Personal Development, Selflessness

How the Selfish and the Selfless can Enter into an Unhealthy Relationship

I mentioned before that there are probably more good people in this world than bad ones.  This is a completely unscientific statement, but I wouldn’t be surprise if a survey determined that, indeed, more people are prone to performing a kind deed rather than a bad one.  How, then, can’t this majority of good people… Read More How the Selfish and the Selfless can Enter into an Unhealthy Relationship

Book Review, Non Fiction, Psychology, Self-Help

Book Review: Toxic Friends by Susan Shapiro Barash

The premise is simple: you can’t change your friends, but you can change the way you deal with them. A toxic friendship can be dealt with once you understand what is going on and your contribution to it. Once you figure out your part in starting and sustaining it, you will be able to take… Read More Book Review: Toxic Friends by Susan Shapiro Barash

Community, Community Building, Community Development, Friendship, Personal Development

How to Make the Time to Nurture Deep Friendships while Having the Time to get to Know All Community Members: Some Thoughts

Just a couple of weeks ago, Bahá’í communities around the world elected their national administrative bodies in a unique electoral process.  One of its aspects is, as I personally understand it, that each elector has to make the effort to get to know all the members of one’s community. I also understand that to build… Read More How to Make the Time to Nurture Deep Friendships while Having the Time to get to Know All Community Members: Some Thoughts

Baby Shower, Family, Parenting, Pregnancy

The Community and The Baby Shower: Tightening Bonds of Friendship {Includes Free Printables & Pinterest Inspiration!}

When my husband and I were approached for the first time and asked if we were having a baby shower, we said no.  Although we both love babies and baby showers, it felt weird to plan our own. When we were approached by family members and were told that a shower was being organised for… Read More The Community and The Baby Shower: Tightening Bonds of Friendship {Includes Free Printables & Pinterest Inspiration!}

Community, Community Building, Community Development, Friendship

Pleasantries: the Hydrogen Bond of Community Building?

Do you remember your organic chemistry? Do you remember those little H-bonds, who were not in themselves strong enough to hold a molecular structure together, but were strong enough to change properties of, say, water? The ones that make a molecule wrap itself differently, and/or make it a little stronger? I have always had an… Read More Pleasantries: the Hydrogen Bond of Community Building?

Community, Community Building, Media, TV

Community-Building and Friendship in the Era of Friends and The Big Bang Theory

A community is in part defined by the relationships that binds its inhabitants. More specifically, the number of relationships, their nature, and their quality will have a big influence on the life the community. Both Friends and The Big Bang Theory have given millions of fans something that seems to be, on screen, very healthy:… Read More Community-Building and Friendship in the Era of Friends and The Big Bang Theory

Community Building, Friendships, Personal Development, Relationships

The Importance of Trusting People Who Love You

“Trust is the foundation of all human connections, from chance encounters to friendships and intimate relationships.” (Source) So when one’s faith in people is shaken, if not broken, it comes as no surprise that our relationships suffer. An interesting concept has peppered quite a number of conversations around me in the last two months or… Read More The Importance of Trusting People Who Love You

Book Review, Fiction, Review, Women's Fiction

Book Review: ‘The Thread That Binds’ by Alice Hayes

About the author: Originally from Winchester, England, Alice’s plans to read law at a British university were disrupted when she fell deeply in love with Georgia, USA, while studying abroad. After moving all over Georgia, Alice has finally settled in Athens and has no plans to go anywhere else. She is a single mother to… Read More Book Review: ‘The Thread That Binds’ by Alice Hayes

Community, Community Building, Personal Development

The Importance of Learning to Reflect Without Backbiting

A couple of years ago, I went through an extremely difficult situation. A misunderstanding was being compounded by past experiences, and a friend of mine was reacting badly—and increasingly so—to every attempt I made to iron things out. I cannot understate the pain of that experience nor the amount of time and energy I poured… Read More The Importance of Learning to Reflect Without Backbiting