Good Clean Reads

“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.”  ~William Faulkner

Every positive psychology text you will ever find will name the practice of gratitude as one of the most direct routes to reframing your thinking and increasing the positive aspects of your life. For instance, like love, it is impossible to feel afraid while...

By Dr Tammy Nelson

Relationships are sometimes about conquering.  We conquer our fears when we conquer the object of our desire. Or we let go of our fear when we allow someone else to conquer us.

In the beginning of a relationship, we desire what we don’t have, wishing for our partner and longing to be with them. And we long to be either conquered or to conquer them. It is a delicious chase to...

by Anastasia Strgar

We’ve all been there- one minute we’re going about our lives as we’ve been doing day after day and the next we meet someone who we think is maybe the most amazing thing since sliced bread. They can do no wrong and we’re attracted to them like moths to flames. All we can think about is whether this other person feels the same way about us- do they feel the earth move, the...

by Anastasia Strgar

“All goes onward and outward. Nothing collapses. And to die is different than what anyone supposed… And luckier. They are alive and well somewhere, the smallest sprout shows there really is no death and if ever there was, it lead forward to life…” -Walt Whitman

This is one of my favorite quotes about death, for it transforms the thought of death from one of fear of endings...

By Tina Tessina

Marriage can be frustrating and disappointing, especially if you don’t have the skills to fix it. But giving in to the frustration and leaving may turn out to be the worst thing you ever did.
Consider these reasons to stay:

1. You still love each other. Maybe you’re irritated, frustrated or resentful, but bottom line,
you’d be sad to lose your partner. Don’t give up. What’s wrong...

“The practice of peace and reconciliation is one of the most vital and artistic of human actions.”   -Thich Nhat Hanh

I grew up accustomed to angry bursts of violence. My parents divorced when I was thirteen, but the years leading to their final separation made the divorce more of a relief than additional pain. Communications were mostly done in different octaves of yells and even now, my children...

“There is a secret about human love that is commonly overlooked: Receiving it is much more scary and threatening than giving it. How many times in your life have you been unable to let in someone’s love or even pushed it away? Much as we proclaim the wish to be truly loved, we are often afraid of that, and so find it difficult to open to love or let it all the way in.” –John Welwood

Most of us are...

by Anastasia Strgar

Remaining friends with your friends is just as important as being friends with your partner, which is why it is essential that these two parties meet and become acquainted with one another once it’s clear that you two are together. It’s been said that the friends you have are a good reflection of yourself, which is why getting to know your partner’s friends can actually give...

by Elizabeth Spannuth

I often joke that I am “breaking down gender stereotypes” when I exhibit certain social behaviors that have traditionally been associated with men, such as opening doors or paying the check. Even though these behaviors are more the exception than the rule in these times, the stereotype still persists. I was shocked and amazed earlier this week when my boyfriend broke down the...