Not This Time, Brutus: Preventing Betrayal

“Et tu, Brute?” says a startled Julius Caesar in the Shakespeare tragedy, as he dies on the point of his closest friend’s sword.   While most modern day betrayals are not as dramatic as getting run through by a sword, many of us have felt the pain of getting stabbed in the back.  Many betrayals take place […]

Get Real

Why is it so hard for us to tell people our real feelings?  Whether we’re in a work setting, personal relationship, or family scenario, why are we so hesitant to be honest in the moment to someone’s face?  Are we afraid to hurt their feelings, afraid of confrontation, not sure what to say, or afraid […]

Cool Your Jets: Slowing Down in Love and Life

My upstairs neighbor has a theory.  “If you find someone you really like, you should wait 30 days before sleeping with them,” she told me over my kitchen table.  “It worked for me and my husband.”   I don’t know that I agree we need to wait a month before sleeping with someone.  (In fact, […]

Drawing – and Moving – the Line

As I’ve been constantly accosted by Italian men on this trip, one of the major lessons I’ve been experimenting with is personal boundaries. On the one hand, arriving to this passionate country as a typical uptight American, product of the Puritan heritage, I knew that I had to lighten up and relax. On the other […]