Articles
Browse every published article connected to Noelle Nelson, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Noelle Nelson, or search within this exact expert archive.
Bills, bills, bills! That’s all you see. And here it is tax-season, which for some lucky people might mean a refund, but for you all it means is worry. You’re a perfect bear at home, all you do is stomp around and grumble. Or that’s what you’re doing when you’re not completely depressed ...
You’ve had your eye on that promotion for some time now. You’re bound and determined to get out of your office worker status into a supervisory position you’re certain you’re well suited for-- but apparently no one else is convinced. You watch others from your work group move on, out and up, and ...
You gaze at the pair of ridiculously expensive shoes you long after with unmitigated lust. . . . which will never be satisfied you sigh, for nowhere in your paycheck is there room for such luxuries. Payless will just have to do. You look at happy couples walking down the street, hand in hand. ...
You stand in the doorway, hands on hips, staring at your husband excitedly playing some stupid game involving shooting up a bunch of aliens or colored balls or who knows what this time. “Honey!” you say, straining to be heard above the over-indulged sound effects blaring out of his computer. ...
Your new love is such a delight! What passion, what wonderful desire to be with you, only you, day and night, night and day! What a refreshing change from the last few men you’ve dated whose idea of commitment was dinner and a movie on Saturday night, maybe. Since that first blissful day you ...
You scrimp, you save. You wash dishes, mop floors, endlessly pick up dropped sweaters, backpacks, skateboards, CDs, dirty dishes. You help with homework, chauffeur regardless of how tired you are or how early/late/inconvenient it is. That’s on top of your 40-stretching-to-50 hour work week. Does ...
Your husband grips the remote with a mighty hand, surfing the channels relentlessly for something to pique his interest. You say “Oh, that looks interesting;” he says “Boring.” After half a dozen (failed) polite attempts you snap at him: “Well I’m getting dizzy from all the channel-surfing, ...
Ah, the holidays! Such a wonderful time of good cheer, peace among men, women, children and relatives--you wish! You planned ahead this year--none of that last second holiday rush for you. You requested Friday afte oon off months ago so you could attend your eight-year-old’s stellar debut as a ...
You had a great time over the holidays. Your favorite relatives came to town, your holiday dinner was a resounding success (even the roast was Rachael Ray perfect!), your boss gave you a really nice bonus and a couple of extra days off, you didn’t spill eggnog on your party outfit, not once, and ...
As you sit there in traffic, along with the gazillion other commuters all jammed together in motorized steel boxes grinding their way to work, you daydream. Wouldn’t it be nice, you think, if weekends were 5 days long and the work week was 2 days long. I mean, whoever came up with this ...
You look ahead to the New Year, and you’re scared. There, you’ve said it. It’s out in the open, you’re scared. Your situation has never looked this bleak. Sure, you still have your job, but in this economy, for how long? Raises and promotions are out of the question (forget about a bonus) and ...
You’re running behind at work – which worries you, understandably. You’re having to bring work home, which is interfering with your family life – and that worries you, of course. Your kids, who are teenagers now, are behaving like teenagers – and that really worries you. Plus your plumbing is ...
LOVE THINE ENEMY (%^&*$?!!!) You hate your supervisor. There – you finally said it. You’ve been pussy-footing around it (and her) for long enough now. That’s it, you’ve had it! Let the truth be told – you hate your supervisor. Your reflection in the mirror scowls back at you. You sigh, ...
FALLING INTO JOY! Things just have not been going well at work lately. That new employee is kissing up to the boss something fierce, and the boss eating it up. You can see your shot at the next promotion going swiftly down the drain. Your “task list” (who comes up with these PC cover-ups for ...
You went on another job interview today. It went OK, you guess. Nothing really dramatic happened. Your qualifications were right for the job, you'd brushed up on the latest "What to say when they ask you what your greatest strength/weakness is" and you felt you answered appropriately. But you ...
You’re rolling your cart down the supermarket aisle, when you bump into (literally), your friend whom you haven’t seen in – well, awhile. She asks “Where’s your husband?” and you say “Oh, I dunno – probably doing something around the house.” Your friend laughs and says “Well, I knew it couldn’t last – the two of you doing everything together.” And that stings. Because you remember when you and your mate used to do pretty much everything together – from groceries to chores to laundry to workouts.
You’ve had a rough day at work. You’re beat, all you want to do is go home and chill. You get to your car--only to see one of those horrible orange devices clamped to your rear wheel. You’re horrified! What’s this? Then you read the ticket neatly tucked under your windshield wiper. Your ...
The lines are drawn. The savings account passbook lies between you, mute witness to the debate. Arms crossed, you stare at your (usually beloved) husband across the table. "A new dishwasher," you announce. "A new set of golf clubs" he retorts. "Huh!" you exclaim, "How can you be so selfish! At ...
You’ve read the articles in the various “Home and Family” magazines about how important it is to have family dinners together at least 3 to 4 times a week, about how your children will feel more secure, know they have a “place” in the world (having one at the table), will be less prone to taking ...
You just got used to the upgraded software your company insisted all departments use even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with the old software when--ding! New email, new directive--time to jettison the upgraded software in favor of a completely new system you have to learn from ...
You’re up at 6:00 a.m. to feed the dog, water the plants, get the kids up, fed and out, yourself showered, prepped and ready, zooming out the door for another day of hassle, deadlines, demanding bosses/clients/customers, too much to do in too little time, and the refrain that reverberates ...
Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men (well, everybody). It doesn’t matter what faith or denomination you espouse, Peace on Earth is the dominant theme of the season. Peace is a state of harmony among people, freedom from strife, a feeling of serenity and tranquility. Peace. How ...
It's been a miserable day. Nothing went right. You slept through your alarm because the neighbors kept you up half the night having either a wild argument or wild sex (hard to tell which), you were late to work on the one day when the client was showing up in person, your car sprang an oil leak, ...
Things are going along OK at work, you're doing what needs to be done, you think everything is hunky-dory, and then your supervisor says: "Haven't you finished that project yet? You should have started on the next one by now," and you're instantly plunged into a horrible upset. You're so ...
It’s a bright sunny day. Well, it’s a sunny day. It started out bright, but now as you sneeze, cough and ache your way increasingly through the hours, the day is getting duller and duller. You make it through your work and drag yourself home. “How ya feeling, Hon?” your devoted Significant Other ...
Oh, that sweet feeling of falling in love! That dizzying magical enchanted feeling – that all is right with the world, and certainly with you, swept off your feet as you are. Then of course, reality sets in. He snores, leaves his clothes on the floor of the closet, and wet towels – well, that ...
The kids are in their rooms, asleep or getting ready for bed, the house is quiet but for the drone of the TV in the den, you’re enjoying the calm at the end of the day as you finish the dinner dishes. Your husband walks in, clearly aggravated: “How are we supposed to pay for all this?” he asks, ...
Your alarm goes off – too early, much too early. As you struggle your way out of your warm comfy nest, you say to yourself: “Another day, another grind,” and off you go, to the land of work. It doesn’t matter what kind of work, whether in an office, a factory, a home or on a space ship, you’d ...
There are you are, going along OK in your life, no big dramas, no crises, but frankly, not a lot of joy, either. Oh, you can’t complain, as a matter of fact that’s what you hear yourself say most of the time. When friends say “How’s it going?” you say “Can’t complain.” So why are you bored and ...
You were terminated from your job. Oh, how you hate that word – terminated! Why don’t they call it like it is: you were fired! Unjustly, for no good reason (other than the boss wanted a job for his new love interest), with virtually no warning. You--who gave 10 good years to the company. You of ...
You step up to the ticket counter at the movie theater and say “One, please,” take your single ticket and sit your single self down in the darkened theater. You munch from your single-sized bucket of popcorn, sighing as you can’t help but notice all the loving couples all around you, cooing, ...
You’re in the middle of a screaming yelling fight with your mate. You can feel your heart racing, your blood pressure rising, and after the fight, even though you smoothed things out, your stomach is still a mess. You think “I can’t do this anymore. This is just not good for me!” Or it’s that ...
You were terminated from your job. Oh, how you hate that word – terminated! Why don’t they call it like it is: you were fired! Unjustly, for no good reason (other than the boss wanted a job for his new love interest), with virtually no warning. You--who gave 10 good years to the company. You of ...
Your house is a zoo – literally. It’s not just the dog, the cat, the three hamsters and the goldfish, heck, they’re downright neat compared to the human animals inhabiting your humble abode – three kids and a mate. You come home at night and all you see is mess, mess, mess. Everywhere clothes ...
Things just have not been going well at work lately. A new co-worker is kissing up to the boss and the boss is eating it up. You can see your shot at a promotion going swiftly down the drain. Your "task list" (who comes up with these PC cover-ups for more work, anyway?) is ever increasing, and ...
You know that old saw about the constant husband-wife battle over who puts the toothpaste cap back on and who leaves it off? What's with that? Why is it so true?! And how can something so simple be so hurtful? Your husband knows perfectly well you don't like to sleep with the windows open, yet ...
You're going along in your relationship for 7 years now, it's a little on the hum-drum side, but hey! No major fights, no major hassles, and yes, you're way past the honeymoon stage, but what can you expect? You're both busy with work and the kids, church or community activities, what with one ...
Your manager has announced that everyone will have to take a pay cut . . . or join the unemployment line. Aargh! You're barely keeping up with your bills as is. Or you're self-employed, and your competition is undercutting your prices in a way you can't compete with and still feed your family. ...
Ove ight you went from being a single rather cranky woman dateless for lo these many months to Miss Adored Sunshine of His Life in THE most amazing relationship you've every had. You've never felt so beautiful, so wanted, so loved. This is a fairy tale come true. He was wonderfully passionate, ...
You're sitting in a meeting at work--things have been going well, the team adopted a number of your ideas, the boss nodded your way and said, "Good work!" But then, when it was time to put the team together to present the project to the client, guess who was left out of the mix? You! Again. You ...
You barely make it through the door after a particularly “challenging” (oh how you hate that word) day at work, when your spouse thrusts the baby into your arms, aims the three year old in your general direction and cries on his or her way out the door, “Hon, you take them, I gotta go chill.” Grr . . . She/He has to go chill? What about you? Like you’ve done nothing all day but had pleasant conversations with an easy-going boss and oh-so-nice co-workers?! Oh, please. Or – you awaken to the decidedly irritating noise of a vaccuum cleaner or the lawn mower, take your pick.
You love your family dearly, but right now, they are driving you positively buggy. You’re waging the battle of the belly-button/nose/tongue piercings with your teenage daughter, your husband is jammed with deadlines at work and can’t help out with chores; your five-year-old has a persistent case ...
You were terminated from your job. Oh, how you hate that word – terminated! Why don’t they call it like it is: you were fired! Unjustly, for no good reason (other than the boss wanted a job for his new love interest), with virtually no warning. You--who gave 10 good years to the company. You of ...
You're rooting through your closet for that perfect thing to wear. Maybe this, maybe that - no, not THAT! Your eye lights on a brand new pair of jeans - that you'd completely forgotten about. Perfect! Then you remember why they were bought and then forgotten. You purchased them when you were on ...
The family is getting together for the Holidays – at your house. For the first time. Lucky you! All these years you’ve managed to plead one reason or another why you couldn’t host the “do,” but you’re out of excuses, nowhere to go, so it’s time to grin and bear it. And we’re not just talking ...
You look in the mirror, expecting to see that same not-perfect-but-familiar face - and freak! That’s not you, that couldn’t be you! That face staring back at you has a wrinkle, right there, at the corner of your eye. You’ve never had a wrinkle. You can’t have a wrinkle, already! Here you are, ...
Remember Nike’s famous sloga “Just Do It”? Those 3 words have great validity. After all, there’s nothing to be gained by endless procrastination and avoidance. However, “Just Do It” – to be truly effective – needs to be preceded by “Why do it?” Ah, yes, there’s the rub. Do you want a new car? “Just buy it!” is fine, but a bit of a problem if you end up either with payments you can ill afford, or a car that is a true clunker despite its shiny appearance. If, however, you sit
Looking ahead to the New Year and how you expect it to unfold, can be tempting to get absorbed in whatever is currently trending, or whatever is “doom-ing and gloom-ing” at the moment. After all, there’s plenty going on in the world, in celebrity lives, in the constant push of the media, to keep one engaged or preoccupied. Which is great, if such brings you joy. But if, on the contrary, you find you are living someone else’s life via trending, or depressed and distressed by
We’re fast approaching that time of year when friend and family get-togethers and office parties are, well, obligatory. After all, you can’t exactly pretend that Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season don’t exist, and that invitations from your in-laws, workplace, friends and others can be casually ignored. Or that you can corral your beloved partner into NOT throwing a righteous “everyone welcome” Thanksgiving feast or giant Holiday party. But then the ugly truth comes up and
We’re fast approaching that time of year when friend and family get-togethers and office parties are, well, obligatory. After all, you can’t exactly pretend that Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season don’t exist, and that invitations from your in-laws, workplace, friends and others can be casually ignored. Or that you can corral your beloved partner into NOT throwing a righteous “everyone welcome” Thanksgiving feast or giant Holiday party. But then the ugly truth comes up and