Somewhere in our quest for individual success, we forget our relationships with others. We forget that how we treat others is just as important as how they treat us. Too often we become takers. We want to “play them” before they “play us.” We focus solely on “getting ours.” We encourage each other to “do you!” And like a cheating lover, this strategy will betray you and leave you lonely…

Being strong doesn’t mean being angry. Being independent doesn’t mean being selfish. Being educated doesn’t mean being elitist. We shine when we nurture and love and care. Don’t be afraid to laugh and cry and dance and love with reckless abandon. Don’t be afraid to smile. Softness and vulnerability and tenderness do not make you weak. They make you human. They make you a woman…

In love, treat men how you want to be treated. Know that his needs are just as important as yours. Don’t treat your relationships as if you are the only prize. It astounds me how many women think that somehow they are the only one that matters in a relationship. Its called a RELATIONSHIP for a reason. Remember that. Why do you think that when you yell, and berate and marginalize a man, he will love you? Yes, we know you are strong and capable, but so is he. So let him be it.

Don’t punish your children (and everyone else) for your bad decisions and poor choices. And yes, you have made some. Probably several…

Don’t treat your friends or children or parents like they are just another entry on your to-do list. (Trust, I’ve learned the hard way.)…

No matter how accomplished you are, what people will remember is how you treated them. No one will recall how many degrees you had or what type of car you drove or that you had a fireplace in every room, but they will remember how you made them feel and what you brought to their lives and that you made them a better person for having known you.