Blog Posts by BounceBack

Finding the path to happiness is in your hands!
By Kelli Cooper for BounceBack.com

Difficult times make us grow. This is definitely a cliché but clichés are clichés for a reason - they are true. Being happy in relationships is not about never having bad things happen to us and living a charmed existence where we have never been touched by difficulty or heartbreak. Happiness is a choice. Hard times and broken hearts present us with an amazing opportunity to cultivate it in our lives.

Related: Complement or Compromise: Does Your Partner Really Complete You?

It can be difficult to see this sometimes. When we are in the thick of our misery, everything seems bleak. We believe that we will feel like this forever or that our life will forever be tainted by the bad experiences that befall us. These experiences, however, force us into a space where amazing things can happen, a space we often do not enter willingly.

So many of us are living lives we really do not want in one way or another. We have avoided the in-depth

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Are you complementing each other, or just compromising?
By Sarah Rae for BounceBack.com

You say tomato, he says tomahto. It's something you love about him right now, but if the relationship doesn't last, it ends up on the list of things he did that drove you nuts. How can you tell in the beginning if you're falling for your complement or if you're just making compromises?

Your complement should not only have strengths in place of your weaknesses, it's a partner who also inspires you to be a better person. Your complement won't just get along with people you might not be crazy about, they'll also make the effort to understand why you're not crazy about them. A partner who is a complement to you makes the two of you as a unit an unstoppable force, a bionic couple.

Related: Love Yourself Before Loving Another

A complement becomes a compromise when you see your needs fall by the wayside. Your partner is always getting what they want. Food, movies, furniture, even friends are all things they love but you could do

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How can you move on if you can't move out?

By Patia Braithwaite for BounceBack.com

We've all heard that the leading cause of relationship strife is finances, but what happens if the thing that tears you apart is exactly what forces you to stay together? According to a recent NPR news story , there is a direct link between economic turmoil and divorce rates, with many couples opting not to divorce because they cannot afford it. Even couples that aren't married might find that breaking up doesn't mean that they can break their lease.

Related: The 10 Worst Ways to Break Up With Someone

So what do you do when you want to separate, but you can't move out and move on? Here are a few tips for coping with this situation:

1. Respect Each Others' Space: Even though you can't exactly draw a line down the middle of the apartment, you can respect each others' personal space. Consider who will sleep where, and perhaps arrange your schedules so that the two of you don't end up spending lots of time in the apartment together.

Read More »from How Do You Move on from Heartbreak...When You Can't Move Out?

Are you Living Your Life for Other People?
By Kelli Cooper for BounceBack.com

One of the keys to true happiness is living your life in the exact manner you wish. Doing things that make you happy, that feel right to you and are in line with your values and beliefs. While we can make this decision at any time, many of us fail to truly exercise our right to happiness and end up living our lives for other people. We let so many things stand in our way of living an authentic life true to who we are.

Depending on the family we have, the culture we grow up in and what not, we have been led to believe that there are just certain things that you just do, that are acceptable, that are right. Often times, these dictates are quite arbitrary but because they have been drilled into us so deeply, we begin to see things in terms of right and wrong, when the choice or action in question is simply a matter of preference. How many may have given up the love of their life because they were pressured into marrying someone of the same

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Would you go on a breakup date?
By Rosie Munger for BounceBack.com

You hear the music loud and clear and the signs are very obvious: your relationship is not going to work out. It's too bad because you have a great time together and generally get along quite well. Unfortunately, that is not always enough for a romantic relationship to survive. Whether you and your date have different relationship goals or friendship is a better path, you may be loath to end the courtship because you'll miss the companionship.

Related: Complement or Compromise: Does Your Partner Really Complete You?

Well, why not have one more "date" after the breakup? What rule says you can't? Read these five guidelines to know whether a breakup date is right for you.

1. You must break up before the date.

Both parties need to know what's going on. We're not talking about a regular date that you go on and then break up with the person at the end! During your breakup conversation, you will know whether it's appropriate to suggest hanging

Read More »from Is a Breakup Date for You? 5 Tips on How to Do it Right

Self-Help Junkie?
By Kelli Cooper for BounceBack.com

When it comes to the amount of materials available to you to improve your life, it is quite astounding. You can never learn too much so I encourage you to take in as much as you can. So many different areas to cover - reducing anger, strengthening your spiritual connection, changing your mindset and the list could go on and on. There are so many different techniques and exercises to try.

There are lots of different types of people presenting the material. They have different personalities, different takes on the subject at hand, different ways of presenting it and different suggestions for implementation. It is natural to seek out materials written by various people to find what best resonates with you. I know I personally relate to certain styles more than others - I like more in-your-face, dropping truth bombs more than the lovey-dovey hug your inner child stuff, though I believe all types of material can offer something.

Exposing

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In life's big events, how do you deal with divorced parents?
By Latchkey Man for BounceBack.com

Divorce can make otherwise easy things seem complex, and it can make complex things seem damn near impossible. So when it comes to planning events, figuring out who gets to come to what can be overwhelming. I've been relatively lucky in this regard, as most of the big events in my life occurred before my parents' divorce. I was born, circumcised, graduated from high school and college, had my wisdom teeth removed, and got married. Life was a lot easier not having to worry about how to dole out the attendance to those events.

Related: Are You Living Your Life for Other People?

But now that I've entered a new stage of life when a generic invite to mom and dad comes along with increased complications, I often stress out about who I should invite, especially when the events aren't all that important. Part of the reason it's more complex is because my parents, despite almost three years of separation and a new grandchild, still have yet to Read More »from For Life's Big Events, Make Your Own Rules for Divorced Parents

What's the best Hollywood breakup line ever?
By JBPravda for BounceBack.com

In anticipation of the Oscars, here are some of the best breakup lines ever penned by Hollywood's playwrights. The list includes lines from all-time classics as well as more contemporary flicks. Regardless of generation, the point remains the same: it's over.

And the nine nominees for Best Breakup Lines in Hollywood History are:

1. Knocked Up (2007)

Anonymous sex between Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) and Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) leads to, well, that thing that pops out after about 9 months.

Quote: "Just go. Because we didn't mean to do this together, okay? And we tried to make it work and that was good, I suppose. But it doesn't work. Because we are two completely different people. And I think it would just be easier for both of us if we stop fooling ourselves." -- Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl)

Is she bluffing or just plain angry? Either way, she knew how to smoke out whether he was a do-right sort.

Related: Is Staying

Read More »from Hollywood's Best Breakup Lines? and the 9 Nominees Are.