How to Be More Assertive in Your Relationships

It's only natural to want to please your partner and friends or simply be accepted by someone. However, you should never try to be someone you are, not just to be accepted or loved. If you're not a person who speaks up easily, you'll need to devise a strategy to help.

Standing your ground can be intimidating in always any situation. Being more assertive in any relationship, especially new ones, is challenging, but it's crucial to build a happy life together and individually. After all, what is life about if not for relationships?

Assertiveness helps you do the following:

• Establish proper and healthy boundaries.
• Provide clear, honest, and open communication.
• Nurture a healthy and well-balanced relationship or partnership.

Thankfully just like any other skill, you can practice assertiveness that enables you to build stronger and more healthy, mutually beneficial relationships.

Be Honest and Truly Genuine

Never sacrifice your values, and don't be afraid to speak up even if it feels scary and uncomfortable. While partners should respect you, you can't blame the partner for your miserable condition if you don't speak up. You can't even assume they should know if you've never told them how you feel.

Improve Your Listening Skills

Assertiveness includes being respectful and courteous when sharing your needs but taking the time to listen to others as well. Make a conscious effort to understand their perspective, even if you don't agree. Being assertive does not mean one person gets only what they want when they want. It relies on the idea of an equal partnership.

Remember Empathy

Again, being assertive doesn't mean you will always get your way, or should you be rude and disrespectful to others. In fact, if you don't have empathy, patience, and respect for your partner or friends, you are not in a healthy relationship.

Be Truly Committed and Know Your Intentions

In other words, don't be indecisive about what you want before you communicate it or expect others to understand your expectations. If you're unsure what you want, it'll be difficult to relate it to your partner or friend. Keep doing the work needed to learn what you really want to ensure to let people know.

Being assertive doesn't mean that you are displaying aggression and control or authority over anyone but yourself. You won't always get your way, but that doesn't mean you can't feel heard, validated, and understood.

Signs You Have Formed a Healthy Adult Relationship

Relationships lead to more happiness and success for most people. Science proves that social connection is needed for excellent mental and physical health. With that said, it is vital to understand the difference between a good and bad relationship. Just because they can be healthy doesn't mean all of them are, and you shouldn't be wasting your time and health in a bad one. Check out the common signs below to help you identify when you have formed a healthy adult relationship.

You Take Time to Learn Each Other's Hobbies or Interests

Everyone takes the time to learn what each other enjoys, even if it's not something they are too interested in in the long run or partake in. It can be fun to learn something new from your partner, even for a moment.

There Is Open, Clear, and Honest Communication

You are never afraid to speak up and respect your partners ability to share their feelings or thoughts. Even if something is a little complicated, you never feel that you must shy away, or walk on eggshells to reach your goal.

Conflict Doesn't Escalate and Is Solved Quickly

Most moments of miscommunication are solved easily and are never blown out of proportion. It is normal to experience frustration or to be irritated, but it should never be escalated to the point of no return. Healthy relationships know how to communicate quickly to solve pain points.

You Really Listen and Want To

You want to listen, and you feel heard during most conversations. This doesn't mean you talk all the time, but when the time comes, each should listen to and try to understand the other person’s perspective.

It's Always A Judgment-Free Zone

While you may have many disagreements, this doesn't mean you should feel judged by your partner. Each of you should take the time to understand their perspective and give them the respect they think they need. Just because you disagree doesn't mean your partner can't do it without judgment.

It's a Real and Equal Partnership

Relationships should never be one-sided. This, of course, depends on your relationship and should be clearly communicated. For example, one relationship splits their chores while others don't, and each feels equal and validated. It is up to you and your partner to make this decision; however, if you feel resentful, something is missing.

Every relationship is different. However, all relationships require honest communication and more to be successful, healthy, and rewarding.

4 Ways Guilt Is Negatively Impacting Your Life

At some point in your life, you are going to make a mistake. It is inevitable and that fact of life to improve and be successful. It's normal to want to fix what you did wrong and do right, but frequently this guilt can take over your life in all the wrong ways. Examine these four ways that your guilt can negatively impact your life.

Wastes Time and Other Important Resources

Guilt is simply a waste of time. It delays success and keeps you focused on things that don't really matter. It is a mental distraction preventing you from taking the necessary action to succeed or fix the problem in the first place.

Guilt is about dwelling and what you did wrong and only fixing it because you did wrong. Compassion, empathy, and your ethics or values should determine what you provide to the world. You are human and will make mistakes. Don't let that be your only driving factor to do good in the world.

Destroys Your Physical and Mental Health

Guilt causing fatigue, and mental fog preventing you from making the right choices. Constantly living in a state of unhappiness and regret can wreak havoc on the mind and body, leading to many worse illnesses, which can also negatively interfere with personal and professional relationships—destroying careers or life-long partnerships along the way.

Creates Bad Habits and Poor Choices

Choosing to focus on your mistakes rather than the solution is a great way to set yourself up for failure. Your mind doesn't have the clarity and focuses it needs to create reality.

Increases Negativity

Guilt only further increases negativity. As stated before, this is because it's you constantly focusing on the problem or what you did wrong rather than what you can do to fix justifiable or prevent it from happening again.

A never-ending rabbit hole of negativity that further leads you to poor choices and decision-making. To fix most things in life, focusing on what you can do instead of what you can't do will help you succeed.

As you can see, your guilt is keeping you demotivated and losing focus on what really matters. Mistakes only require focus as you find positive ways to mitigate the problem. Don't punish yourself for a mistake. You don't need guilt to be a good person and succeed in life. Just take the steps needed to fix the issue, and it will all be okay. 

How Minimalism Can Control Stress

According to the American Institute of Stress, did you know that nearly 48% Of Americans have trouble sleeping due to stress? The lack of sleep prevents them from achieving their goals and live their life to the fullest.

One of the most straightforward, most cost-effective, and safest ways to reduce stress is through minimalism. Minimalism is often misunderstood. It's simply a way to live as stress-free as possible. It doesn't really mean you do without needed items. It just means you only have what you need.

Research supports that too much clutter in one's life can increase stress and anxiety and getting rid of it is one of the best medicines and things you can do to be successful.

Saves You Money and Other Resources

Probably one of the most evident and instant rewards to minimalism is how much you will be saving in the long run. Money and time used to purchase these items could be better used to improve or gain more experiences that foster happiness.

Improves Your Decision-Making Skills

Fewer worries over financial decisions or limited funds allow you to make healthier decisions in life because you no longer are using your energy where it's not needed. The extra money and resources provide a sense of calmness and keep you stress-free.

Provides Clarity and Focus

When you decide to get rid of things, you regain control and provide clarity, focus, and direction to your life. The act forces you to take a moment to evaluate it and recognize the emotions or value it brings to your life - allowing you to remember what you value in life and want to achieve.

It is easy to get distracted as life is fast and busy. There are so many different people coming in and out of your life that your true priorities or values can get overshadowed and diminished. Minimalism brings you back to reality and gives you a moment to recenters your attention to where it matters.

Releases Tension and Provides Power

As you declutter or priorities the things or people in your life, you gain more power and control - enabling you to physically release tension that you hold in your shoulders and release endorphins that make you feel happy. Eliminating clutter allows you the space to build the self-confidence and inspiration you need to be happy and stress-free.

Don't let stress get in your way of achieving what you want from life. Remember, minimalism isn't about living with nothing and won't be the same for everyone. It's about actively keeping things in your life that make you happy and rejecting the things that don't.

The Importance of Resilience in Life and Business

You likely know someone who seems as if they can take what seems like a punch in the face over and over but still get back on their feet and try again? Their resilience is powerful and inspiring and something you should be focused on too if you want to succeed in life. Discover a few of the reasons you want to enhance your resilience, below.

To Maintain Motivation and Determination

Resilience is about getting back up on your feet no matter how painful or challenging so you can achieve your goals. It's about maintaining your physical and mental health so you can keep making steps to be better or live your dreams.

It is the motivation and determination you need when nothing else is working or feels right. It's about telling yourself to do anyway because you know in the end it will be so much better than where you are now.

To Be More Self-Efficient and Independent

While it can be scary to hear, the only person you can rely on throughout life is yourself. Your parents, friends, other family members, or spouse can't provide you the same things you can, nor can they do so if they want to. They have their own lives to live and control. You already know what you need to be happy and to get things done. If you wait for others to do it for you, you can be confident you will never be genuinely happy.

To Learn from Failure and Transform It

Failure creates better problem-solving skills and leads to more success. While it sounds like an oxymoron, it's true. Most success comes from failure. Without failure, you can't learn or grow. You discover your true capabilities with failure, gain self-confidence and the resilience needed to get through anything life throws at you.

To Better Embrace Change

As you are aware by now, change is unavoidable. The faster you face this fact and understand it, the better your life will be overall. You can't stop negative stuff from happening. But you can control how you react. The way you respond can then set in motion where you want your life to go. In other words, you can let something debilitate you or build up your resilience to power through any obstacle.

Overall, resilience is vital for your physical and mental health. It keeps you focused on where you want to be instead of scrummaging to defeat. Resilience allows you to have the power to keep going without affecting your overall happiness.

5 Valuable Lessons Failure Teaches You

Failure is scary and quite overwhelming some of the time, but it's required to reach the finish line. Everyone makes mistakes, and you will never be the exception to this rule, nor should you wish to be. Failure is needed to learn the lessons necessary to excel in life and be where you want to be.

To Learn What Truly Motivates and Inspires You

If you never took a chance on your goals, would you know what makes you happy inside? Without the information you gain from each experience through life, you would not be who you are today. The fact is you can't know what you don't know. You must get out there, take a chance and be willing to learn.

To Fully Learn Your Desires and Capabilities

Failure inspires personal growth. When you take risks, you discover what you are capable of and the areas you need to improve or enjoy being in the most.

To Embrace and Value Change

Change is everywhere and unavoidable. In fact, you can't expect to succeed without it, as improving your skills, choosing your meal for the day or any activity for that matter results in a change. When you expect it, you can take better control of the direction you want your life to go.

That It Is Never the End of The World

Failure teaches you resilience. Once you fail, you realize it is never the end of the world and usually something that can be improved. In turn, this builds up your self-confidence and gives you the motivation to learn more and do even better the next time.

Every time you fail, you make it out of there alive and stronger than you were just moments before. You become stronger because you realize that failure is only as scary as you perceived and made it up to be in your mind. Most failure is survivable, and with that comes a great sense of pride and accomplishment, which you can take with you to carry through to success.

To Live A Positive and Optimistic Life

While this may sound counter-intuitive to the idea of failure, it isn't if you look at it from a different perspective. Remember, failure is not damaging unless you allow it to be, and don't take the time to find something you can learn and grow from it.

Next time you find yourself worrying about failing, remember these five important lessons. You don't need to be afraid of failure where there are healthy and positive lessons to be learned.

5 Habits of People Who Don't Care What Others Think

It is normal to want to be accepted by society; however, too much focus on what others think about you will only hold you back. Successful people know to achieve their goals, they must act no matter what others have to say about it and even if it's not the status quo. Use these five common habits of prosperous people, who don't care what others think about them.

Shake It Off and Move On

Words and criticism can hurt. It is only normal and false to say you won't ever feel hurt by them. The difference is how you handle it. Don't give it any more time than it deserves. Assess if it's true or false. Highlight the lesson you can learn from it, and then move on. Mistakes or judgment from others are only the end of the world if you let it be.

Mind Your Own Business

Overall, what others think about you is none of your business, just like the thoughts that flow through your mind right now. No one can expect or force you to share them unless you consent to it. It is not your right to expect it from others either. Therefore, it is only a waste of time to think about it constantly. Live your life for yourself and only focus on what you are feeling. If you are happy, then that is the only thing that really matters in the end.

Know What You Want and Be Consistent

When you really know what you want out of life, you won't want anyone to get in your way, family or not. It takes consistent action to get there no matter how boring or exciting it may feel one day to the next.

Understand That Life Is Too Short

Life is fast. Wasting time on situations that don't matter can stunt your growth. To achieve your goals, you must focus on what it takes to get there. Focusing and overanalyzing other people's opinions won't lead you to success.

Accept That You Can't Please Everyone

Nor is it anyone's responsibility to do so. You are the one person who is most responsible for your life. You control your actions - no one else. Of course, you can't control everything, but for the most part, it is you who decides when, where, and how to do things.

Take charge of yourself. Don't allow others to pressure you to change just to make them happy. Either way you look at your only path is a disappointment. You must think about yourself first before you can make others truly happy too.

Don't let others get in your way of success. Feeling appreciated and seen is nice, but it shouldn't prevent you from enjoying life the way you want just because other people are too shellfish to express your importance to their life.

4 Key Ingredients to Finding Inner Peace

Inner peace is described as a relaxing, happy, and content state of being no matter what is going on throughout life. It's about freeing your mind of negativity and reaching a state of happiness—an attainable state of being that anyone can achieve with the right ingredients. You can find the four key ingredients to finding inner peace below.

Only Living Your Life for You

Living for you is not selfish. Take care of yourself. Follow your heart to care for those around you honestly without putting yourself on the back burner. Don't let others walk all over you or push you in directions you don't want to go. Take control of your life and rid it of distractions that are keeping you down. Identify precisely what you want from life, make realistic goals to get there, and don't expect anything from anyone else but you.

Letting Go Of Everyone Else's Version of Inner Peace

Your idea of peace and your neighbors are likely to be different. As they commonly say, one man's challenge is the next man's idea of a day off. Just because you may be where one person identifies as inner peace doesn't mean it will resonate with you. You must look within yourself, feel your emotions and take the time to understand them.

Living Each Day with Intent

To experience success, you must take meaningful action. You can't expect to get what you want from life if you do nothing or wait for someone else to do it. That is a sure way to live a life not your own and lead to a life of discomfort and unbalance. It means going out and enjoy the activities you want to do to make you happy and achieve your goals. It is actively ensuring you are not wasting your time.

Reflection and Learning to Love Yourself Inside and Out Right Now

Appreciating your body, your knowledge, and the experiences you have gained is a crucial step to achieving inner peace. When you take the time to reflect and release gratitude to the world, you are reminded of your strength and value. You realize that although you want to keep improving, you are still worthy of happiness and love now, even in a state of improvement.

It's important to remember that just like happiness, peace is a state of being and emotion which never constant without work. It is normal to fluctuate in and out of different emotions throughout life. However, you can keep around longer just by staying true to yourself, working towards your goals, and taking the time to reflect gratitude each day.

There’s something besides viruses and bacteria that can weaken your immune system and make it more difficult for you to stay healthy - stress. Every season can be one that brings on a different type of stress.

When the fall season rolls in, it brings with it back to school and the holidays. There’s Thanksgiving and then Christmas. While these can be times of celebration, more often than not, they bring in a lot of stress.

Unmet expectations during holidays can cause stress. Many people have a picture of what they’d like the holiday to be like, but inevitably, it falls short. There can be family strife, relationship issues, or work deadlines that are tighter due to the holidays.

Many people also experience a lot of financial pressure. It can be stressful and expensive to spend the money to travel to be with family during the holidays. On top of that, there are gifts to buy for relatives, friends and coworkers.

The demand on your time increases, too. All of a sudden, the number of commitments you have to deal with can double. It seems that there’s always something to take care of, another store to visit or a purchase to make.

You may start to feel that you’re running yourself ragged. This can easily cause stress and anxiety during the holidays. You want to enjoy them, but you’re too tired physically. If there’s drama or family strife going on, you can also end up worn out emotionally and may find yourself just wishing the holidays were over.

During these winter months with less light, some people are affected with SAD, which can make everything feel even more stressful and depressing. Other seasons bring other challenges.

During the summer when the kids are out of school, if you work full time and your kids are younger, then you have to deal with childcare issues. You may find that you’re having to pay more money for childcare....

It’s beneficial to choose the best foods to eat each season that will boost your immune system. When your immune system is strong, you’re less likely to get sick, regardless of whatever is going around.

There are plenty of great foods that can aid your immune system. During the fall, you can find an abundance of pumpkins. This food is loaded with plenty of vitamins. For example, it’s rich in vitamin A.

This vitamin is necessary to help with your body’s cellular health - including boosting the ones for your immune health. Make sure you eat plenty of squash as well. This vegetable is also loaded with vitamin A.

Plus, it contains a B vitamin, which can help fight against the winter blues. Don’t neglect eating fruit in the fall, even though some may not be as plentiful as they are in the summer.

One fruit that you should have plenty of during the fall are apples. Be sure to eat the skin, too - since apples contain flavonoids that fight inflammation and boost immune health.

In the winter, many people stop eating the foods that help the immune system and that’s a mistake. There’s plenty of produce that you can choose that will help keep you healthy through the season that’s known for colds and the flu.

Eat a diet that’s rich in vitamins, like kale. This is plentiful for antioxidants and other nutrients that boost immunity. Have some spinach and other leafy greens, too. These foods contain plenty of vitamins - including the important vitamin C....