Janah83's right that silence often has a story. We're quick to make it about us when someone goes quiet, but usually it's their own battle we can't see. Learning that changes how you handle people pulling away.

Seriously? How much are we really saving here, a couple bucks? It just seems like a drop in the bucket.

Thought those dream job prompts were fun for a long time. Then I wrote about my real commute, stuck in bad traffic every morning. I found more to say in that daily grind than any made-up perfect job. Now I look for drama in small stuff, like a missed email or a long meeting.