Yes! This is exactly my thinking about the whole “Starbucks Cup Controversy” that recently went viral. It was baffling! I’m a Christian, with lots of friends who are Christians, and I couldn’t point to a single person who cared about the stupid cup thing. That’s not to say there aren’t whackdoodles out there who think…

For pity’s sake, don’t wake them up!!!

Ironic that the only people who can’t afford to pay for ad-free services are those who likely also lack disposable income to buy whatever’s being advertised.

I really appreciate the coping skills suggested here. I recently recognized how much I am affected by other people’s stories and emotions and stresses. Not everyone—just the family and friends I am closest to. I don’t want to stop feeling for them, but I do need some better self-care habits for those times when I’m…

Bags. After a parade of fall-apart purses and tote bags, I finally splurged on a Saddleback leather satchel with a 100 year warranty. The more I use it, the more beautiful it gets. I’m also a big fan of Timbuk2; my laptop messenger bag wears like iron and hasn’t shown signs of wear after 8+ years of hard use.

I am sorry, human. You have been replaced by a record player.

And then make sure you DO get back to them, whatever your answer is. As someone whose job often requires asking others to volunteer, I always appreciate getting a firm answer one way or the other in a reasonable time. If it’s a no, that gives me more time to approach someone else. People that employ “let me think…

After we polished off a half gallon of Breyer’s Mint Chip, I’d try to remind them of their previous successes and the times they’ve come through adversity in the past. I’d let them mope for a couple of days, then give them a swift kick in the butt to get them up and out the door in search of new possibilities.…

It's the little bit of pleasurable anticipation at the edges of the savagery that makes it truly terrifying. He's looking at the photographer as if he can already imagine the taste of him.

This is how we do things, too. Even if you never ask for repayment, loans create tension between lender and debtor. If you can afford to help out, give it as a gift. If they want to repay you, suggest instead that they pay it forward when they get back on their feet. I find that it strengthens friendships to be there…

I think you're right on. What we call depression usually encompasses a combination of symptoms, and most likely has equally varied and interconnected causes. It's well-known that emotional trauma can cause changes in brain chemistry, as can stress, lack of sleep, diet, and a host of other things. Most people I know…

You've hit the nail on the head. Balance. When I read the Good Enough article, I was thinking primarily of its implications for consumerism. Now that we have access to innumerable customer reviews and discussion boards and articles about items we're shopping for, we can spend hours researching prospective purchases,…

Just out of curiosity, what is vegan leather? I've never heard of that before.

This is great advice. When my husband and I were going through marriage counseling, some of the issues that I was angry about really kept me stuck for a while, even after we had talked them out and seemingly resolved them. I didn't want to keep bombarding him with my residual resentment, so instead I wrote about it,…

I think that using a debit card has made it harder for me to resist the little impulse expenses that he is talking about—coffee, lunch out, movie tickets, etc. When we've tried the "envelope system", of having a finite amount of cash for each item in the budget, it really has reduced that constant spending creep.

I work in a small office, just me and two men. We are also part of the same church family. I do consider them good friends, but I'm even closer to their wives. With my church, work, and social life so intermingled, I definitely find what you said to be true—there's a huge motivation for us not to let each other down,…

Great point. That's an effective coping mechanism of mine, too, when something little is annoying me. Finding the big blessing behind my kvetching that I'm not paying attention to. Gratitude almost always shrinks those irritations down to a manageable size.