Relationship Equality: Myth or Goal?

“Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.”

—Madeline Bridges

I love this quote! It is applicable to so many aspects of our lives. For example, work, education, avocation, sports. We know that if we want to succeed in any endeavor, we have to work at it. This is true for family, school, business, exercise, and other life endeavors. Success takes hard work. But it is achievable. It can be done.

Couple Lake

Succeeding in Your Relationship

But does hard work really pay off when it comes to our relationships?

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5 Things You Can Learn From Charlie Sheen’s HIV Status

Charlie Sheen People Com Image Photo Credit people.com

The Stigma of STD’s

Whenever a celebrity reveals that he or she has a sexually transmitted disease (STD) known referenced as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), the media explodes with the “news.” Then most of us talk about it. How could this have happened to a rich, successful icon? Did he do something to deserve the affliction? Why did he fail to prevent it?

Charlie Sheen is not the first celebrity to admit to test positive for HIV status. Nor will he be the last. And while his lifestyle placed him at a higher risk, this was not necessarily the direct indicator or predictor for contracting a STI. However, Sheen’s diagnosis is a reminder that sexually transmitted diseases do not discriminate based on age, gender, or socioeconomic status. No matter who you are, if you do not make a conscious decision to have safer sex, the results can be life changing.

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Bill Cosby: Why is the African-American Community Protecting Him?

Bill Cosby and other fragmented African-American men are a sore topic these days. Black males in America have been demoralized throughout our history and, as a result, the black community has become protective of their image, character representation, and how we discuss them in public.

Race discussions can be highly charged. We are hypersensitive because of the backlash associated with racism. Nobody wants to be perceived as a racist. There is also a troubling social double standard so whenever a minority male does something wrong, the reflection on the African-American community as a whole makes the matter worse.

I am a part of the African-American community. What disturbs me is when we either fail to address or try to justify bad behavior to protect a member of the black community. This does not have good consequences for us as individuals or as a community.

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