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Dear Woman Who Is Desperately Trying To Fix Her Partner, You Are Not His Therapist

By
Stephanie Reeds

I see that you are trying very hard. I see that you are determined to help this man and support him every step of the way. You are caring, loving, supportive, always there for him.

The kind of woman everyone dreams of. The kind of woman men write novels about.

An angel.

But I also see something that you can’t seem to notice. I see you spending your whole damn time figuring out and solving his own issues. I see you going crazy because he can’t seem to handle his challenges. I see you losing your patience because you don’t feel that you are getting the same amount of attention and affection from.

Seeing you like that and feeling the pain inside of you gives me the urge to say this to you.

You are not his therapist, nor you ever need to be.

I am not saying that communicating with your partner and being there for them is bad. I am just saying that there is a fine line between being a caring partner and turning into a 24/7 problem solver. Some men don’t bother to make a difference between these two categories. As a result, they love pushing their partners into the second one.

Don’t let that happen. Don’t be their personal therapist.

You don’t need an immature person next to you who doesn’t know what to do when life throws them off balance. You don’t someone’s cloud weighing you every single day.

Everyone around you is fighting a certain battle that you know nothing about. And they are doing it on their own. Because they are grown people who even though they’ve faced a lot of difficulties in life, they decided to never give up. Because if they don’t take care of themselves, no one will.

Think about yourself. Who will take care of you and pick you up when you fall?

Don’t sacrifice yourself and your mental health for someone else.

Love is supposed to represent mutual care and love for each other.  Otherwise, it is not love. Otherwise, you are just their therapist and they are the forever victim.

So, don’t get me wrong.

Be there for your partner. Support them. Love them unconditionally. Show them that you care. But make sure that the love and attention you are giving them is reciprocated. You cannot keep sacrificing your mental health and happiness for them if they are not interested to do the same for you.

It is not your job to fix your partner. Stop acting like it and focus on your wellbeing instead.

Don’t Be Afraid To Be Selfish When It Comes To Your Life And Your Happiness

By
Stephanie Reeds

We’ve been raised to believe that ‘selfish’ is a really bad word. Our whole life, we’ve been told that selfish people only care about themselves and no one else. And, I’ll admit it, this may be true. But only up to a point.

I’ve met and unfortunately been friends with selfish people. Those were people that never ever cared about anyone else but themselves.

But thinking back, it is clear that some of those people weren’t selfish because they were cruel and wanted to harm me. They were selfish because they respected themselves and their own choices. They were selfish because they knew how important self-care is. They were selfish because they knew that they are the only ones that they can rely on. They were selfish because they needed to protect themselves.

That is the same person I need you to be.

I know it’s hard to not overthink what others would think or say about you. I’ve been through that more than many times. I’ve spent days wondering whether someone will get mad at me for making a different decision. A decision that does not include them in my plans.

I’ve spent hours beating myself up for saying NO. For cutting off people that never deserved to be a part of my life. For calling people out on their rude and inconsiderate behavior. Until one day, I snapped. I stopped tolerating bulls*it and decided to focus on myself. Regardless of how selfish that makes me in the eyes of everyone.

That is why I want you to help you become that person.

Your life is your own unique journey. No one and nothing should stand in the way of the things that make your heart smile.

You are the only person who decides whether you will call your friend for a coffee or you will go out for a coffee on your own. You are the only person who decides whether you will go out wearing baggy mom jeans and a huge sweatshirt or a cute feminine dress. You are the only one who decides whether you will settle for a man because he makes you feel comfortable or you will wait for someone who makes your soul sing.

You are the only person who decides whether you will devote your life on making yourself happy or you will keep satisfying everyone’s needs.

So, I say… Don’t be afraid. I know it takes big balls to do that, but what are you waiting for? Grow them already!

Don’t be afraid to be selfish when it comes to your own life and your own happiness.

No one will ever care enough to make you happy if you don’t do it yourself. There’s no Prince Charming, no knight on a white horse coming to save you. It’s only you. You are the one who is supposed to save yourself. So, start doing that.

Life is an amazing, adventurous ride, but it is too damn short. Make it worth your while.

Amazon Tribe Wins A Landmark Victory Against Ecuadorian Government, Saving Half A Million Acres Of Rainforest

By
Riley Cooper

Spreading across 9 countries, the Amazon Rainforest is known as the world’s largest area of woodland. This tropical rainforest is home to millions of different species of plants and animals. It’s also home to the Waorani people – an indigenous tribe from the Ecuadorian Amazon that has lived in the Amazon Rainforest for centuries.

What the Waorani people did is something you don’t get to see every day for sure. They’ve managed to win a lawsuit against the Ecuadorian government and save half a million acres of forest land from being drilled. In this way, they thwarted the intentions of the Ecuadorian government which was planning to drill for oil throughout 7 million acres of forest land.

A panel made up of three judges in the Pastaza Provincial Court suspended the planned auctioning of the Waorani people’s lands to big oil indefinitely. The court also disrupted the auctioning of 16 oil blocks which cover over 7 million acres of indigenous forest land.

Oswando Nenquimo, a spokesperson for the Waorani people of Pastaza, said:

“Today we have protected our forest from oil drilling; we have protected our water from contamination; we have protected our children from sickness. This is a legal precedent for indigenous rights,

“But the fight is far from over. The government will appeal because they still want the oil beneath our land. Indigenous Nations across the Amazon and the world must band together to protect our homes.”

What the Waorani people did is undoubtedly a significant achievement not only for them but for everyone on this planet as well. Hopefully, many other people all over the world will follow this example and benefit all life on the planet.

Bride’s Father Stops Wedding So That Stepfather Can Walk Her Down The Aisle As Well

By
Riley Cooper

Parents are willing to do whatever it takes for the happiness and well-being of their children and what the father in this heart touching father-daughter story did is something that none of them will ever forget.

When Todd Bachman, the biological father of Brittany Peck, a woman from Ohio, was walking her down the aisle on her wedding day, he did something that none of the guests, let alone his daughter, expected. He stopped the wedding procession, rushed to Todd Cendrosky, Brittany’s stepdad, and invited him to walk their daughter together down the aisle.

This selfless gesture was Todd Bachman’s way of showing how much he and his daughter appreciated Cendrosky and how grateful he was to him for raising and taking care of Brittany.

Undoubtedly, this was the happiest as well as the most emotional moment of their lives. Cendrosky said: “I had no clue, and he reached out his hand and said: ‘Hey, you had as much a part in raising her as I did. Let’s go walk our daughter down the aisle. And that’s when I lost it.”

That this was really an amazing and heart-touching moment can also be seen in Candace Cendrosky’s statement, Brittany’s mom. She said:

“That was an awesome moment, it was magical, it was an outstanding thing to do. He made my husband’s world, he really did. And that makes me feel great. Deep down I really do believe he did this for Brittany.”

A truly magical and unforgettable moment in the life of this family, don’t you agree?

A Heartbreaking And Honest Essay From A Man Who Suffers From A.A.A.D.D. – Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder

By
Stephanie Reeds

Joe Potocny may look like the usual family guy who has it all figured out, but his life story is not that bright. He is a man who has been living with Alzheimer’s for more than 15 years. His diagnosis was confirmed in 2004. And that is when the weird symptoms began.

He spent his life as a developer of computer systems. His brain would soak up everything. But then something inside of him shifted.

A few years after his initial diagnosis, he got a positive PET scan that confirmed frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTD). And all of a sudden, he could no longer function the way he once did.

That is why he retired at the age of 50.

However, it seemed like nothing could stop this man from enjoying his life.

Even though he was diagnosed with Depressed Distracted Stressed Syndrome” (DDSS), a diagnosis he coined after doctors diagnosed and then prescribed treatment first for depression; next, distraction and then stress, before finally realizing he had early/younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease, he never gave up on life.

Today, Joe has 5 children aged from 29 to 42 and he owns a blog where he writes informative articles and raises awareness about his peculiar conditions. He has also been a part of an HBO documentary called “The Alzheimer’s Project.”  Surprisingly, out of 7 people who were featured in the documentary, he is the only one who survived. Truly inspiring.

Additionally, this man has also published a book ( “Living with Alzheimer’s: A Conversation If You Will”) with stories from his everyday life. But there is one in particular that really brought tears in my eyes. This honest and heartbreaking essay perfectly depicts Joe’s everyday life. If you are someone who struggles with this condition, I hope that these words will comfort you in some way.

I know that it’s truly hard to live like this, but I want you to know that you are not alone.

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. –
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway,
I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage,
I notice mail on the porch table that
I brought up from the mailbox earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table,
put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table,
and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills
back
on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think,
since I’m going to be near the mailbox
when I take out the garbage anyway,
I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table,
and see that there is only one check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study,
so I go inside the house to my desk where
I find the
can of Pepsi I’d been drinking.

I’m going to look for my checks,
but first I need to push the Pepsi aside
so that I don’t accidentally knock it over.

The Pepsi is getting warm,
and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi,
a vase of flowers on the counter
catches my eye–they need water.

I put the Pepsi on the counter and
discover my reading glasses that
I’ve been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk,
but first I’m going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter,
fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV,
I’ll be looking for the remote,
but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen table,
so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs,
but first I’ll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers,
but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table,
get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to
remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day:
the car isn’t washed
the bills aren’t paid
there is a warm can of
Pepsi sitting on the counter
the flowers don’t have enough water,
there is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can’t find the remote,
I can’t find my glasses,
and I don’t remember what I did with the car keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today,
I’m really baffled because I know I was busy all the damn day,
and I’m really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem,
and I’ll try to get some help for it,
but first I’ll check my e-mail….

Do me a favor.
Forward this message to everyone you know,
because I don’t remember who the hell I’ve sent it to.

Don’t laugh — if this isn’t you yet, your day is coming!!

Source: Blog / “Living with Alzheimer’s: A Conversation If You Will”

Here’s Why Women That Don’t Love Themselves Have A Hard Time Trusting Others

By
Riley Cooper

Women that don’t love themselves have a hard time trusting others since they struggle to find out why anyone would be interested in them. When they notice that someone is flirting with them, they immediately assume that this person has some hidden intentions. They think that they just want to jump into their bed.

They doubt good intentions since it’s difficult for them to believe that anyone would love them when they don’t even love themselves.

That’s why when they enter a serious relationship with someone, it takes them a long time to start feeling comfortable around their partner. Why?

Because their mind is bombarded with all kinds of questions and doubts. They become suspicious when their partner comes home late from work. They feel insecure when they see their partner talking with an attractive woman. They fear that their significant other will realize one day that they aren’t meant for each other and leave them.

And do you know what the saddest thing is?

Regardless of how well their partner treats them and regardless of how much they trust their significant other when they say that they are never going to lie to them, cheat on them, and hurt them, one part of them always worries that they might do all of these things and even abandon them.

Women that don’t love themselves have a hard time believing that anyone would love them. They are able to come up with thousands of reasons as to why someone wouldn’t want to be with them, but they hardly ever find even one reason why someone would want to win their heart.

They even have a hard time believing in themselves as well. When they look at themselves in the mirror, they only see their imperfections. They feel useless and weak every time they make a mistake or fail to achieve a goal. They think they’re not good enough when they see a pretty, successful woman.

Indeed, women that don’t love themselves are their own worst enemy. Because they can’t see the beauty that lies within them. They can’t see the beauty and uniqueness of their soul. They see their vulnerabilities, insecurities, and fears instead. They allow their weaknesses and imperfections to determine their happiness, sense of fulfillment, and worth.  

There is only one thing that these women should always remember: The only person who can give them the love and happiness they deserve is themselves.

You May Not Yet Be Aware, But Every Single One Of These Things Is A Sign of Emotional Abuse

By
Stephanie Reeds

Believe me, you won’t always know that you are in a relationship with a cunning, lying, wicked, narcissistic and a toxic person. They’ve been born that way. Some of them have even worked hard to become those people. They know exactly how to buy your attention with a lie and make it look like they are telling the truth.

They know exactly what they are doing.

You may date this person, hang out with them 24/7 and still not notice that they have some kind of hidden agenda. The thing is, most of the time they are charming, loving and very considerate. But underneath that mask, there is something truly wicked.

Their main goal is to gain total control over you and your emotions. By doing that they own you. As time passes by, they do everything to chip away at your confidence and sense of self until you start to blame yourself for everything. The more they push you down, the more convinced you are that you are the troubled one.

Well, news flash. You aren’t. Your judgment is clouded because the person next to you is giving their best efforts to confuse you and make you go crazy.

You may not be aware of what is happening, but know that if you are experiencing these 9 things on a daily basis, you are in a toxic, abusive relationship:

1. Punishment by giving the silent treatment. Don’t ignore these signs. If your partner is constantly withholding eye contact and any important conversation, know that he is punishing you. He is controlling you by withholding information, affection, understanding, and appreciation.

2. Blaming and accusing. Another sign that you are a victim of emotional abuse is the sudden shift of responsibility onto you for every issue that you two face in your relationship. No matter what they are telling you, you cannot and should not be blamed for every little thing that concerns both of you. Release yourself from that victim identity and start speaking.

3. Contradicting. No matter what you say, they constantly disapprove of your opinions and discards your suggestions. A toxic person could never see those small things the same way you see them. Everything is always perceived in a negative way. Whatever you say, they will find the contra arguments to wear you down and discourage you.

4.Bad, offensive humor. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that their jokes are harmless. Everything is a part of their master plan. Their bad, offensive and disparaging humor is verbal abuse disguised as jokes. If they tease you, humiliate you in front of others, make sarcastic comments about your insecurities, they are not being funny. They are being cruel and inconsiderate. Don’t ignore those red flags.

5. Blocking and twisting the words. When you notice that they are trying to block the conversation flow or rudely interrupt your thought by mentioning a completely different subject, know that you are dealing with a partner who doesn’t respect your opinion. This is one of the signs that you are experiencing emotional abuse.

6.Constant judging and criticizing. They criticize you and judge your actions, but they pass it off as advice. Don’t be mistaken. That’s not constructive criticism. They only do that to mess with your mind and make you doubt yourself.

7. Forgetting the important things. We’ve all been through this with our partners. I mean, forgetting something is not entirely a problem. We all forget. That’s because we are all human beings. But there is a difference between forgetting once and not bothering to give a damn about important things. Know the difference.

8. Not respecting anything you say, do or believe in. You have to be really broken inside to not notice this red flag. When a person undermines you, minimizes your efforts, discourages you by criticizing you, or trivializes your ideas, it is clear that they don’t care about you. In fact, it is crystal clear that you are with a person who is emotionally abusing you.

9. Crazy-making and driving you to the brink of insanity. This is usually a combination of denying the truth, twisting your words, frustrating you by making you the fool, dramatizing, and confusing you until you finally give up and admit being responsible for something that you did not do.

Wake up. You shouldn’t let someone take advantage of your vulnerability. If you are going through some of these things, know that you are experiencing emotional abuse.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Being Genuinely In Love With Someone Means Being Willing To Take The Risk

By
Riley Cooper

Loving someone genuinely means being willing to risk getting hurt. It means being willing to risk being rejected. It means being willing to risk not being loved in return. Why?

Because love is never a smooth journey. Love is illogical. Love knows no rules. Love is full of questions and doubts.

How many times have you thought to yourself: What if he/she disappoints me? What if he/she breaks my heart? What if he/she gives up on me and leaves me? What if he/she only wants to take advantage of me?

How many times have you sabotaged a relationship before it even began to blossom into something amazing and honest with questions like these?

Perhaps you’ve had your heart broken many times or perhaps you’ve never given yourself the opportunity to love truly and unconditionally so as to protect yourself from getting hurt.

Regardless of what the right reason is, it’s easy for all of us to become conditioned to never allowing anyone to enter our hearts. Because it’s difficult to love someone and let them love you when negative thoughts and questions, like the ones mentioned above, are wrapped like chains around your heart.  

However, here’s the truth: When you close your heart to the risk of getting hurt, you deprive yourself of finding true love. You deprive yourself of finding genuine happiness. You deprive yourself of living the life you deserve to live.

Yes, heartbreak is tough, but it’s not nearly as tough as the life you create for yourself when you don’t allow anyone to enter your heart out of fear of getting your heart broken.

Therefore, remember: Being genuinely in love with someone means being willing to take the risk.

Loving someone genuinely means being willing to accept the fact that your relationship won’t be smooth and effortless. It means being willing to accept the fact that your heart will possibly be broken.

Loving someone honestly and unconditionally means accepting them exactly the way they are. It means embracing their annoying habits, whims, insecurities, and fears. It means not judging them for their weaknesses and imperfections.

Being genuinely in love with someone means being in love with the way they view the world, no matter how different it is from the way you perceive the world.

Being truly in love with someone means being willing to accept the fact that you will have to face many difficult challenges, problems, and obstacles. It means being willing to accept the fact that you’ll have to overcome many temptations and trials.

Being genuinely in love with someone means giving them your heart and soul, even when you’re afraid that you might get rejected or hurt, because love is worth the risk.

Yes, love is worth every risk. Love is worth every risk regardless of what the outcome will be.  Why?

Because when you’re genuinely in love with someone, you don’t let the fear of getting hurt or rejected make you hold back loving them. Instead, you love them with everything you’ve got. You love them deeply, madly, unconditionally, endlessly. 

Ultimate Dog Tease: One Of The Best Viral Dog Videos Of All Time

By
Riley Cooper

There are so many videos of animals doing funny things that are going viral that it’s difficult to go on the internet without seeing a video featuring some adorable furry friend.

Well, one such video that has gone viral in no time is titled “Ultimate Dog Tease.” The video has reached 197,522,222 views since it was first posted in May 2011. It features a lovely German Shepherd enthusiastically participating in a voice-over conversation with his owner about various kinds of food.

While the owner describes the food, the dog shows different reactions and the emotions on his face are pretty evident. The way this adorable dog reacts to what his owner is telling him will definitely melt your heart.

The dog’s human-like reactions are so cute that no matter how many times you watch the video, it’ll never fail to put a smile on your face.

Scroll down to check the popular video and make sure you watch it till the end because that’s when the main twist in the plot occurs.

Kind Man Decides To Spend His Life Adopting Old, Unwanted Dogs Who Can’t Find Their Forever Homes

By
Stephanie Reeds

There are days when I am utterly disappointed in humanity and disgusted by what we do. But then there are days, like today when I am genuinely proud to call myself a human. That’s is due to those few, amazing and kind-hearted people that exist on this planet.

And Steve Greig is one of them. He was just another passionate animal lover who had a dog for a best friend. But, one day, something horrible happened. His beloved friend, his dog, passed away.

However, even though it took him months to overcome the pain, he didn’t allow this event to crush him. He decided to get up and do the noblest thing a man can do!

Instead of mourning his loss for months, he decided not to wait long before he gives another dog a chance at a happy life. However, his idea was not adopting one dog.

No, no. What Steve had in mind was amazing and truly heartwarming. He went to the local shelter in Denver, Colorado and decided to adopt all of those, old, unwanted, or in a nutshell “least adoptable “dogs. And so, he did.

Today, Greig is a very busy dad who takes care of 10 elder dogs. His usual routine is waking up at 5 am and making breakfast for his cute family. After he feeds each and every one of the 10 hungry mouths, he then spends his day cuddling, takes them out for walking in the park and goes to his scheduled vet appointments.

His love for these amazing creatures inspired him to save all of those dogs who were often overlooked because of their age or their appearance. That is what also motivated him to make an Instagram account and share his amazing journey with the world. Right now, his Instagram profile has 806K followers.

And how could it not when it is constantly overloaded with cuteness and fluffiness?

 “You kind of know what you want out of life once you become a certain age. These dogs know who they are and it’s easy to develop a relationship with a person or pet who knows who they are. It’s just fulfilling knowing that these guys are happy and loved and well taken care of. It makes my days worthwhile,” Greig explained.

But, that’s not all. Steve also has a pig named Bikini, pigeons, ducks, cats and a few chickens. Even though he is full at the moment, Steve doesn’t plan to stop adopting more senior dogs in the future.

“I decided that the only way I would feel better was if something good happened that probably wouldn’t have happened if he had not died”

“So [I adopted] a 12-year-old Chihuahua with a heart murmur and four bad knees”

“…And that was just the beginning of all the animals”

That is how he became the father of 10 dogs.

Now, his life is focused on taking care of these 10 little rascals, feeding them according to their special diets, administering medications to the ones who need it, grooming them, petting them and loving them unconditionally.

He even comes back home for lunch breaks to let them out and give them snacks.

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