Life’s Golden Rules For Relationships

This method of determining how people in your life will treat you has proven itself to be true. Time. And. Time. Again.

Golden-Rule1If you quietly watch other people and really listen to what they say then you will easily see who is who. From there you can determine what you will and will not tolerate from the people you have in your life.

By using Life’s Golden Rules For Relationships your circle may get a little smaller (or it may get a lot smaller) but let it! The quality of people in it after you purge out the bullshitters will be worth your while. You will find yourself much happier and you will likely take notice that life is much calmer. Not to mention it becomes SO peaceful! 

The Golden Rules of Any Relationship:

If they lie to others in front of you-  they will lie to you too.

If they talk bad about others in front of you- they will talk bad about you too.

If they steal something right in front of you- they will steal from you too.

If they disrespect others in front of you- they will disrespect you too.

If they hide who they are from others- they will hide it from you too.

If they cheat on someone to be with you- they will cheat on you too.

If they blame others for their problems- someday they will blame you too.

If they use people in front of you- then eventually they will use you too.

Although genuine people are hard to find, by using this method you will quickly see who is who. (Just be mindful of their actions and hear their every word.)

And once they have shown you their true colors, believe them. 


Mom, How Do You Know If You Are In Love?


My daughter asked the age old question….

“Hey mom, how do you know if you are in love?”

My answer was quite simple. At least it was to me. And although it took me many years of my life to figure it out for myself, I felt like I could give her a legitimate answer.

But first, I had to start with what my definition of love is.

Love Is:

When you give of yourself and think nothing of it. You want nothing but to see the other person happy and for them to benefit. It is sacrificial, and you expect nothing in return.

Sometimes love can mean being with the person forever and getting married, and sometimes you love them enough to say goodbye. But when it is true love, you can feel it. You just click.

You respect each other and get along, and you don’t try and change the other person. You work together. It is a partnership with two people who are the best of friends.

You laugh regularly. You cheer one another on. And you feel like there is nothing that life can throw at you, that the two of you can not handle together. 

Now, being in love… that can be tricky!

But as for me…..

How do I know that I am in love?

For starters, I still count the hours until he gets home from work and we get our family time, and time as a couple. I still get butterflies when he touches my hand. And no matter how bad of a day I have had, one hug makes it all go away.

I look forward to every conversation we have, from religion to politics and everything in between. I love getting to know him more every day. I love the simple ways he shows me on a daily basis that he loves me.

I am simple. So is he. And together, it is just something magical.

And when you are in love…. it is magical. Nothing anyone says will make you feel any different. And every day, you love them more than the day before.

how love test

They Come And They Go

I recently read a quote that said “If a friendship lasts more than seven years it will last a lifetime.” I don’t buy it! 

Now granted, I have been blessed with many of good friends. Some friendships go back as far as 34 years. But even some of those “friendships” do not have much depth to them. If we knew each other at the core of our being, we may not really like each other.

I have found that friends come in cycles. Although we are blessed to have some we may consider our best friends, they are only our best friends so long as they can relate to us in some way. Whether is be that you are raising kids the same ages, both in marital trouble, both single, both party animals, both share the same hobbies, or even both on a spiritual journey together… they tend to come and go. So long as we are changing, our circle will continue to change as well.

The friends worth keeping are the ones who:

*Tell you the truth no matter how bad it hurts.

*They are not offended by your lack of time for them.

*They understand we are all unique with our own thoughts, feelings and ideas. They respect yours and you respect theirs.

*They listen as much as they speak.

*No matter how much time lapses, you are a phone call away from feeling like there was no time lost at all.

*They make you laugh when you would rather cry.

*They want to see you happy and successful.

*They are with you at your worst and at your best.

If you have one good friend, that you can trust and share life with….. count your blessings. And keep a hold of him or her. A good friend who is both honest and true, is hard to find.

Love At First Sight, Is It Real?

ImCo-DependentBWMany people ask the question “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

Had they asked me 20 years ago the answer would have been no. But if I was asked today, I would say absolutely without a doubt….YES, I do believe in love at first sight.

Why yes? One might ask.

I knew from the second I saw my guy. I was lovestruck. There was just something about him that was different than the rest. It is hard to explain, but I just knew. There was a connection before the exchange of words. I was mesmerized. And I was somewhat frozen.

What happened was….

I was just minding my own business singing a song and out from around the corner he came. He walked towards the stage and then stopped just a few feet away from where I was. And then we locked eyes as I continued to sing. When I was done singing, I knew I was ready to start loving. This one had me before we even said hello. And so the love story began.

It truly caught me off guard. It was just so unexpected. So random. And well… flat out magical. At the time I was in a very bitter, anti-relationship, man bashing place in life. And the morning after I had met him, I walked into work and said “I met my future husband last night” and they looked at me like I was insane. They thought I was joking at first. But no, I was so serious.

To this day he is my best friend, and I love him with all of my heart. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. He is the peanut butter to my jelly, the peas to my carrots, the salt to my pepper, and so much more.

I still get butterflies when he touches my hand. I still count the hours until we get home to one another. And I feel so thankful and blessed for all the ways he has shown and continues to show his love for me. He is my rock.

Love is so many things, and I feel like we have them all. It is patient, kind, willing, sacrificial, giving, understanding, accepting, loyal, faithful, and it is forever. Once you finally find it that is.

ABC’s of Life Series – Day 4 Letter D : Dreaming Is A Must

ABC’s of Life Series

Day 4, Letter D


Dreaming Is A Must

We all are born to dream. Sometimes we just have a hard time believing  in our dreams enough to follow through. We get stuck in these ruts of being comfortable, and find ourselves afraid to take a risk. However, we need to take a risk; to achieve a gain.

This world has developed due to people’s dreams and their determination to make those dreams a reality. Because someone dared to dream, we now communicate in this world faster than ever before. We build luxurious homes, we dine at the finest restaurants, and we wear some of the most lavish clothing.

Because someone dared to dream we have cures for diseases. Infants can live prematurely for weeks ahead of schedule and still survive. We are living longer, and for the most part we are healthier too.

Thank goodness people in this world have dreams. I am grateful that no matter how many times people were told it could not be done, someone made it a point to do it anyway. They followed their heart, and they succeeded.

Dreams keep us alive and give us something to look forward to. Dreams advance the world and grant opportunities like never before. Dreams, are a key to happiness. Fulfilling them is when happiness has nearly been mastered.

“Not only must we take time to dream, but we must make the time for our dreams to come true.”                    

What is your dream? Are you ready to make it happen? It can be done ….



Day 5 Letter E: Exercise Your Freedom Of Speech 

© Angela Bininger and The Empowerers, 2009-2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

The Mathematical Formula For Destructive Relationships

All relationships have the potential to be hazardous, abusive,  and destructive. The destruction begins gradually and at times it will not end until  long after the relationship itself has ended. It just depends on how long we allow the destruction to occur before stepping up to the board and balancing out the equation.

Just as in mathematical equations that become difficult; we should simplify difficult relationships in our lives too. Simplifying can mean counseling, creating a positive change in the relationship, eliminating irritants, or in some cases simply leaving the relationship and moving forward.

Destructive relationships can be hard to spot initially. Over time the signs become more obvious, especially as we begin to see what was once a bright flower wither and fade away. Once we see the first sign of a destructive relationship, the others signs and symptoms arrive shortly after. Or so it seems.

Signs of a Destructive Relationship:

Non-trustworthy partners seem to be a dime a dozen these days. The breaking of trust is the beginning of a destructive relationship. Once trust is broken; it is time to break out the hard hats. The wrecking crew has arrived.

If two people can not trust one another the relationship officially becomes classified as a destructive relationship. The person that can’t trust suffers, and as a result the person that can’t be trusted does too. This is not healthy for either party.

Recovery from broken trust is possible if correction occurs, and it is sincere and genuine. This typically means that there will not be repeat offenses. If there are repeat offenses there may be a bigger problem. There could be a compulsive liar in the picture. If so, there are ways to break the liar down. Once you break them down and all truth becomes visible, options can be weighed out and recovery is absolutely possible. Until then, brace yourself for the other phases of a destructive relationship.

Internal Damage leaves us holding on to things that leave us felling lost, hopeless, sad, or broken. These feelings can be overwhelming and cause panic attacks, anxiety attacks, depressions, and sometimes paranoia. Internal damage can make true forgiveness seem impossible.

External Damage is when one will begin to notice things around them breaking. Whether on purpose or by accident; everything begins to break down internally and externally. This typically happens after a few incidents have occurred that created internal damage or conflict.

Withdrawn from normal activities is a symptom of a destructive relationship.  One may withdraw from friends, family,  and activities. They will isolate themselves with their partner and display signs of social avoidance. This needs attention particularly if the withdrawing from others is not for legitimate reasons. Sometimes, people grow up and apart. It doesn’t necessarily mean one is withdrawn.


Excessive Weight gain or loss is another sign that someone is in a destructive relationship. Sometimes people who are suffering emotionally will eat or starve their way to feeling in control of something. Food becomes a replacement for those gaining weight. For those in a destructive relationship that are losing weight, I have found that they starve themselves strictly to feel in control of something in their life since other areas are lacking self-control.

Control is a common characteristic seen in one or both parties involved in destructive relationships. Controlling people have the same patterns across the board, and they will often come off as very well liked socially. If they tell you where to go, what to do, who to talk to, what to wear, or how to act; they may just have control issues. If both parties are insecure and have controls issue, there could be a few Doomsday’s ahead.

Psychological Abuse occurs when one belittles another’s achievements or lack there of. Psychological abuse can be any type of mind game; from name calling to threats of suicide. One may also manipulate their partner into forgiving or at least trying to. Someone who is psychologically abusing their partner may also threaten suicide when their partner decides to leave them. If the person being abused speaks of suicide, their words ought not be taken lightly. 

Psychological abuse can be any of the following phrases (to name a few):

I said NO! You can’t wear that! Nobody cares what you think! Nobody cares about you! You don’t matter! Who are you talking to? Who’s calling here? You can’t talk to “them” ! This is MY house! I pay the bills! You are LAZY! You are worthless! Get out! I don’t need you! I never loved you! You are ugly! You are fat! I hate you!

These words can be devastating, and often lead to violence. If you are in a violent relationship leave immediately. There are shelters across the country that house men, women, and children in violent situations who are looking for relief.

Violence is not healthy in any relationship. Violence can be hitting, throwing, smacking, cornering, or intimidating another person. Violence often follows psychological abuse.

Depression is usually the last phase before one begins to receive a reality check as to where their relationship has been; where it is, and the direction it is heading. Depression can be life threatening and one suffering from depression should seek help from a certified medical professional. There are some self-help techniques for depression, and ways to fight depression. However, talking to a counselor is always a good idea. It is nice to have an outsider help us reduce difficult equations.

When things become broken inwardly and outwardly in any relationship; getting out is the only way to avoid having only bits and pieces yourself left. Repairs are much easier when something is only partially broke, than when no longer running at all.


When They Claim You Are Something You Aren’t

Sometimes as relationships end people tend to hold on to a few mistakes one person made and use them as that person’s complete character make-up. They will talk about you, deceive you, and manipulate the situations allowing others to believe you are someone you are not. The best thing to do in a situation such as this, is just bide your time.

When people lie, it always comes out eventually. It may take a week, a month, or in some cases many years. But nonetheless, it comes out. All we can do, is keep doing what we know is right. We must stay true to ourselves and not let the negativity they project towards us, get to us.

Say a prayer, and have some faith.  Over time others will see who was being honest, and who wasn’t. Others will see who is weak, and who is strong. Others will begin to question the things that do not add up. And when they do, that someone who was once trying to convince others that you are someone you aren’t; will get a dose of karma.

“What we project out, will always be returned to us. So keep projecting the good and eventually, the good will come.”