Friday Video: TED Talk – Janine Shepherd shares a powerful story about the human potential for recovery. Her message: you are not your body, and giving up old dreams can allow new ones to soar.

It is human nature that when things are not going well in our life we look for reasons that are outside of oneself. We point to the actions of others, we blame the environment around us or we just look at just having bad fortune as reasons. Certainly, external forces do happen and many times they impact people who in no way expected them to happen. However, more often than not, those items that are holding us back or keeping us at a pattern of unrest are internal to us.

Step away from comparing yourself to others. Period. If someone exhibits a behavior you admire, work on adopting it for yourself, but don’t judge yourself for not already having that behavior.

The only way to control fear is to face it. Mark Twain once said, “Courage is resistance to fear, not absence of fear.”

You’ve decided to refuse to play your part in the dysfunctional relationship(s) by choosing to be assertive. When we are assertive we choose to handle ourselves, our reactions, our relationships, and stressful situations in a healthy, responsible, and non-manipulative manner. We understand that we have choices. Remember that you will be treated exactly as you feel you deserve to be treated. Communication is a learned skill.

Everyone is capable of using emotional blackmail to get what they want. Don’t let yourself become a victim. Apply the tips in this article and protect yourself.

Friday Video: TED Talk – Is there something you’ve always meant to do, wanted to do, but just … haven’t? Matt Cutts suggests: Try it for 30 days.

Emotional dependency is a concept that covers two things people active in addiction or in early addiction recovery really aren’t very good at; emotions and relationships.

The brain, like a computer, needs to be studied and understood before it can be used effectively. In order to be able to increase the effectiveness of our willpower and self-control we need to know what directs our behavior.

Do you seek approval constantly? Do you depend on others for your self esteem? How approval seeking increases your worry and anxiety? People especially children, teens, and young adults seek approval constantly and many worry that they won’t get it. People want to be liked and they want to fit in with their group. Peer pressure is one of the main reasons of approval seeking, which usually causes many people excessive worry and anxiety if they don’t…