Tag: pain

If you are a stepmother, there is no doubt you have found yourself in what can feel like a no-win situation. The very basic nature of being a stepmother, or an "outsider" who has joined the family circle, means that you’ll be examined under a microscope and potentially the recipient of criticism and emotional unloading… and that’s just for starters!

It is important not to deny your feelings, suppress them, or beat yourself up for feeling the way that you do. Of course you are going to have some painful feelings around this dynamic.

"Masturbation: the primary sexual activity of mankind. In the nineteenth century it was a disease; in the twentieth, it’s a cure." ~ Thomas Szasz

Although there is no chapter dedicated specifically to masturbation in my new book Sex that Works, I refer often to why self-pleasure is so essential to moving towards a healthy relationship with pleasure itself. In fact, sex educators the world over call masturbation the cornerstone of all other sexual acts, because the more attention you have for your own sexual response the more sexually competent you become in partnered relationships.

As citizens of the most affluent society that’s ever existed, you’d think Americans would be happy—yet too many of us are anything but. We’re stressed and overworked. Unhealthy. Self-destructive. We’re disconnected from those we (presumably) love. We consume and consume—buying up not just food, but expensive homes, cars, vacations, high-tech "toys"—yet nothing fills the hole. If you’re skeptical, let the numbers speak for themselves:

Beginning around age 40 many women notice changes in their bodies that sound an alarm. You may be perplexed by creeping weight gain and stubborn belly fat. Perhaps you feel stiffer in the mornings and are becoming accustomed to living with little aches and pains in your joints. You may start looking for the elevator instead of taking the stairs.

Behind the scenes, all the systems of the body are indeed undergoing a subtle shift. As you approach pre-menopause, hormonal changes cause the metabolism to slow down. There is a steady decline in bone and muscle mass. You are at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. You may even experience a slight decrease in balance and cognitive function.

So often a new beauty gadget comes along that makes bold statements, but is nothing more than the subject of a slick infomercial. Red Light Therapy is not that. In fact, Red Light Therapy is a technology developed by NASA for plant growth on shuttle missions when it was discovered there are many more benefits. It is a highly effective age-proofing device that's non-invasive and can be performed in the privacy of your own home. Many beauty professionals and doctors use these actual devices. The results you will achieve are outstanding.

"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." ~Richard Bach

I recently learned that the transformation of the caterpillar to a butterfly isn’t just about the effort of spinning their cocoon. Once inside, the caterpillar literally liquefies in its metamorphosis to its adult form as a butterfly, which, while short lived, optimizes the astonishing feat of beauty and freedom that most all living creatures aspire towards.

We have all heard and probably recited the nursery rhyme "sticks and stones may break my bones…" You know the rest: "But words can never hurt me."

If only it were true. The fact is that words do hurt. Unlike a bruise or broken bone, we can’t see the wound on the outside. Most of us can recall instances from our own lives when words cut deeply, causing wounds that may still hurt.

Since these wounds are not visible to others, we go through life exhibiting behaviors that come from how we deal with these old hurts. If we try to bury the wound rather than learn from it, we not only prevent healing, but we are likely to inflict pain on others.