by AnnSheybani | Oct 5, 2015 | Life, Reading, 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 | Sep 27, 2015 | identity, Life
Everybody fears that they are not enough. Everybody. My father used to say that intimacy breeds contempt. This was his favorite motto, something he repeated every day So, I grew up believing that if someone got the chance to know the real me, they would hate my...
by AnnSheybani | Sep 18, 2015 | Life
My friend Whitney send me a link to this post. This piece is by Joni Edelman and first appeared in ravishly.com. Needless to say, I think it’s beautifully written, and pretty freaking relevant. I hope you get as much out of it as I did. There are many adults...
by AnnSheybani | Sep 13, 2015 | identity, Life
For a very long time, I believed that in order for someone to love me, I had to prove my worth. The trick was figuring out what a man wanted in me, and then playing that role. Love didn’t happen naturally, it had to be squeezed into place. I started dating...
by AnnSheybani | Sep 13, 2015 | identity, Life
Being a people-pleaser is exhausting, and demoralizing. For us, and everyone around us. Believe me, I know. That’s why I fell hard for Erika Napoletano and her TedX video. She doesn’t know it yet, but we’re BFF’s. Have you ever been afraid of...
by AnnSheybani | Sep 6, 2015 | Carl Jung Institute, identity, Life, parenting
A long time ago, when I was selling photo copiers for a living, I met an older woman who gave me a piece of advice I will never forget. “Darling,” she said, smoothing back her hair with steady hands, “there’s a time and a place for everything. You can’t do it all at...
