And a controversial life choice that helps — The loneliness of introverts can feel and look different than the loneliness of extroverts. Some might not even recognize it as loneliness. But even though we introverts like, and even need, to be alone, it doesn’t mean we don’t occasionally feel lonely. Introverts can feel lonely in a group and…

How many do you have? — It might be nice if we all knew how to get along and maintain our relationships through instinct. Many other animals on the planet seem to survive purely by instinct. Whales, eels, sea turtles, penguins, and other birds can travel thousands of miles and back with no help. Meanwhile, we…

You haven’t tried it because it’s counterintuitive. — There’s a misconception in our society that not feeling “in love” signifies your relationship isn’t working. Or that it might even be entirely over. The truth is, it’s unrealistic for you and your partner to expect one another to maintain the same level of loving feelings for one another throughout…

And some might just help restore your faith in humanity too — Like many people, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with social media. I don’t want to give it up completely, but I’m often exploring ways of making it better in my life. For all the negatives one can point out about the hours we lose to scrolling whichever platform has us…

And how to start shifting your thinking today — For a long time, I didn’t realize how essential a growth mindset is for successful relationships. Often when people discuss mindset, the focus is on how a growth mindset benefits a person as an individual. It helps kids in school. It helps each of us deal with failure. All of…

Save yourself an immeasurable amount of time, frustration and misery — When I look back on my life in my teens and twenties, there are five truths I wish I’d realized sooner. This knowledge would have saved me an immeasurable amount of time, frustration, and, frankly, misery. I used this time to travel quite a lot and develop interests in the…

Why I’m trying not to forget each near miss — Two years ago, our dentist referred us to a specialist for something he’d seen in my daughter’s jaw. He didn’t seem overly concerned. I wasn’t either until I took her to see the specialist and saw the look on his face after he examined the x-ray. At that moment, the…

Even if you really, really want to — I’m not sure how it started, but my husband and I have a “no baggage” policy. Secret resentments or silent grudges are forbidden. Maybe because our relationship started long-distance, we quickly recognized that open communication was the only way we had a chance of making it. So, for us, there’s…

Things I didn’t know then (but can tell you now) — Around 8 am on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend 2001, I gave myself a silent pep talk in the mirror. This is a necessary practice for introverts who occasionally want to pass for extroverts, without consuming alcohol. I was at the College of Santa Fe for the long weekend…