by AnnSheybani | Dec 16, 2013 | 10 Stupid Things WomenDo to Mess Up Their Lives, Alcoholic rules, Alcoholism, attachment, choosing a mate, connection, Daddy Hole, dating, desire, Emotional Unavailability, growing up, Honesty, identity, Intimacy, Life, love, Rescue, sex
It was the 70’s. Playboy and Penthouse were ubiquitous on suburban coffee tables, at least in the households where I babysat. My parents, in keeping with the make-love-not-war attitude of the era, kept a stash of porn star tell-all’s, Penthouse Forum volumes,...
by AnnSheybani | Dec 1, 2013 | adventure, all or nothing, coaching, connection, God, gratitude, guilt, identity, Ireland, Life, Writing
Do you remember coming home for break while you were in college? You’d have a pile of heavy textbooks in your backpack, along with the intention to catch up, or get a jump-start, on various assignments. And do you remember how, invariably, just as day follows night,...
by AnnSheybani | Nov 2, 2013 | Authenticity, Bridget Cooper, choosing a mate, Codependency, Confidence, connection, dating, expectations, Honesty, identity, Life, love, marriage, mountain climbing, nice girl complex, people pleasing, running, Self love
Have I ever mentioned how much I love questions and comments? I do. Thanks again to Jessie for the inspiration for this post. Here’s what Jessie says: My [dating] challenge will be to find the right balance between ‘must-haves’ and ‘realistic.’ For example,...
by AnnSheybani | Oct 21, 2013 | Authenticity, Betrayal, confrontation, connection, Courage, Cultural Issues, death, divorce, guilt, Honesty, husband, identity, Intimacy, Iran, Life, marriage, mixed marriages, risk, Self love, tension, voice
The summer I came back to the States, the fall I chose never to go back to Iran, I told myself that if I could just get away from my husband’s family, just gain a little control, then all my troubles would magically disappear. I understood that if I refused to go...
by AnnSheybani | Sep 29, 2013 | Confidence, connection, George Sheehan, identity, Iran, Islamic modesty, Life, marathon, reinvention, running, Running to Win
In grade school, I was one of those kids, the kind no one picked for their team. Instead, I lurked on the sidelines with Arlene, a fragile girl with Bambi eyes, and Joanne, a chubby thing with an attitude problem. The trouble with me was that I refused to...
by AnnSheybani | Sep 23, 2013 | all or nothing, books, coaching, connection, Ireland, Nice is Just a Place in France, Reading, role model
Walt and I are getting ready to go to Ireland for three whole months, which has me feeling vaguely hysterical. You want to see my all-or-nothing mindset kick in, my NOW, NOW, NOW or the world explodes mode switch on? Come on over and sit on my couch. You may even...