Published in The Curious Leader·Mar 16Three Steps to Freedom From Emotional Debt“Look the other way if you don’t like it.” “It’s not gonna hurt one bit” is what emotional debt would say to you if it could talk. Like a thick needle about to go through the skin, it will tell you to look the other way, and there won’t be…Awareness3 min readAwareness3 min read
Published in The Curious Leader·Mar 3A Practical Guide to Solving Your Emotional DebtWhen my client first came to see me, I saw a middle-aged woman torn between staying married and getting divorced. She and her husband had been together for ten years. “Why thinking about divorce now?” I asked. …Relationships3 min readRelationships3 min read
Published in The Curious Leader·Feb 15Three Ways to Recognize You Are in Emotional Debt“Why can’t he understand what I want?” my client said, feeling resentful that the love of her life was not getting it on purpose. “Doesn’t he know what he is doing is causing me pain?” “What is it that you want from him?” I asked. My client swallowed the tears…Emotional Intelligence3 min readEmotional Intelligence3 min read
Published in The Curious Leader·Feb 1How The Rules of Monopoly Apply to Emotional DebtRemember playing Monopoly as a kid? Nearly 50% of American households have banned Monopoly from being played in their homes. It’s game night, and you’re looking in the closet for a game to play with family and friends. As you reach for the box with the word Monopoly written on…Relationships3 min readRelationships3 min read
Published in The Curious Leader·Jan 13What Do Will Smith, Emancipation, and Emotional Debt Have in Common?I recently saw a movie that got some harsh reviews. Maybe you saw it too? It was Emancipation, starring Will Smith. I wonder if the critics would have been more generous with their praise had that movie been released before the world heard the infamous slap. In the movie (based…Emotional Intelligence4 min readEmotional Intelligence4 min read
Published in The Curious Leader·Dec 15, 2022What Are Hallmark Movies Costing You?This article is a warning about emotional debt. Among Hallmark’s 80+ million movie fans, most are women between the ages of 25–54. If these women have a secret desire, what is it? I can’t speak for everyone who loves Hallmark movies. What I can tell you is that my secret…Relationships3 min readRelationships3 min read
Published in The Curious Leader·Dec 1, 2022What Daphne Bridgerton Wasn’t Told about Emotional DebtI am a big fan of the Bridgertons. Are you? And what I have come to realize after watching season one is its theme of emotional debt. Let me explain. Does birthright imply servitude? At 22 years of age, Daphne Bridgerton is put on the marriage market. Never mind what she wants. …Relationships4 min readRelationships4 min read
Published in The Curious Leader·Nov 15, 2022Have We Confused Emotional Debt with Human Decency?There’s a Netflix show I love, and it’s called The Good Place. It stars Kristen Bell as Eleanor. In the show, Eleanor wants to learn how to be a good person, so she turns to a moral teacher who tells her that we owe it to each other to be…Relationships3 min readRelationships3 min read
Published in The Curious Leader·Oct 13, 2022Are You Solving The Grief Attached to Your Emotional Debt?Looking pale and tired, my client greeted me with the faintest smile on her face. For a bit now, she had resisted feeling the grief attached to her emotional debt and letting it go. “Can I cut corners?” she asked in a low voice. …Emotional Intelligence3 min readEmotional Intelligence3 min read
Published in The Curious Leader·Sep 28, 2022Has “Ready!” Become The New Excuse to Procrastinate?I ran a poll where 70% of the respondents said they were ready to solve their emotional debt. However, not even a fraction of those people reached out to get that help. Has “Ready!” become the new excuse to mean “Not yet!”? If so, at what point does “Ready!” …Emotional Intelligence3 min readEmotional Intelligence3 min read
