When 2020 rolled around, I didn’t have a ton to show for the 2010s. For the entire previous decade, I did nothing but live in the moment. Which is good and bad I supposed. However when it came time to reflect, I did not end up where I wanted to be heading into the next decade of my life.

In my 20’s there was no real future planning, just future-hoping.

As a dreamer at heart, I felt a little ashamed for not accomplishing everything I’d hoped. …

I am only 3.5 episodes into the new Netflix reality show “Love is Blind.”

As a former professional matchmaker I am hooked and curious.

If I didn’t have work this morning I would have binge-watched this cracked-out version of The Bachelor until 4:00 AM.

Before you proceed, please be aware that I have not watched ahead to see the final outcome of the show and I have not read any internet articles to spoil my predictions.

This show turns dating into an extreme sport

The concept behind ‘Love is Blind’ is to test the age-old question, is love blind? To do so, the show producers selected a mixture…

For those “normal eaters” out there, the title of this article may be confusing. What’s so scary about food? And, what in tarnation is a fear food?

You’re right. It does sound a little…unrealistic. Food couldn’t possibly be scary.

But!

For those struggling with an eating disorder, or even for those sucked into the chronic dieting vortex, certain foods can be scary. These foods, called fear foods, are usually blacklisted from one’s diet altogether and generally cause an immense amount of anxiety when reintroduced into someone’s diet.

According to Boston Children’s Hospital, fear food is defined as:

foods that make…

An incredible first date can lead to an exhilarating post-date rush.

You’re only one date in and already you’re imagining a future with this person. Wouldn’t it be nice to have drinks on the pier with them this Spring? Maybe you’ll finally have a plus one this wedding season? Oh … and your future kids would look so cute!

Suddenly, your imagined life with this person makes your actual life feel impossible to live without them. Your heart is already enjoying a hypothetical relationship with them in a steady daydream.

But sometimes, your pesky brain jumps in to announce one…

The only path to healing I truly know is through self-compassion. Because healing begins when the mind softens.

When a person hits rock bottom there’s a fleeting moment of opportunity during which self-compassion shines a tiny light. It’s a moment when you connect with your true self detached from rage, hurt or depression and recognize that you’re actually OK in there.

Whether or not you let that little light of self-compassion beam brightly or become engulfed into your darkness again is primarily up to you.

This is why I suggest, when you notice a glimpse of self-compassion, that you catch…

There was a time I gave all my power to food to lose weight. I was terrified of weight gain and obsessed with the scale. I counted calories like my life depended on it and found myself preoccupied with food. I scrutinized my body. I noticed personal weight gain and even tiny amounts of weight gain in other people. Despite my thin privilege, I still wanted to lose weight.

I was a fatphobe. A fatphobe is defined as a person who fears or has a negative perception of fat people and/or fatness.

Here’s the thing. I was not consciously walking…

When I was 21 my boyfriend introduced me to the show How I Met Your Mother. I’ll admit, it’s a funny show. But the show introduced me to a concept that haunted me for years.

In one of the episodes “winning the breakup” is explained as when one person in a broken-up couple moves on faster than the other. To the outside world, they recovered “better”. Basically, the person who wins the breakup gets into a new relationship right away and they don’t reveal as much pain or regret (even though they might be feeling it).

My ex-boyfriend made sure…

My earliest memory of Lady Gaga is dancing to Just Dance in Zumba class when I was 16.

At first I didn’t really get her. What was with the shock factor and all the outfits? Who was she? I didn’t even know what she looked like behind all the wigs, makeup and props.

However, as the years progressed, so did Gaga.

It seemed as though she slowly started showing up as a relatable person. We could finally catch a glimpse of Stefani Germanotta. When she removed the raunch and glitz, I stopped trying to figure her out and started listening…