01 — They listen without judging or shaming. When you share something hard, they don't make you feel broken for having it. They hold space, not judgment. 02 — They show gratitude that you shared. They recognize that opening up takes courage. Instead of brushing past it, they honor the moment. "Thank you for trusting me." 03 — They protect what you share. Your story doesn't become their gossip. They hold your words with care—not as currency to spend with others. The warning: Not everyone has earned your vulnerability. Being open isn't about sharing everything with everyone. It's about sharing the right things with the right people. Vulnerability is a gift. Give it to people who honor it.

The 2 enemies of authentic connection: 01 — SELF-ABANDONMENT Betraying your own needs, values, or boundaries to keep someone else happy. 02 — SHAME The belief that something is fundamentally wrong with who you are. Here's how they work together: Shame says you're not worthy. So you self-abandon to prove you are. Which confirms the shame. Repeat. The result? You end up in relationships where you're present but not seen. Connected on paper. Lonely in reality. The way out: → Challenge the shame: You're worthy of connection as you are—not as you perform. → Stop self-abandoning: Stay loyal to yourself even when it's uncomfortable. You can't hate yourself into connection. And you can't abandon yourself into belonging. P.S.- There will be a new course in March that will help you slay the two enemies to connection so you can more easily create relationships that serve you. Stay tuned!

Society taught you to treat people like products. "What do they bring to the table?" "Red flag or green flag?" "Know your worth." Sound familiar? Here's the trap: When you evaluate people, you know they're evaluating you too. So you perform. Curate. Hide. Try to pass their secret test. And even when you're "chosen"—they chose the performance. Not you. That's why you can feel lonely IN a relationship. The alternative? Co-creation. Stop asking "Am I good enough?" Start asking "What can we create together?"

We had so much fun together. Laughing. Adventures. Chemistry that felt undeniable. But between the fun? Fighting about nothing. The same argument wearing different clothes. A tension that never fully resolved. I kept thinking the good times meant we were good. But fun isn’t compatibility. Laughter isn’t alignment. Great chemistry doesn’t mean you’re building the same thing. The fun was real. So was the wrong. Honesty over comfort. That’s The Pact.

How do you choose the right relationships and avoid the wrong ones? A new video in the classroom answers that with a keynote speech backed by science and illustrated with real life experience. Click on the Classroom tab and check it out today.