As we go through life, people are going to come and go at various stages. Our best friend in first grade becomes a faded photograph in the school yearbook. Our first crush becomes an old handwritten note in the middle of a Chemistry notebook. Each season of life brings us people, and while some stay in our lives, a lot of them go. As we think about people who have left us, we can get

When you have been hurt by your partner, it is easy to forget all the things he or she did to make you feel love. You may be so consumed by hurt and anger that you feel hatred towards them. And in those moments of high emotion, it can feel like the long history you have where they made you feel loved didn’t even exist. You see, love and hate are much more similar than

In Breaking Bad in an episode called Hazard Pay, after Walter has killed meth boss Gus Fring, Walter, Jesse and Mike buy a fumigation company called Vamonos Pest. It is used as a front for their continuing criminal enterprise, but they also use some of the homes they fumigate to cook the meth so they will remain undetected. Once a week, Walt and Jesse pick a house for a temporary cook location. Badger and Skinny

As tempting as it can sometimes be to argue your point, it’s often a waste of time to do so. People are usually very committed to their ideas and convictions, and nothing that you say will change their minds. If you persist in arguing with them, they will only dig their heels in deeper. They will refuse to listen to you, or they will even twist your words and apply meanings to them that you

We have all had moments in our lives where we have put on a mask to hide our true authentic selves to be accepted by others. Whether it was dressing, speaking, or acting a certain way, we tend to change ourselves in order to win other people’s approval. We spend so much time and energy trying to please other people. But is it worth it if they don’t even like us for who we are?

In Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, Harry visits Dumbledore and says, “So the sorting hat was right? I should be in Slytherin.” Dumbledore admits that yes, Harry does possess many of the same qualities that Voldemort prizes. He asks Harry why the sorting hat placed him in Gryffindor. Harry replies that it was because he asked it to. Dumbledore tells Harry that is because he asked the sorting hat not to put him

In Breaking Bad, Bob Odenkirk plays Saul Goodman, a criminal lawyer turned lawyer criminal. He has an incredible talent for finding legal loopholes and skirts the edge of the law on a regular basis. At some point, he espouses the wisdom that some people are immune to good advice.  And as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it. You can show someone a path or

It takes a lot of courage to speak your truth, especially in a world that seems to have an overabundance of critics. Sometimes it feels safer and easier to stay silent and avoid any potential conflict. Unfortunately, that means that only the loudest, most aggressive voices will be heard, and only one side of the story will be shared. Refusing to speak up can give the impression that you are timid, shy, weak, or even