Arianna Merritt, MEd | Health Educator & Digital Creator

Job Seekers: Shift Your Anger into Positive Action!

This quote in my last post gathered quite a few responses, “Passion is positive anger; it is anger harnessed into constructive action. For example, you feel angry that someone or something you care about has been harmed in some way; therefore, you resolve to do everything in your power to prevent such injustice from happening again. This is an example of anger harnessed to bring about positive change.” Readers and job seekers wanted advice to harness their energy into turning their dreams into reality, valuing themselves, and not losing hope.

Coping With Anger

How do you deal with anger?

You may be reading this question, afraid to admit that some occasions in your life have made you feel angry. But, you needn’t be wary of acknowledging your anger. Everyone experiences anger at some time in their lives; anger is a normal human emotion. What we do with our anger is when problems can arise.

Love is Essential to Life

There's a repeating random thought that has been on my heart for awhile now. Love is essential to life. This message has been pretty direct.

We always think we have more time to tell someone how we feel about them. Or, we think that people already know that we care about them, so why do I have to show them again?

I keep being reminded that because life passes by so quickly, it is so important to put energy and time into showing yourself and others on a daily basis that you value them :) Call someone randomly, make them a cake, or give them a hug. Just like water is essential to life, so is love!

Dealing with Criticism: How do YOU cope?

In the past, the way I coped with insults was by seeking support and advice from others. Many people like to offer advice – I think the worst piece I ever got was when, after sharing with someone that I had been criticized, I was told in a harsh tone, “Suck it up and deal with it.” I had been really low, as someone had said something really hurtful when I was vulnerable. Usually I am good with bouncing back from an insult, but this time it took a little longer. My delay in bouncing back wasn’t due to the insulting comment; it was because of how I dealt with it.

A Quote about Relationships that got me thinking....

This quote struck a chord with me. When it comes to relationships, it is hard to evaluate your actions with your mind when your heart is so heavily invested in the other person.

The quote reminded me how, in the past, I have "fought for a person" instead of both of us "fighting for it." Relationships need both parties to make it work. I was guilty of this. I held on to this man because I enjoyed his presence in my life, yet our relationship wasn’t worth fighting for. There were many factors as to why it didn't work, but in the end he didn't want to “complicate” his already complicated life.

Is there such a thing as "Just Friends" ?: The complicated dynamic between men and women.

In today's western society, individuals are constantly interacting with members of the opposite sex (i.e., at work, school, places of worship, in sports, etc.). Most people in the generation of individuals from 16 to 35, have many close friends of both sexes. How does having many friends of the opposite sex influence the individual's romantic relationships? As someone who has numerous friends of both sexes, here are some questions that I have been thinking about lately. I would like to hear your opinions on this topic.

The first question that I have asked myself frequently is: Can men and women be "just friends" without the question of dating entering the picture?

Craving Connection 2: Why is it so hard to be vulnerable?

I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day, which made me think about an earlier blog post I wrote, "The Value of Authenticity in Relationships." My friend and I have known each other for a number of years, and we have tried to be authentic with each other. While I thought we were close, recent events happened that pushed us awayfrom each other and made us only discuss superficial topics. My friend then brought up how I was a "frustrating friend," as I only talked about superficial topics; so, the friend had lost interest in our friendship. We were both going through hardships, yet we did not share with each other. This example shows that it is even hard to reach out to share with your friends.

"I AM ENOUGH": Brene Brown's talk on vulnerability

I just finished watching 'Brene Brown: The Power of Vulnerability" on Ted Talks. She said things that really resonated with me and how I think people should live their lives. Watch it!

The Importance of Sisters

People have many roles in their lives. I became aware of all my roles when I had to write them down one day in class. For example, this is what I came up with:

- daughter, sister, grand-daughter, niece, friend, colleague, athlete, student, etc.

The one that stuck out to me that I have really examined the importance of recently was that of a sister. I have always been the eldest sister to two younger beautiful sisters. I think that because of the fact that I'm older than them I have always been very protective of them.

Say what you need to say!

I love having a great friend of mine around me. I know that he will always be completely honest with me and share his true opinion on issues and that is a rarity these days. When we go shopping, he will be honest about what he thinks (good and bad) of the clothes I pick out. Yes he might say some clothes aren't flattering but when he says it looks amazing, I trust him. He will be real and honest with me (and everyone else) and that is characteristic I really appreciate in our friendship. I give the same thing back to him. I really admire his courage to be bold and stand up for himself. I have learned a lot from him. He isnt afraid to ask the tough questions.

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