You'd almost prefer to be punched in the gut.
At least you'd know what you were dealing with.
At least you wouldn't constantly wonder, “Is it me” when dealing with a toxic relationship.
At least you wouldn't feel like a low-life piece of shit every time you experience toxic behavior.
Who are these people that enter our lives like snake charmers, only to inflict their venomous behaviors when we start to care about them?
If you’re in a long distance relationship, you know it’s not easy.
You can only convey so much over phone lines, emails, text messages, and even video chats.
One way to soothe the pain of not knowing what your beloved is going through and not being there to help is to find ways to express and strengthen the bond between you.
And one way to do that is to find and share long distance relationship quotes that capture the unique challenges and strengths of that bond.
I was talking with a friend this week who was telling me about some encounters with a relative.
My friend is one of the kindest, most loving, self-aware people on the planet. But the member of her family treats her atrociously.
Of course, it is extremely painful for my friend.
She has spent a lifetime trying to win her mother's love and approval, but her efforts are consistently met with coldness and disapproval.
I have another friend whose father had a borderline mental illness. He was sane enough that he appeared “normal” — but he really had the emotional maturity of a teenager.
He was manipulative, self-absorbed, and often inappropriate. My friend could barely stand to be in his presence.
My own father (now deceased) could be a very difficult person. He had very poor relational skills, resorted to passive-aggressive behaviors, and couldn't communicate his feelings well.
Sometimes he resorted to anger and stomping around the house in a grown-up version of a toddler tantrum.
What comes to mind when someone talks about challenging yourself?
Maybe you think your life is challenging enough.
Or maybe your last challenge has you a bit nervous about embracing a new one.
The plus side?
You learn from your challenges, no matter what the results.
So, if your last one didn’t turn out the way you hoped, every lesson you learn gets you closer to the results you want.
To that end, we’ve found 21 rewarding ways to challenge yourself.
Which one will you try first?
Why is it so much easier to connect with some people than others?
When it comes to dating, it’s a rare and beautiful thing to come across someone new and instantly feel a connection.
But after that initial connection, it is important to understand your partner's personality type in order to get involved in a deep and meaningful relationship with that person.
For example, if you are an extrovert, there are a few things that you need to know about dating an introvert.
I'm an introvert myself, and believe me, having an understanding of this personality type can definitely help you out in the long run.
Introversion is a personality trait that describes people who tend to pay more attention to their internal thoughts and feelings than any external stimuli.
While introverts and extroverts are often portrayed as being extreme opposites, the truth is that everyone is on a spectrum, and most people are not on the extreme of one trait or the other.
Introversion is not the same as shyness, contrary to common assumption. It is more about one's focus on internal thoughts.
Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist whose work has also been influential in anthropology, archaeology, religion, literature, and philosophy.
Jung introduced the concept of archetypes which he believed to be tendencies that people are born with that influence their behavior.
According to Jung, an introvert is comfortable with their inner thoughts and feelings, so they view the world in terms of how these thoughts and feelings impact them.
Extroverts feel more comfortable with the world of stimuli, objects, and other people, and are therefore more concerned with their effect on the world.
While introverts may prefer to alone time because this is how they recharge, extroverts get their energy from being around other people.
Jung noted that while few people are completely extroverted or introverted, everyone connects to one attitude a little bit more than the other.