The man I loved epitomized all of the obvious signs that he had checked out of our relationship. I honestly didn't know what to do.
He stopped making me a priority, he wouldn't return my calls, and he had even forgotten to show up for our date night once. Despite those happenings, somehow I had missed the telltale signs that this man wasn't feeling me anymore! Broken-hearted doesn't even describe what I felt when I realized that his disinterest was fact and not fiction.
I could tell things were falling apart, but like most women, I wanted to give him one more chance in hopes that things would change. Newsflash: they won't, and they certainly didn't.
It's time we reclaim our time from "ain't sh-t" men, and allow the signs we see to act as warnings to check out of the relationship before the water runs dry. Here are 6 definite signs that it's time to break up with him, girl.
1.The Silent Treatment
Girl, if your once slightly talkative boyfriend won't talk to you anymore, it's cause for concern. Communication is completely vital to a healthy and vibrant relationship. No partnership can exist without proper communication.
Rationally speaking, not every man is a chatterbox. In fact, this sign may be much harder to evaluate with the quiet, stoic types. But trust me, if he used to ask you about your day and would genuinely listen but doesn't care to know at all anymore, he's emotionally disconnected.
There are ebbs and flows in every relationship, so it's important to discern whether your man has truly lost interest, or if he's going through something completely unrelated. Communication is key, so don't be afraid to ask questions. Tell him how his sudden silence is making you feel. If he still refuses to show interest after you express your concern, pack your bags, sis. It's time to break up.
2.You Feel More Like An Option Than A Priority
Don't you just love the puppy stages of a relationship? Where he's seemingly all you can think about, and you're all he can think about? Ahhh. For a short time, it's absolute romantic bliss that you don't want to go away.
But it all stops when you're suddenly pushed further and further down his priorities list. You used to be the first person he'd call when he got off work, but you're noticing your phone is getting drier and drier. Does this sound familiar? Girl, he's showing you EXACTLY what you mean to him. My mother used to tell me, "A man makes time for what he wants," and if he's not making time for you, he doesn't want you anymore.
Life gets busy, but it's important that the person you choose effectively chooses you back. Your partner should be willing to do what it takes to prioritize your wants and needs, just like you would for him. Does this mean that he has to stop hanging out with people he knew before you or putting energy into hobbies he loves? Absolutely not. But balance is important, especially when it comes to maintaining a healthy and functioning adult relationship. You don't need him to be laid up under you 24/7, but weekly date nights might be important for your connection. Would you really want a man that doesn't make you a priority?
3.The Sex Is Whack
Now, we all can tell when the sex isn't good anymore. It's like the plague hit your house, and you're an Egyptian calling out for help from God. What is a girl to do? The once highly sexual man that rubbed your feet every night and gave you head on-demand all of a sudden isn't "interested" anymore. This is a tell-tale sign that he's pulling away from you. From my knowledge, it takes A LOT for a man to emotionally disconnect from you, but when he's unable to be physical, well sista, you're in a world of trouble. Rather than stick around and be unhappy, find a man that can hit it right, day and night. You get the gist.
4.His Future Plans Don't Include You
When your partner starts to say things like, "You're really going to make someone happy someday," or "I can't make you happy", it's a sign that he can see a future with you, but one without him in it. If you have never heard this statement from a man, go ahead and click away from this article, you're on a winning streak that I don't want to mess up! But, if you're like me, some f-ckboy has spoken these earth-shattering words to you, and you didn't know what to do.
I'm here to tell you, when your partner says these things, it's usually to gauge your reaction to their apparent shift in the relationship. The best thing to do is accept it, address it, and move on. No one's got time to harbor unspoken feelings. Let this man go "find himself" on his own time, not yours.
Related: The 4 Types Of F-ckboys & How To Avoid Dating Them
5.Y He Mad Tho?
If you've got a Kevin Hart for the first few months of a relationship who turned into George Jefferson all of a sudden, run for the hills girl, this man has changed! It's an apparent shift in the paradigm of your relationship when your partner consistently gets angry over the smallest things you do. Their perpetual annoyance is… well.. annoying, and indicative of someone that isn't interested in being around you anymore. If your partner acts this way, it's usually because they don't want to hurt your feelings and can't admit that they're finished. In my experience, this happens so that YOU can be the one to end it and relieve him of doing the the dirty deed himself.
6.Your Gut Won't Lie
It's the woman's intuition. All women are equipped with a compass that tells us which direction to go. This subconscious intervention will alert you if things aren't safe, and will allow you to determine whether or not you should run for the hills.
I'm here to tell you, LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE! She's never steered you wrong! Think back, has there ever been a time when you just all of a sudden "knew" that something wasn't right with your man, but you couldn't tell what it was? It's like a little person inside your head is saying, "Girl, don't trust this fool. Don't give him your p-ssy," and yet you did it anyway?
THAT'S the voice we need to start listening to. It's time we start taking orders from her, and not the hairy sister in our panties. Like men, sometimes we let our hormones take the driver's seat, but in this instance, they need to ride along like a happy passenger. Trust those vibes and feelings because your instincts never lie.
Ladies, please understand, the power is yours! Time's up for the damsel in distress calling out for a prince to save her. There is no time life for the sister circles filled with advice on how to get your man back, and tutorials on how to make things work. The truth is, sometimes things aren't meant to work, and that's alright.
Better things come together when good things fall apart. So grab your incense, light it up, and relax. If these signs ever appear in your relationship, they are an omen that it's time to clear your life of toxic energy.
Featured image by Shutterstock
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
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Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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Some other beautiful things that can come from staying in the present?
1. You Can Take the Pressure Off
GiphyThere is a Scripture in the Bible that is a great way to open up the points of today’s article: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34 — NKJV)
Y’all, after the summer that I’ve had this year (check out “I've Been Estranged From My Mom For Years. She Died Last Week.” and “I Was Hired To Be An Online Life Coach. Then Got Scammed For $4K. Here's How To Avoid This.”), verses like this one have been a breath of fresh air because, although it is wise to plan for the future (of course, it is), it’s also great wisdom to choose to rest in the fact that, no matter what may be going on, all that you can do is your best from day to day.
When you really learn to embrace that reality, it really does make life far less stressful.
Which brings me to my next point.
2. You Stop Trying to Control…What Is Out of Your Control
GiphyI believe I’ve shared before that back when my house burned down, three days before Christmas, back in 2021, that was a life-changing moment for me. As I watched all of the firefighters cutting into the roof, after asking the fire marshal what the cause was, I told everyone that I had a pedicure appointment and I would be back. The fire wasn’t my fault. What wasn’t destroyed by flames was jacked up by the foam and water that was used to put the fire out. And hell, I couldn’t control any of that. What I could control, though, was doing some self-care, so that I could remain as calm and focused as possible.
Y’all, obesity, heart disease, headaches, depression, anxiety, accelerated aging, premature death — all of these health-related issues are linked to stress and one of the things that stresses people out is trying to control what is literally out of their control. And honestly, that’s what makes the Serenity Prayer so impactful: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
Wanna know if you’re walking in true discernment and emotional maturity? You are out here only controlling what is in your power. Straight up.
3. You Are Able to Be More Peaceful and Less Frazzled
GiphyTo be frazzled is to be worn out — and something that can absolutely wear you out is thinking about too many things at once or trying to do too many things at one time (more on the latter in a second). However, the beauty that comes with both of these things is knowing that you absolutely have the power to avoid both pitfalls by choosing to remain in the moment.
If you are having lunch with a friend, don’t worry about the conversation that you need to have with your boss tomorrow; you aren’t there yet. If you are in the process of paying your tax bill, don’t stress about rent (yet); be glad about the provision that you have to take care of the matter at hand. Why be worried about how Christmas or New Year’s at your in-laws is going to go if you’re days or weeks out from it? Focus on what you’ve got going on and how to make it pleasurable.
I’m telling you, one of the best things about living in the moment is it reminds you that if you keep your mind, body, and spirit in the present, you are able to remain so much more at peace. Where peace is, calm is. Where calm is, tranquility is. And that is an absolutely wonderful space to be (and remain) in.
4. You Can Concentrate on One Thing at a Time
GiphySomething that I know that people (especially women) like to brag about is the ability to multitask. If you’re one of those individuals, it’s time to do a bit of myth debunking. Although some studies say that people can accomplish doing a couple of things at a time fairly well, semi-recent intel is revealing that trying to accomplish more than three things at a time will typically cause you to not be as efficient or excellent at your tasks as you might think.
In fact, I recently read an article on the topic which said that when office workers are interrupted, it can take them almost 30 minutes to actually get back on track. That’s because the brain is not designed to complete more than one comprehensive task at a time.
So, you know what that means, right? By attempting to do more than one thing at a time, you’re probably not going to be as thorough, and that could result in you actually wasting time because you’ll have to go back over “it.” Yeah, I’d rather just stay in the moment and concentrate on the one thing that is before me. That way, it can be done well, and when I move on from “it,” I can move on…fully.
5. You Become More Appreciative
GiphyWhen you get a chance, check out the article, “Screen time and emotional problems in kids: A vicious circle?” from the American Psychological Association. One of the things the article said is “The study revealed that the more children engaged with electronic screens, the more likely they were to develop socioemotional problems… Conversely, children experiencing socioemotional problems were found to be more likely to turn to screens as a coping mechanism.”
Know what else is unfortunate about being too attached to technology? It can train your mind to seek out instant gratification from things (since you are able to gain instant access to so much information and entertainment) — and that can teach you to be supremely entitled and very ungrateful.
This is why I will forever-and-a-day side with interior designers who say that bedrooms are for sex and sleep ONLY. What is the tie-in? Well, if you use that room in your house for two things only, that teaches you to honor and respect those two things more. You know that when you are walking into your bedroom, there is copulation, rest, or both that is going to happen — no more, no less. And that can make you want to decorate the room with this in mind, be intentional about the kind of attitude and energy that you bring into that space — and cause you to treat your partner in a way that welcomes real and lasting intimacy for you both.
Yeah, if all that is on your mind is sex and sleep, you will choose to cultivate those moments only in there…and that can make you even more grateful, not just to the sleep and sex…but your bedroom overall, since you haven’t also turned it into an office, fun room and second sleep room for your kids and pets and another spot to be surfing the web all night long. Just sayin’.
Nothing about social media or the internet as a whole encourages you to “stay in the moment,” it beckons you to absorb as much as you possibly can in record time. And that is just one more way to drain yourself instead of relaxing and taking each moment as it comes. Prove me wrong.
6. You Can Keep Things in (Better) Perspective
GiphyThe late comedian George Carlin once said, “Some people see the glass half full. Others see it half empty. I see a glass that's twice as big as it needs to be.” I really like that quote because it’s a reminder that, at the end of the day, some things aren’t right or wrong; they are simply your perspective. And that’s why I encourage a lot of my clients, whenever they are discussing, debating or disagreeing with their spouse to not say, “That’s not true” but to instead reply with, “I see it differently.” It takes the ego out, and people can always hear and receive differently when humility walks into the room.
And yes, when you are determined to remain in the moment, it can help you to fine-tune your perspective. For instance, say that you are having a conversation with someone who hurt your feelings, and they are apologizing. If you stay in the past (which isn’t in the moment), you will trigger those same emotions that may make it difficult to forgive them. If you jump too far into the future, you might create problems (via hypothetical scenarios) that don’t exist by worrying about what could happen if the same thing happens again. If you remain in the present, though, you can honor how you feel in the here and now of it all and move based on that energy alone.
You’d be amazed at how much your perspective shifts based on whether or not you remain in the moment. If you don’t believe me, try it out. Hop in the comments and let me know how it played out.
7. Life Becomes More Complete
GiphyHmph. It’s kind of wild how my first comment included a Scripture, and this last one is about to as well. Hebrews 13:5(NKJV) says, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.” Being content means being “satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.”
Now, does this mean that it’s wrong to want a new car, or a different job, or a spouse and kids someday? Of course, not. Yet as we wrap this up, it is a verse that speaks to — yep, you guessed it — staying in the moment because if you’re so caught up in “the next thing,” it can cause you to miss out on what you already have going on right now.
I promise you that if you really concentrate on being satisfied with what you already have, that can make you see all that you’ve got — and it’s probably a lot more than you realize. And when you’re in that mindset, it tends to make life feel more complete. You’ve got provision. You’ve got some good friends. You’re in your right mind. There are areas of your life that are “lacking nothing,” which is what complete means. You can also be at peace — and guess what one definition of the Hebrew word for peace (which is shalom) is? COMPLETE. Full circle.
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Psychologist Abraham Maslow once said, “The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.” Author Marianne Williamson once said, “The present moment, if you think about it, is the only time there is. No matter what time it is, it is always now.” Author Eckhart Tolle once said, “Always say 'yes' to the present moment... Surrender to what is. Say 'yes' to life — and see how life starts suddenly to start working for you rather than against you.”
All of these are spot-on because, at the end of the day, the gift of the present is all that you have.
By remaining in the moment, that is how to make the absolute most of it.
Please make sure that you do.
Featured image by Shutterstock
The mother of three began her career as a celebrity makeup artist, but after meeting her now-husband, who was a fur vendor, she began her venture into fashion with a bag line in honor of their stillborn baby.
Tiara Marie
Courtesy
“I just launched a bag line. It was my healing journey because we ended up having a pregnancy loss that summer. So I started a bag line in honor of the baby we lost, and it started taking off because it was exotic skins,” she says.
“It would kind of go hand in hand with the controversial fur industry as well. I figured out the marketing online [and] social media. [My husband] ended up needing help because covid hit. That's kind of how I got started.”
She adds, “I always liked fashion, but I wasn't so into it until I met him and then once I started working, I really fell in love with it.”
Learn more about Tiara’s favorite celebrity moments and what’s next for her FGM Bespoke line below.
Tiara on the first celeb to wear FGM Bespoke
“Jeezy was the first one who I got a fur on. We went to his concert. I knew he loved fur, and I was dedicated to get to him. We ended up doing the Verzuz battle (where he battled Gucci Mane), and the “Almighty Black Dollar” music video with the Frank Lucas chinchilla. Those were ours.”
Tiara on one of her “I made it” moments
“Monica. The first half of the tour [she wore my furs], and being able to bring my daughter backstage and have her watch Monica perform in my fur, that was huge to me.”
On the story behind Beyoncé wearing FGM Bespoke
Tiara Marie and Beyoncé's stylist Ty Hunter
Photo by Furrygodmother.tiara/ Instagram
“I met her stylist Ty [Hunter], who's like an angel. He's literally my spiritual brother that I never met. But I did a pop up in New York City, and he wanted to pull something for Beyoncé. So we sent it, and she didn't end up wearing it. He ended up bringing them back to the pop up and pulled something for himself to wear, a gold leather jacket to [Emerge! NYFW] where he was being honored. He ended up wearing it on stage and everything, and tagging us and shouting us out.
"Then a couple weeks later, when he came back and brought [the jacket] back, he was looking through pieces and found feathers for her. He's like, ‘Oh, I can get her in this. She'll definitely wear this one,’ but he didn’t take it then. So a couple weeks later, he calls [saying], ‘I need that piece that we said we can get her in.’ We sent it because I didn't think it was going to happen because we did it a couple times, and nothing happened.
"A week and a half later, he texted me, like, ‘we did it, we did it.’ And I'm like, did we? He’s like, ‘it'll be out next week.’ So then that week, I wake up to his message of the video. ‘See, I told you I got you. Here it is, right here’ and I just started crying. I had so many people reposting it and sending it to me [and] I can't believe this moment is really happening because who can get Beyoncé like that? I'm a regular person. I never imagined to ever get that close to her in my life. I never thought that could happen.”
On what’s next for FGM Bespoke
“Of course, New York Fashion Week. Just kind of start a new line. Just gotta keep creating. I'm gonna start actually sitting in my own house and doing my own pieces. I mean, I already do. I do a lot of my own stuff, like the clothing. The coats, not so much, but I really want to master the craft. I don't want to be like the rest of the designers out there and having manufacturers.
"I want to make it myself from head to toe, so that is my goal for this year. If I have to sit down the whole year, I'm going to master the craft to be a real designer.”
Feature image courtesy