Life's Negotiations

I'm reading a book on happiness right now, and it made me think about its connection to life coaching.

Most clients want to improve their lives or be more successful doing what they love. Part of the process ends up being learning to enjoy where you are right now. Without the ability to appreciate how special and awesome we each are, there is no sense in going after something new.

Otherwise, how will you ever know that you have what you want?

The New York Times had an interesting article about how friendships, and the act of sharing too much or too often, can be detrimental to your self-esteem.

Friendships are important for promoting self-esteem, but I think the author, Sarah Kershaw, makes an important point. If we look to friends to wallow with us in what-if scenarios and doubt for an extended period of time, our feelings will continue to spiral.

This quote from a college sophomore, Patricia Letayf, caught my attention:

The following is my reply to an article in Huffington Post's Living section on a newlywed couple decision about having children.

Tamsen - thank you for expressing what quite a few of us married 30-somethings only whisper about at cocktail parties (where we hope our pregnant and mom friends can't hear us). Being happy shouldn't be about kids or not, you're absolutely right. And it shouldn't be assumed what your decision is before you've made it.

Deciding about being a mother feels like a taboo subject. Speaking for women here and not the guys, why can't we support each other - no matter whether we're mothers, are having trouble getting pregnant, haven't made up our minds yet, or decided against having children. Who better to understand the decision and all it entails than another woman.