I never realized it until a few years ago, but I when I get together with family and friends for any kind of occasion there often tends to be a little anxiety. I'm either really excited to see certain people or I'm not looking forward to being around others. Let's talk about the not looking forward to being around others part.

I've come to learn that this is normal. Let's face it, we don't always click perfectly with everyone and that's okay. Yet I used to think that I had to like everyone. I used to think that if I didn't click with someone I had to somehow adjust myself. I wasn't okay with being uncomfortable. I needed things to feel just right. I wanted everyone to like me, to approve of me and to think I was a good person who did good things.

The truth is, I realized that there are people who will never like me, approve of me or think good things about me... even if they are 'family and friends'. I have to be okay with this... and so do you... well, if you want to be peaceful you do. But I get it, it's not easy.

Answer the questions below as honestly as possible and learn what kind of support you need!

1) How are your overall relationships (or your primary relationship):

a) better than ever

b) okay but I have some concerns

c) very confusing and exhausting

d) hanging by a thread

We all do it. A close friend or relative is struggling with a personal problem and because we love them so much we take on the problem as if it were our own.

I remember my mother-in-law, Gisele, talking to me about this a few years ago. She had this vision that there were two boats in the water. One was getting banged around by the waves because it was unattended, while the other one was swerving all over the place because there were two people trying to steer it.

She later realized that the unattended boat was her own while the other boat belonged to one of her loved ones. As she zoned in on the boat she could see that she was indeed the second person at the steering wheel fighting for which direction she thought the boat should go.

I saw this quote yesterday and immediately knew that it would be this week's spiritual idea.

I am such a huge advocate for personal growth and development. Every single one of us is suffering with some sort of emotional pain on some level and when we refuse to deal with it, we eventually suffer the consequences. The thing is, is that these consequences don't just affect us they affect every single person around us and especially our loved ones.

Jim Rohn is saying in this quote that it isn't about expecting other people to take care of us but that we need to take care of ourselves. He's saying that when we take care of ourselves we are ultimately taking care of the people we love. I couldn't agree more.

We all have our own hour glass. Funny thing is, we never know when our time is up. When I think about all the things I want to accomplish in my life, I think about this quote, "If not now... when?"

Do you have a 'someday' list filled with all sorts of projects, dreams and goals that mean a lot to you and yet you can't imagine finding the time to complete them?

As part of the 9 Steps to Inner Peace and Happiness, I included a step called, "21 Day Challenges". It's a crucial step to inner peace and happiness because challenging ourselves to accomplish what is important to us will drastically increase our happiness. Why? Because when we get things done we feel good about ourselves... it's as simple as that.

One of my biggest challenges is to stay focused on the present. Instead of living my life one day at a time, I often find myself either in my past or in my future. At our recent Eat, Pray, Love meetup, one woman said that most people spend time either rehearsing or rehashing. Wow... talk about an eye opener.

I've been there too... you have the best intentions to reach a goal and it turns out to be an epic fail. The worst part is that this isn't the first time you've tried; you've been trying and failing over and over again. You say to yourself, "What's wrong with me? Why can't I do this? I'm so weak. Why can other people accomplish this and I can't? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me?"

STOP! You are not the first person to experience this. WE ALL FAIL at different times in our lives but what's most important is that we don't give up on ourselves. Why am I so convinced about this? Here are 5 very valid reasons for why you should never ever give up on yourself:

We hear it all the time; our problems are intended to help us become a better version of ourselves. But let's get honest... when 'the fit hits the shan', it isn't very easy for us to accept the idea that it's all happening for our greater good.

For those of us who really try, it can be extremely difficult to find the silver lining in some of our problems. In the midst of chaos how do we really practice the idea of becoming better rather than bitter?

I think the key word here is 'practice'. Embracing our problems as tools for our greater good requires consistent practice. Wouldn't it be cool if when things went wrong we immediately looked for the silver lining? Imagine skipping past all the hurt, pain and anger and instead jumping right into the idea of, "What's this really all about?" How would doing this impact your life? Doesn't it feel like the fast track?

I'm definitely the woman who wears her heart on her sleeve. I share my thoughts and feelings quite openly. I've created some really incredible relationships by doing so but I've also put myself in some pretty awkward situations too. For that reason, I've had to tweak my ways a little.

I like to think there is a healthy balance in sharing our emotions with others. If I dare say, I believe there is even a criteria for it.

If you find yourself always wearing your heart on your sleeve, you might find today's spiritual solution helpful.

The kids and I have been studying 'A Course in Miracles' for children. We're loving the short stories and workbook lessons.

Last night the lesson was, "What makes a shadow scary or friendly? My mind does." It went on to say, "Your mind tells you what to think. Your mind tells you whether you like what you see or whether you don't like what you see."

While this spiritual concept may seem very simple or even obvious, I think it's worth some reflection. This concept can be used as a  spiritual solution any time we're thinking frustrated thoughts about something or someone.