by AnnSheybani | Feb 4, 2013 | Boundaries, Cultural Issues, exotic cultures, expectations, Iran, misinterpretation, people pleasing, Saying no
We make commitments to others in order to appear nice, and then we kick ourselves when they are inconsiderate enough to take us at our word. When I lived in Iran I often found myself irritated by tarof, traditional Iranian etiquette. Stopping by someone’s home...
by AnnSheybani | Feb 28, 2012 | adventure, choosing a mate, Cultural Issues, dating, divorce, expectations, husband, identity, Iran, love, marriage, match profile, Match.com, mistakes, Muslim, Self-Esteem
I used to think that women, like me, were guilty of being non-selective when it came to choosing a mate. That any warm body that paid us a little attention could end up walking us down the aisle. But lately I’ve been noticing that men–particularly young...
by AnnSheybani | Sep 27, 2011 | 10 Stupid Things WomenDo to Mess Up Their Lives, adventure, Authenticity, climbing lessons, Codependency, Confidence, Courage, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, George Sheehan, goals, identity, Iran, marathon, mountain climbing, Rescue, route finding, running, Self-Esteem, Uncategorized
I climb high mountains. I’d like to offer you three lessons I’ve learned: climbing lessons, if you will. I’ve discovered over the years that there are many “mountains” in life. These lessons can be applied liberally. Lesson 1: There are many paths that lead to the...
by AnnSheybani | Jul 20, 2011 | attachment, Authenticity, choosing a mate, Claire Danes, Codependency, dating, divorce, Ebola, Honesty, Intimacy, Iran, manipulation, marriage, Uncategorized
He kissed me on the lips and told me the sorts of things an insecure girl longs to hear. “I would bring you to Iran with me. I would love it if you joined me,” the man I wanted to marry said, his warm breath grazing my ear. “ I just don’t know how I could ever justify...
by AnnSheybani | Jun 27, 2011 | Iran, Kit Furey, limiting beliefs, Marianne Williamson, Neuro Linguistic Programming, NLP, self-sabotage, Sidiqqi Ray, superstition, The Evil Eye, Uncategorized
Envy killed the chickens. Or so my Bedouin mother-in-law believed. There once was a jealous neighbor who came for a visit. Commenting on the large flock of hens pecking away in the courtyard, forgetting to invoke God’s blessing on such wealth, she drew the Evil Eye’s...
by AnnSheybani | May 21, 2011 | adventure, choosing a mate, dating, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, husband, Iran, marriage, match profile, Match.com, Uncategorized
Hakim’s niece was about to marry a Persian boy she’d met at school. She’d done things right, however, unlike some of her cousins. She hadn’t fallen in love beforehand. She’d accepted the offer of marriage, after considering a number of formal suitors, based on...
