Do you believe being single is a bad thing? Or that it’s a problem that needs to be resolved as quickly as possible? 

I hope your reflexive answer to these questions is “absolutely not!” But, even if you’re not aware of it, you may have echoes of these cultural attitudes boomeranging around your brain, and they can make it hard for you to feel fulfilled and happy outside of a committed relationship. 

Now, don’t get me wrong — I think loving relationships are absolutely fabulous. In fact, I’ve devoted my life to helping people create and maintain healthy relationships through services like counseling, dating coaching, and more. 

But I also know that there are many people who are searching for a partner while living with a deep anxiety about their status as a single person. Many single people tell me they’re kept up at night by worries about the possibility of never finding love. Ironically, this kind of desperation can undermine your chances of building the kind of life that would make you authentically happy — and that would invite healthy love into your life in a sustainable way. 

If you are single and worried about never finding a partner, I hope this episode of the podcast helps you find greater meaning and happiness. My guest is John Kim, a marriage and family therapist and the author of “Single on Purpose: Redefine Everything, Find Yourself First.” He’s sharing tips on being single and happy, while also making room for real love in your life. You won’t want to miss this conversation!

With love, 

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

growingself.com

In our hectic, demanding lives, it's easy to lose sight of ourselves: Who we are, how we feel and what we need. Even more challenging can be figuring out how to assert all-of-the-above in our relationships with others. This is particularly true if you've been existing in a toxic relationshipor codependent relationship, or navigating the aftermath of a bad breakup. In the midst of stressful circumstances, attaining empowerment can seem out of reach — especially when you've been focused outwards rather than within.

Attaining Empowerment

On today's show my colleague, therapist and life coach Teena Evert and I are talking about many of the "pieces" involved with cultivating personal empowerment, including:

• Mindful self-awareness
• Building self-loveand self-compassion
• Why building a sustainable self-care routineis key to maintaining your solid foundation
• How stress can impact your empowerment
• The need to create balance by staying aware of your feelings
• How to be assertive and set boundaries in relationships... while also being flexible
• Trusting yourself
• How to ask for what you need... while also having compassion and empathy for people you love
• Developing a sense of self worth that is independent of external validation
• How to not give your power away, blame others, or lose yourself in relationships
• How to not fear your own power

I hope our conversation gives you insight into how to begin cultivating empowerment in your life.

With love and respect,

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

www.growingself.com

PS: We discussed a number of resources on the show today. Find links to them here: https://www.growingself.com/self-empowerment