addressing it is not asking for an argument, but looking for a resolution. Make your intention clear so the other party

Be conscious of who and what you allow into your space. You do not have to obligate yourself to the negative experience others bring with them. That baggage is for them to sort out. Do not allow yourself to be ultimately affected by their stuff. Why did the chicken cross the road? Well, she may have seen that bitter goose headed her way. You have to learn to dodge the bitter people when you can, and not feel guilty about it. Misery loves company, but she does not have many friends. Know yourself and what you can handle. Your wellness is your top priority. Evaluate and assess your relationships whenever necessary and make the changes to those relationships that best serve you. If someone is not investing positivity into your life, they probably do not belong there for an extended period of time. While there is nothing wrong with helping people in need, know the difference between aiding someone and being used. Some would argue to just completely remove the negative, bitter, miserable pe

We put a lot of unnecessary pressure on ourselves to live up to a fantasy, but the reality is that life comes with problems. Life takes work, without work there can be no growth, no progress and we are all works in progress. That said, if you accomplished everything at once, what would tomorrow bring? What goal could you set that would challenge you, motivate you, test you, or inspire you? Challenges are a matter of perspective. They arise in the form of trouble, however, their true purpose is to reveal to you how far you have come and how much you have grown. Every obstacle is only as great as you make up in your mind to be. Understand that trials are merely lessons and experiences that are there to remind you that life can be unpredictable, uneasy, and sometimes down right scary. The result reminds you that you are strong and can handle anything. While no one should welcome trouble, do not run from it either. Know that every obstacle in life is actually an opportunity to challenge yo

Life is full of hills and valleys. Recognize your moments on the hills as the wonderful moments they are and take it all in. Do not waste time up there worrying about the next valley. Give those moments the time they deserve. Be happy and be grateful for them as the blessings they are. When the valleys come, take them in stride. Embrace them for what they are- time to show yourself what you are really made of. Show your strength, affirm your faith, and keep moving forward knowing that with every valley you are on the upswing to something better. Do not get stuck, stranded, or stagnant. Do not lie down or quit. Pay attention. The valleys are there to teach you something about yourself you may not have known before, reaffirm what you already knew, or re-establish what you knew and lost along the way. Both hills and valleys are blessings to your life- embrace them both equally. Remember that in every situation and circumstance, this is your life. No matter what opinion anyone else may hav

Effective communication is a key component in all relationships. Yes, the casual, professional, and intimate ones alike. In those relationships their will come times where there will be a difference in opinion. Sometimes there will be a need for uncomfortable conversations. Part of being an effective communicator is knowing that those conversations can be had when you focus on the bullets and not the frivolous details with consideration of the other parties feelings. Ignoring the necessity of effective communication will only leave you wanting and without which will soon be accompanied by resentment and frustration if they are not already present. You want the other party to not just hear what you are saying but fully understand and process how you came to your conclusion and commit to doing the same for them as well. Know how to discuss and not argue. The difference between the two is that one is a back and forth with a commitment to understanding, the other is submitting a defense or

Make a conscious effort to focus less on what you have not achieved or how long it may take you to get to your goal, and get busy reaching for it. Focus on prioritizing your day around your goal. Focus less on how far you have to go, and more on how far you have come. You have to learn to stop feeding your anxieties and disappointments. It takes up too much time and energy. Both your time and energy can be put to better use planning the course of action needed to get what you want. The time you spend feeding your losses and disappointments could be better used investing in the things necessary to get where, what, or becoming who you want to be. Actively invest your time and energy into your goal every day verses concentrating on the difficulties and obstacles you are or will face to achieve it. If you are busy putting in doubt, fear, or any kind of negative energy you will be just that, doubtful, fearful, and negative.Set a goal, make a plan, and put the plan into action, but most impo

It is easy to be elated when something goes your way, but can you be genuinely happy for someone else's success? It is so important to be happy for others and share in their joy as well.While it may be easy and maybe even your initial thought to compare yourself, the practice should be to share in their joy. Life is a journey, not a race. It does not matter how quickly you succeed, but only that you do so in your own time, full of passion, and driven by your purpose. On the way to where you want to go you will come across other successful people. Make sure you remind yourself, that is meant for you is already yours. Having an appreciation for the blessings of others makes you more open to joy and happier in general verses the instances solely based on your own accomplishments. Embrace the blessings bestowed on others with the same enthusiasm you would have for yourself. Appreciate the fact that this is their time and be happy for them.There are plenty of blessings to go around. Eve