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Loving in Doses: How Setting Unspoken Boundaries Protects Your Peace and Your Relationships
Have you ever loved someone deeply, but realized you could only take them in “small doses”? 🔋💬 In this clip from Tricks My Dog Taught Me, I share an insight with Michelle about what putting “conditions” on a relationship actually looks like. It’s not about giving conditional love or withholding affection—it’s about managing your own… →
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Loving from Afar: How the Definition of Unconditional Love Evolves with Age
How has your definition of “unconditional love” shifted over time? 💭✨ In this clip from Tricks My Dog Taught Me, I ask Michelle about what unconditional love meant to her in her 20s versus today in her 50s. Back then, it often meant sticking around no matter what—even at the cost of inner peace. Now?… →
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Beyond “Ride or Die”: Why Maturing Means Prioritizing Self-Value Over Self-Sacrifice
Does the “Ride or Die” mindset actually have an expiration date? 🤔🔥 In this clip from Tricks My Dog Taught Me, Michelle drops a huge wisdom bomb: as women mature into their 30s, 40s, and 50s, the urge to blindly “ride or die” for everyone else fades. Instead, growth and wisdom teach us to step… →
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Seeing the Child in Each Other: How Honoring Old Roots Kept Our Friendship Strong
No matter how grown up we get, there’s always that younger version of us inside—full of hope, dreams, and pure potential. 💫 In this clip from Tricks My Dog Taught Me, I share a little moment with Michelle about looking past the adult exterior and seeing the 8- or 10-year-old child in our lifelong friends.… →
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Don’t Let Your Relationships Collect Dust: Why Today Is the Time to Unwrap the Gifts in Your Life
Every day—and every person in our lives—is a gift. But how often do we leave those gifts sitting in the corner, waiting for a “special occasion” while life just passes by? 🎁✨ In this clip from Tricks My Dog Taught Me, I share a reminder with Michelle about the importance of making time for the… →
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Loving People in “Small Doses”: Setting Healthy Boundaries Without Losing Your Compassion
In your 50s (and honestly, at any age!), protecting your peace becomes non-negotiable. 💡 In this clip from Tricks My Dog Taught Me, our guest Michelle drops a real truth bomb about dealing with constant pessimism in friendships: you can still love people, pray for them, and wish them well—from a distance, or in “small… →
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Beyond Titles and Status: How Success Changes Friendships and Perception
“The more I achieve, sometimes I find that other people distance themselves…” 💭✨ In this clip from Tricks My Dog Taught Me, Michelle and I get honest about how job titles, status, or professional achievements can sometimes create an unintended wall in friendships. Being an English professor or reaching new milestones doesn’t change who I… →
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Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Why Experience Outweighs the Letters After Your Name
“I always kind of feel like I have imposter syndrome… but I have the experience, and that’s what covers me.” 💡✨ In this transparent clip from Tricks My Dog Taught Me, Michelle gets real about wrestling with imposter syndrome and the feeling that a degree or title is required to validate where you are. She… →
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Finding Yourself Again: Navigating Identity Loss, Big Changes, and New Beginnings
“My whole life was centered around my kids and husband at the time… I got so lost in that that I lost Michelle.” 💔✨ In this clip from Tricks My Dog Taught Me, Michelle shares a vulnerable, real, and humorous look at what happens when you lose your identity in a relationship—and the big changes… →
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Releasing Perfectionism: Learning to Be Enough in Every Role You Play
“I came to the realization: I can’t do everything at once. And I have to be okay with that.” 🤍✨ In this clip from Tricks My Dog Taught Me, Michelle and I dive into the constant pressure of wearing so many hats—mother, professor, wife, friend, sister, and faithful servant. For a long time, not being… →
