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Juxtapoz Magazine – Molly Bounds “The Light That Loses, The …

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Mrs. is pleased to present The Light That Loses, The Night That Wins, Molly Bounds’ New York debut solo exhibition, on view at the gallery’s 6040 56th Drive location. This exhibition marks the Los Angeles-based artist’s second presentation with the gallery following The Armory Show in September 2025. The show will be on view through May 2, 2026.

Opening on the vernal equinox, a rare moment when the hours of daylight and night are equal, Molly Bounds offers light as the protagonist in her new series of paintings. It is versatile and ever-changing; it both conceals and reveals, and reminds us of the unrelenting forward movement of time. Depicting her subjects both in contemplation and in the midst of candid movement, Bounds continues her investigation into liminal moments where stillness and urgency shape the mood. Much like the transition from winter to spring, these figures appear on the threshold of a transformative shift.

Bounds captures her subjects in solitude. Her interior scenes feature slumped and draping bodies signaling rest and repose that slowly gives way to unease. These are psychological portraits, capturing something that persists behind dormant states and tired eyes. In The Armchair, the warm glow of a fireplace highlights a textured and lush interior, contrasted against the cold, early evening blue sky seen out the window. Contemplation gradually reveals tension – a mind dwelling, scheming, planning; upholstery seams unravel. The woman maintains a vacant stare that lingers in an eternal way, in bliss or something else.

In Privacy Glass, another figure secludes herself from the outside world, rendered dramatically in both warm and cool hues. The glass offers a clear diffusion to illuminate the subject from behind, while letting a distinct  beam permeate the inside from the outside. The result obscures her face and accents her draped clothing, recalling a Georges De La Tour: like the vanitas, Bounds conveys the fleetingness of time and inevitability of darkness. 

There are also moments of escapism. In both It Sings in Me and Among of Green, Again a figure moves freely amongst rolling green hills, illuminated under the sun. The landscape appears bucolic and perhaps overly so – is this real or imagined? For Bounds this is less important; the ability to build optimism and a belief in renewal and rebirth is paramount. Contrasting with the scenes of pensive interiority, these landscapes communicate urgency, celebration, possibility, and fantasy. After the darkness of winter, spring wins.



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Best Employee Benefits Payment Solutions for Your Business

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Choosing the best employee benefits payment solutions for your business can greatly influence overall employee satisfaction and streamline your administrative tasks. With options like Forma and Rippling, you can integrate payroll and HR systems for efficient benefits tracking. Factors such as compliance management, mobile access, and vendor support are crucial in making your decision. Comprehending these aspects will help you optimize your benefits strategy, but which solution truly stands out in 2025?

Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

  • Forma offers highly customizable solutions with Lifestyle Spending Accounts, enhancing employee satisfaction and catering to diverse workforce needs.
  • Rippling provides seamless integration with payroll and HR systems, streamlining administrative workflows and improving user experience.
  • Navia specializes in health and lifestyle benefits, simplifying navigation and offering personalized options aligned with employee interests.
  • Fringe focuses on personalized employee perks, providing customizable benefits packages to enhance satisfaction and engagement.
  • Evaluate vendor support and integration capabilities to ensure effective management and utilization of your chosen benefits payment solution.

Key Features to Look for in Employee Benefits Payment Solutions

When evaluating employee benefits payment solutions, what key features should you prioritize?

First, look for automated claims reimbursement, which streamlines processes, reduces out-of-pocket expenses, and lessens administrative burdens.

Next, verify the platform offers real-time benefits tracking and reporting capabilities; this helps both you and your employees monitor utilization trends and overall ROI effectively.

Seamless integration with existing HRIS and payroll systems is likewise essential, as it simplifies data management and improves efficiency.

Furthermore, consider solutions that include Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) and pre-tax options like HSAs and FSAs, which allow employees to customize benefits to suit their needs, promoting well-being.

Finally, prioritize user-friendly interfaces and mobile accessibility; these features enable employees to access and manage their benefits anytime and anywhere, greatly boosting satisfaction and retention within your organization.

Top Employee Benefits Payment Solutions in 2025

As we look ahead to 2025, it’s crucial to understand the key features that will define top employee benefits payment solutions.

You’ll find that systems like Forma and Rippling will offer seamless integration with payroll, advanced analytics, and user-friendly mobile access, making benefits management easier than ever.

Key Features Overview

In 2025, the leading employee benefits payment solutions will be characterized by their ability to seamlessly integrate with payroll systems, which greatly reduces administrative burdens for employers.

These solutions will empower employee benefits providers to offer extensive features that improve user experience and efficiency. Key features to look for include:

  1. Real-time benefits tracking: This allows employees to monitor their benefits instantly.
  2. Compliance management: Guarantees adherence to regulations and mitigates risks.
  3. Mobile accessibility: Employees can access their benefits anytime and anywhere.

Additionally, customizable options like Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) and advanced analytics tools will help employers optimize their benefits strategies, improving overall employee satisfaction.

User-friendly interfaces and self-service portals will further streamline the management of benefits.

Leading Solutions Comparison

The scenery of employee benefits payment solutions in 2025 showcases a variety of leading platforms designed to meet the diverse needs of organizations. Here’s a comparison of top Benefitfocus companies, highlighting their unique offerings, which can help you decide the best fit for your business.

Company Key Features Best For
Rippling Seamless integration with payroll and HR Extensive management
Forma Customizable platforms with Lifestyle Spending Accounts Diverse workforce needs
Justworks All-in-one platform for HR, payroll, benefits Small to medium businesses
Navia Specialized health and lifestyle benefits Businesses of all sizes
Fringe Emphasis on personalized employee perks Employee engagement

These solutions cater to various organizational needs, enhancing efficiency and satisfaction in employee benefits management.

Forma – Best Overall Employee Benefits Payment Solution

Forma stands out as the best overall employee benefits payment solution, primarily owing to its highly customizable platform that addresses the varied needs of today’s workforce.

With Forma, you can improve employee satisfaction by offering a wide range of employee benefits customized to individual preferences.

Here are three key features that make Forma exceptional:

  1. Forma Visa Card: Employees get instant access to their benefits, eliminating the hassle of paperwork for wellness and lifestyle expenses.
  2. Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs): These accounts allow flexible spending on health, wellness, and personal development, ensuring each employee can choose what works best for them.
  3. Comprehensive Analytics Tools: Forma provides organizations with insights to optimize their benefits strategy, maximizing employee satisfaction and engagement.

Rippling – Best for Seamless Integration

Rippling stands out as the best choice for seamless integration of employee management solutions.

It unifies your payroll, HR, and IT systems, streamlining administrative workflows and reducing the chances of manual errors.

With features like an employee self-service portal and automated compliance tracking, you can manage benefits efficiently while ensuring adherence to regulations.

Unified Employee Management Solutions

In today’s fast-paced business environment, finding a unified employee management solution can greatly improve operational efficiency.

Rippling stands out as the best choice for seamless integration, allowing you to manage employee health benefits alongside payroll, HR, and IT systems in one platform.

This unified approach offers several key advantages:

  1. Automation: It automates updates and compliance tracking, reducing errors and saving time.
  2. Self-Service Portal: Employees can manage their own benefits, enhancing satisfaction and engagement.
  3. Comprehensive Ecosystem: It supports a wide range of benefits, including health insurance and wellness programs, customized to meet diverse workforce needs.

Streamlined Administrative Workflows

When businesses prioritize streamlined administrative workflows, they often find that integrating various systems can greatly improve efficiency.

Rippling offers a unified solution that seamlessly connects employee insurance, payroll, HR, and IT systems. This integration simplifies your administrative tasks and automates compliance tracking, reducing the risk of errors while ensuring adherence to regulations.

With an employee self-service portal, your team members can manage their benefits directly, which boosts user experience and lightens the load on HR.

Moreover, Rippling supports an extensive range of benefits options, from health insurance to wellness programs, making it easier to manage employee-related tasks.

Justworks – Ideal for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses

Justworks stands out as an ideal solution for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that seek to streamline their HR, payroll, and benefits administration. As a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), Justworks simplifies these processes by providing competitive benefits rates through co-employment.

Here are three key advantages of using Justworks:

  1. All-in-One Solution: You can manage payroll, HR tasks, and employee benefits seamlessly, reducing complexity and administrative burdens.
  2. 24/7 Support: Both employers and employees receive continuous assistance, ensuring you navigate the platform and benefits offerings effectively.
  3. Compliance and Thorough Benefits: Justworks helps you stay compliant with regulations while providing access to a range of benefits, including health insurance and retirement plans, via partnerships like Wex Health.

With user-friendly interfaces and automated processes, Justworks improves the overall employee experience, making it straightforward for your staff to access and understand their benefits.

Navia stands out as a specialized provider of health and lifestyle benefits solutions, catering to businesses of all sizes that want to improve employee satisfaction. The platform excels in managing Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), addressing specific health and lifestyle needs effectively.

With its user-friendly interface, accessing benefits and processing claims becomes a seamless experience for employees. This focus on usability not just improves engagement but also allows you to offer personalized options that align with individual interests, making benefits more relevant.

Furthermore, Navia provides dedicated support and resources, helping organizations navigate the intricacies of health and lifestyle benefits administration. For those using WEX Health, you’ll find that integrating your systems is straightforward, ensuring your employees can easily manage their accounts.

Fringe – Best for Lifestyle Benefits and Employee Perks

Fringe is a leading solution for lifestyle benefits and employee perks, designed to help organizations improve employee satisfaction through personalized offerings.

With Fringe, you can provide diverse benefits that cater to individual employee interests. Here are three key features that make it stand out:

  1. Customizable Benefits: Tailor benefits packages to match your workforce’s unique preferences, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.
  2. Wide Range of Options: Offer wellness stipends, fitness memberships, and other lifestyle-oriented perks that employees genuinely value.
  3. User-Friendly Interface: Access benefits easily through a mobile app, allowing employees to manage their perks effortlessly.

How to Choose the Right Solution for Your Business

How can you guarantee that you select the right employee benefits payment solution for your business? Start by evaluating the specific needs of your workforce. Customizable platforms like Forma can cater to diverse employee requirements, enhancing satisfaction.

Next, consider integration capabilities with your existing HRIS and payroll systems; seamless connections, as seen with Rippling, streamline administrative tasks.

Evaluate vital features like automated compliance tracking and mobile accessibility, which can greatly reduce administrative burdens. Review the platform’s analytics and reporting capabilities to gain actionable insights into benefits utilization, helping you optimize your strategy.

Finally, examine vendor support and training offerings; reliable assistance during implementation and ongoing use is paramount. If you choose WEX, remember to utilize the WEX employer login for easy access to management tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Offer Benefits to Employees in a Small Business?

To offer benefits to employees in a small business, start by evaluating your workforce’s needs.

Consider customizable platforms that provide various options, like health insurance, retirement plans, and wellness programs.

You might furthermore explore Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) to access better rates and simplify administration.

In addition, using user-friendly software can streamline tasks related to payroll and HR.

Finally, guarantee compliance with regulations to maximize the effectiveness of your benefits offerings.

Where Do Businesses Get Money to Pay Employees?

Businesses typically fund employee payroll through revenue generated from operations.

Nevertheless, during slow periods, you might rely on business loans or lines of credit, as many small businesses do. External funding sources, like venture capital or angel investments, can likewise help, especially for startups.

Furthermore, government assistance programs, such as the Paycheck Protection Program, provide financial support.

Effective cash flow forecasting and budgeting are essential to guarantee you meet payroll obligations consistently.

How to Pay Your Employees in a Small Business?

To pay your employees in a small business, consider using payroll software like Gusto or Paychex, which simplifies payment processes and guarantees tax compliance.

Direct deposit is a preferred method, enhancing employee satisfaction and reducing administrative tasks.

You should likewise stay compliant with labor laws regarding wages and payment schedules to avoid legal issues.

Regularly reviewing payroll expenses and using analytics can help you manage costs and make informed compensation decisions effectively.

Can Businesses Write off Employee Benefits?

Yes, businesses can write off employee benefits as tax-deductible expenses. This includes health insurance premiums, retirement contributions, and other fringe benefits.

Under IRS guidelines, these are considered ordinary and necessary business expenses, allowing full deduction on tax returns. Certain benefits, like contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), are pre-tax, providing additional tax advantages.

Nonetheless, guarantee compliance with tax regulations and proper documentation for substantiating deductions.

Conclusion

In summary, selecting the right employee benefits payment solution is crucial for optimizing your business’s efficiency and employee satisfaction. By considering key features such as integration capabilities, compliance management, and customization options, you can choose a solution that meets your unique needs. Whether you opt for Forma, Rippling, Justworks, Navia, or Fringe, each offers distinct advantages. Careful evaluation will help you improve your benefits strategy, ultimately leading to enhanced employee engagement and retention in your organization.

Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart

This article, “Best Employee Benefits Payment Solutions for Your Business” was first published on Small Business Trends

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On the Steve Gruber Show: To Discuss The Truth Behind Transg…

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Dr. John Lott appeared on the Steve Gruber Show to discuss a new analysis of violence statistics involving transgender individuals. He argued that the narrative often presented in the media doesn’t fully match the data, and broke down what the numbers actually show, and why accurate crime reporting matters for public policy and public understanding. See also Dr. Lott’s new piece at The Federalist titled “The Real Rate Of Transgender Violence Is Much Worse Than The Media Wants To Admit.”

(Wednesday, March 4, 2026)

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Celine Dion announces 10 Paris shows: ‘I’ve missed you so mu…

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Celine Dion will be back on stage this fall.

On a video posted to X on Monday marking the legendary Canadian superstar’s birthday, Dion announced she will perform 10 shows starting in September in Paris.

“I wanted to let you know I’m doing great. I’m managing my health, I’m feeling good, I’m singing again,” she said.

“Over the past few years i have felt your prayers and support … I’ve missed you so much.”

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She said this year she is getting the best gift of her life.

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“I am getting the chance to perform for you once again in Paris. I’m so happy, I’m so ready to do this,” she added.

The Quebecoise’s last major live performance was at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony in July 2024, where she sang from the Eiffel Tower.


Click to play video: 'The Morning Show: June  21'


The Morning Show: June 21


It was her return to the stage for the first time in almost four years after she announced to the world that she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome (SPS) and cancelled her world tour.


Dressed in a stunning beaded, floor-length gown complete with fringe details and a long cape, Dion took to the first stage of the Eiffel Tower to perform a Parisian staple — Édith Piaf’s L’Hymne à l’amour.

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Dion appeared, at times, overcome with emotion as the crowd cheered below.

She has not done any major performances since.

“I’m strong. I’m excited, of course a little nervous, but most of all I am grateful to all of you i cant wait to see you again,” she said in the video.

The shows will begin Sept. 12 and people have been encouraged to register on her official website to have the opportunity at pre-sale tickets.

–with files from Michelle Butterfield

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.



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Weekly Menu #15 – Crunchy Creamy Sweet

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This Weekly Menu #15 is perfect for the beginning of the spring month. Fresh, light flavors with a mix of comfort food thrown in for good measure. The bonus recipe features berries and the best crumb topping you’ve ever had!

Photo collage with four dinner recipes and a text that says Weekly Menu 15.

What to cook this week?

This week, we are introducing fresh flavors but keeping one foot in the comforting winter meals. From fresh, bursting citrus flavors in pastas to filling roasts, this menu will help you get through this week excited for spring. The bonus recipe is perfect for brunch with family or afternoon tea with friends!

Click on the recipe names to go to the full recipe post.

Monday

The Instant Pot Lemon Chicken thighs are bursting with fresh spring flavors! A quick and easy chicken dinner is always a winner in my book, and this one never disappoints.

Tuesday

You will enjoy the flavors in this Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken! I serve it with rice and steamed veggies. Don’t forget the green onion garnish!

Teriyaki chicken on rice in bowl.Teriyaki chicken on rice in bowl.

Wednesday

Pot roast is not for Sunday only! This Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe is quick, easy, and tastes as if it were cooking for hours.

cropped-Instant-Pot-Pot-Roast-with-vegetables-A.jpgcropped-Instant-Pot-Pot-Roast-with-vegetables-A.jpg

Thursday

My newest recipe may sound like a breakfast dish, but this Bread and Eggs Casserole is perfect for dinner too! Add shredded chicken, cooked sausage, or ham to make it more filling.

Photo of bread and egg casserole in oval baking dish with eggs in a wooden bowl behind it.Photo of bread and egg casserole in oval baking dish with eggs in a wooden bowl behind it.

Friday

This Lemon Ricotta Pasta screams spring to me! The creamy sauce and crunchy toasted breadcrumb topping go so well together. This pasta is bound to become your favorite!

Saturday

Easy, creamy, and filling dinner idea for your busy weekend: One-Pot Chicken and Rice. Add whatever frozen veggies you have on hand and enjoy this comforting casserole!

Close up photo of creamy chicken and rice in a pan.Close up photo of creamy chicken and rice in a pan.

Sunday

These Greek meatballs or keftedes are so flavorful yet easy to make. They are seasoned with oregano, coriander, and plenty of garlic. They pair perfectly with my tzatziki sauce.

Bonus – dessert!

My blueberry bushes are showing signs of life after winter, and I am really excited to have our own homegrown blueberries this year! This Blueberry Crumble will be the first dish I will make with our harvest.

Blueberry crumble in a blue stoneware baking dish with a serving missing, with blue stripped towel next to it, and blueberries in a bowl behind it.Blueberry crumble in a blue stoneware baking dish with a serving missing, with blue stripped towel next to it, and blueberries in a bowl behind it.

Enjoy! If you make any of the dishes mentioned above, leave us a comment below!

Happy cooking!

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Why I’m Stepping Off the Drama Triangle

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Sometimes the most meaningful shifts in health don’t begin with a new supplement or a perfect diet. One of my most profound changes didn’t start in the kitchen or the gym at all. I realized that how I was showing up in my relationships, parenting, and even my work at Wellness Mama was sometimes doing myself and others a disservice. 

This awareness didn’t come all at once, and it certainly didn’t come easily. In fact, it came with a lot of humility and, at times, a surprising amount of grief. But with the hard realizations also came clarity. The self-reflection helped give me a new lens to understand not only my past choices, but how I want to show up going forward. 

At the center of that shift is something called the drama triangle. I’ll explain what I mean by that, and how it’s helped me to understand and make better relationship choices. I hope that something in this message will resonate with you and give you a fresh perspective, like it did me. Not only has this framework helped me have healthier relationships with those around me, but also with myself. 

What Is the Drama Triangle?

The drama triangle is a framework that describes three common roles people tend to rotate through in relationships. These include the victim, the perpetrator (or persecutor), and the savior (or rescuer). What struck me most as I learned about this concept isn’t just that these roles exist, but how easily (and often unconsciously) we move between them.

I used to think of these roles as fixed identities. That someone was a victim, or was controlling, or was overly helpful. However, I’ve come to understand that these aren’t static labels. They’re patterns of behavior and language we step into, sometimes multiple times a day.

And if I’m being honest, I could find examples of myself in all three.

The Victim Role: When Power Feels Outside of Us

For me, the victim role showed up most clearly during my struggle with Hashimoto’s. I remember how strongly I identified with being “sick.” That identity shaped not only how I felt, but how I spoke, to myself and to others.

My language at the time reflected this mindset in subtle but powerful ways. I often found myself saying things like “I have Hashimoto’s,” or “My body hates me.” I believed that if I could just find the right doctor or protocol, everything would change. At the time, this felt logical and even proactive.

Of course, I wanted answers and healing. But what I didn’t realize was how much I was placing the power for that healing outside of myself. I was outsourcing my agency to something external that I hoped would fix what I believed was broken.

The Perpetrator Role: When Control Creeps In

While I didn’t think of myself in the perpetrator role, I can now see how often I stepped into that role. Especially when I felt frustrated or overwhelmed.

For me, this often looked like wanting to “fight” something outside of myself. Sometimes that was big food, big pharma, government systems, or another perceived external problem. It also showed up in my language, especially in moments of stress, when phrases like “you should” or “why can’t you just…” would surface. Underneath that language was often a sense of urgency, a need for things to be done a certain way. I had a desire to be right or to correct what I perceived as wrong.

There’s often a subtle (or not so subtle) energy of control here. A belief that if others would just do things the “right” way, things would improve. And while it can feel justified in the moment, I’ve come to see how this role can create distance and disconnect us from empathy and curiosity.

The Sneaky Role I Lived In the Most

If I’m being completely honest, the role I lived in the longest, and the one that felt the most “right” at the time, was the savior.

The Savior Role: When Helping Isn’t Actually Helpful

This one is tricky because it often looks kind, sounds helpful, and even feels good in the moment. For me, it showed up as a constant tendency to offer advice, often without being asked. I liked to jump in quickly to fix problems before they even had a chance to unfold. I took on responsibilities that weren’t necessarily mine and said yes to things even when my body was signaling no.

In parenting, this meant stepping in to solve problems for my kids instead of allowing them to work through challenges. In work, it looked like micromanaging or over-functioning, believing I was helping while unintentionally limiting others’ growth. Then getting upset when I felt others weren’t pulling their weight. In relationships, it often meant carrying emotional burdens that weren’t mine to hold.

Beneath all of this was a belief I didn’t consciously recognize at the time. That if I could just help enough, fix enough, or do enough, everything would feel stable and okay. Over time, that pattern led not only to burnout and resentment but also to a subtle form of disconnection, from others and from myself.

How These Roles Keep Each Other Alive

One of the most eye-opening realizations for me was that these roles don’t exist in isolation. They actually depend on each other in a kind of ongoing loop.

Without a rescuer stepping in, the dynamic between victim and perpetrator might naturally resolve more quickly. But when someone enters as the savior, trying to help, fix, or ease discomfort, it can unintentionally prolong the cycle. This can remove the opportunity for growth or resolution.

I began to see this pattern reflected across different areas of my life. In parenting, for example, when one of my children expressed frustration or struggled with something, I often stepped in immediately to solve it. While this brought short-term relief, it also meant they didn’t always get the chance to build the skills they needed to navigate those challenges themselves. Then the same frustrations would resurface again and the cycle repeats.

In relationships, I noticed a similar rhythm. One person might feel overwhelmed or exhausted, which would prompt the other to step in and take on more responsibility. Over time, this imbalance could lead to burnout and resentment, eventually shifting into criticism or blame, and then the roles would reverse again.

Even in my work, I could see how my desire to help sometimes led me to step in too quickly. I would identify a need, take action, and then feel frustrated when others didn’t step up. All without recognizing that I hadn’t created the space for them to do so. In each of these scenarios, what seemed like a helpful intervention was often part of what kept the cycle going.

The Moment That Changed Everything

About a year ago, I had an experience that I still find difficult to fully put into words. It was one of those moments that felt both deeply personal and profoundly clarifying. I became aware (viscerally aware) of the times I had given advice without being asked.

Not just aware in a cognitive sense, but almost as if I could feel the impact of those moments. Times when I thought I was helping, but may have actually taken away someone’s autonomy or interrupted their process. There’s no other way to describe it except to say it was painful. 

And from that experience came something I now think of as the law of request.

The Law of Request: A New Way of Showing Up

At its core, the law of request is simple: Help lands best when it’s invited.

That doesn’t mean we never share, support, or offer ideas. However, it does mean we pause long enough to ask whether what we’re about to offer has actually been requested. Whether we’re sharing for the other person’s benefit or to relieve our own discomfort. If we’re honoring the other person’s agency in the process.

What This Changed for Me

This realization has shifted how I show up in almost every area of my life.

Instead of immediately offering solutions, I now try to pause and ask questions that create space rather than close it. I might ask whether someone wants ideas or simply someone to listen. I make an effort to pause before responding, to seek consent before sharing advice, and to trust that others are capable of navigating their own path. I realized that I can’t assume I know what’s best for another person, that I know their body and their situation better than they do. 

This shift has been especially meaningful in parenting. Rather than jumping in to fix, I practice asking my kids what they’ve already tried, what they think might help, or how I can support them in a way that feels most helpful to them. And while it isn’t always easy, especially when it’s someone you love who is struggling, I’ve noticed that when I step back, they often step forward in ways that surprise me.

Language Shifts That Make a Difference

One of the most practical ways I’ve been working to step out of the drama triangle is by shifting my language. This means both internally and externally. Our thoughts and ideas shape our language, and vice versa. If we want to change our feelings and behaviors, it starts with changing our language. 

From Identity to Experience

Instead of framing things as fixed identity statements like “I am anxious,” I’ve been practicing language that reflects temporary experience. As in, “I feel anxiety right now.” This subtle shift creates space between who I am and what I’m experiencing, reminding me that feelings can move and change rather than define me.

From “Should” to Choice

The word should used to appear frequently in my thoughts and conversations, often without me even noticing. Now, I see it as a signal to pause and reframe. Rather than saying “you should try this,” I might instead ask if someone would be open to an idea. This keeps the focus on choice rather than control.

From Fixing to Witnessing

This has been one of the most meaningful shifts for me. Instead of jumping in with solutions or advice, I’ve been practicing simply being present. That might look like offering a listening ear, asking a thoughtful question, or sometimes saying nothing at all and allowing space for someone else’s experience to unfold without interruption.

Learning to Repair (Instead of Being Perfect)

As I’ve become more aware of these patterns, I’ve also realized how many times in the past I showed up in ways that weren’t aligned with how I want to live now. And while I can’t change those moments, I can acknowledge them.

I’ve found it helpful to practice simple repair language in real time, especially when I notice myself slipping into old patterns. This might look like acknowledging that I jumped into fixing and apologizing for it, then asking whether the other person wants support or space. Other times, it’s as simple as asking how I can best show up for someone in that moment. There’s something deeply grounding about naming what’s happening without trying to justify it. It creates an opportunity to reconnect in a more intentional way.

Stepping Off the Drama Triangle in Everyday Life

This isn’t about becoming a completely different person overnight. It’s about noticing and becoming more aware. 

Noticing when I slip into patterns of feeling powerless and gently returning to a sense of agency. Noticing when I feel the urge to control or correct and stepping into curiosity instead. Noticing when I want to fix or rescue and pausing long enough to ask for consent.

Some of the practices that have supported me in this are surprisingly simple, though not always easy. Taking a few deep breaths before responding in moments of tension has been powerful. Allowing a few extra seconds of silence before speaking often creates space for deeper understanding. Choosing to ask questions instead of offering immediate solutions has shifted the tone of many interactions. And perhaps most challenging of all, learning to sit with silence (even when it feels uncomfortable) has helped me hear what I used to miss.

These are small shifts, but over time, they’ve begun to change the way I experience relationships and the way I show up within them.

A Personal Reflection and Moving Forward

As I’ve reflected on this journey, I can clearly see the ways I’ve shown up in each of these roles over the years. I can see how my own fears, experiences, and intentions shaped the way I communicated, especially in my earlier writing.

There were times I wrote from fear and had negative messaging. Times I overstepped in trying to help, and times I assumed I knew what was best for others. 

And for those moments, I feel a deep sense of responsibility. I’m forever grateful for all of you who have read my articles, tried my recipes, and listened to the podcast. You’ve willingly allowed me into your home and life and often sought my opinion. I don’t take that responsibility lightly. 

That said, my intention going forward is to not make assumptions and instead approach Wellness Mama from a sense of gratitude and positivity. More personal experience and fewer prescriptions of “you should” or “you have to.” To look at the positive changes we can make, and focus less on the “bad guys.”

Final Thoughts

Stepping off the drama triangle isn’t about never feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or helpful again. It’s about becoming aware of the patterns we fall into and choosing a different way when we can.

For me, this has been less about doing more and more about doing less. Less fixing, less assuming, less controlling. More listening, noticing, and trusting. And while I’m still very much learning, I’ve found that even small shifts in awareness can create meaningful change. Not just in our relationships, but in how we experience our own lives.

What are some ways you’ve noticed these 3 roles in your life? Have you found them to be helpful or not? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

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How Kraftwerk’s 22-Minute Song “Autobahn” Became an Early Ma…

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It takes about five hours to dri­ve from Düs­sel­dorf to Ham­burg on the Auto­bahn. Dur­ing that stretch, you can lis­ten to Kraftwerk’s album Auto­bahn sev­en times — or if you pre­fer, you can loop its epony­mous open­ing song thir­teen times. For it was “Auto­bahn,” more so than Auto­bahn, that changed the sound of music around the world in ways we still hear today. “Ger­many was sud­den­ly on the musi­cal map,” writes the Guardian’s Tim Jonze. “David Bowie – who used to ride the auto­bahn while lis­ten­ing to the record – moved to Berlin and went on to make the elec­tron­i­cal­ly influ­enced Low, “Heroes” and Lodger. Bri­an Eno relo­cat­ed to the rur­al vil­lage of Forst to record with the influ­en­tial avant-garde band Har­mo­nia.” Soon would come the elec­tron­ic pop of Ultra­vox, DAF and the Eury­th­mics, fol­lowed by Don­na Sum­mer and Gior­gio Moroder’s flood­gate-open­ing “I Feel Love”.

Not a bad pop-cul­tur­al coup for, as Jonze puts it, “a 22-minute 43-sec­ond song about the Ger­man road net­work.” At the time of its release in ear­ly 1975, Kraftwerk had put out three full albums, but what would become their sig­na­ture Teu­ton­ic-elec­tron­ic sound had­n’t quite tak­en shape. But it was already clear that their work took its inspi­ra­tion from twen­ti­eth-cen­tu­ry moder­ni­ty, a sub­ject of which no sin­gle work of man in their home­land could have been more evoca­tive than the Auto­bahn.

With its ori­gins in the Weimar Repub­lic and its long stretch­es with­out a speed lim­it, the Ger­man free­way net­work is inter­na­tion­al­ly regard­ed as a con­crete sym­bol of total per­son­al free­dom, and total per­son­al respon­si­bil­i­ty, with­in a high­ly rule-respect­ing cul­ture. To the young mem­bers of Kraftwerk, who often drove the Düs­sel­dorf-Ham­burg sec­tion, it held out the promise of free­dom.

So did the then-new Min­i­moog syn­the­siz­er, which cost as much as a Volk­swa­gen at the time, but offered the chance to make music like noth­ing the pub­lic had ever heard before. “Auto­bahn” cap­tured the imag­i­na­tions of lis­ten­ers every­where with not just its elec­tron­ic effects, but also the incon­gruity of their com­bi­na­tion with instru­ments like the flute (a holdover from Kraftwerk’s ear­li­er com­po­si­tions) and vehic­u­lar sounds evoca­tive of a gen­uine road trip — all assem­bled at what would then have seemed a hyp­not­i­cal­ly expan­sive length for a pop song. Lit­tle did even the hippest lis­ten­ers of the mid-sev­en­ties, such as the Amer­i­cans tuned into ear­ly free-form FM sta­tions where no cor­po­rate pro­gram­ming rules applied, know that they were hear­ing what Jones calls “the point where elec­tron­ic pop music tru­ly began.” All car trips run out of road even­tu­al­ly, but human­i­ty’s jour­ney into the pos­si­bil­i­ties of high-tech music shows no signs of approach­ing its end.

Relat­ed Con­tent:

The Psy­che­del­ic Ani­mat­ed Video for Kraftwerk’s “Auto­bahn” (1979)

Kraftwerk Plays a Live 40-Minute Ver­sion of their Sig­na­ture Song “Auto­bahn:” A Sound­track for a Long Road Trip (1974)

How Kraftwerk Made the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Kraftwerk’s First Con­cert: The Begin­ning of the End­less­ly Influ­en­tial Band (1970)

How the Moog Syn­the­siz­er Changed the Sound of Music

Hear the Evo­lu­tion of Elec­tron­ic Music: A Son­ic Jour­ney from 1929 to 2019

Based in Seoul, Col­in Marshall writes and broad­casts on cities, lan­guage, and cul­ture. He’s the author of the newslet­ter Books on Cities as well as the books 한국 요약 금지 (No Sum­ma­riz­ing Korea) and Kore­an Newtro. Fol­low him on the social net­work for­mer­ly known as Twit­ter at @colinmarshall.



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Solo Travel at 50: How One Traveller Took the Leap

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While North Carolina resident Rima Chakravarty has been on several trips around the world in her lifetime, she never embarked on a solo trip until just over a year ago.

For her 50th birthday, her husband gifted her a trip to Paris to celebrate the milestone.

Rima Chakravarty posing for a picture in Southern Spain

“I had never travelled solo before. I would listen to podcasts with solo women travellers and I got really interested in how it is going to be,” Chakravarty recalls, pointing to their stories as examples of inspiration.

While she admits she was anxious about things like safety, language barriers and navigating a new transit system, she was determined to persevere.

“The first time I came to the United States was as a student, and that was my first trip ever outside India. It was different coming for college but it was all by myself,” said Chakravarty.

“I was very nervous when I went [to Paris] the first time but I just pushed through and I thought, ‘OK what’s the worst that can happen?’ That’s what I kept on thinking, even though I did not know a single person in France,” she said.

Since then, she’s planned a girl’s trip to London, where she spent a few days alone before meeting up with her friends. Additionally, she took the leap and joined a small group tour to Southern Spain with G Adventures.

The Royal Alcázar of Seville in Southern Spain

Why travel in a small group tour

“I think there was a connection that happened naturally within the Southern Spain group,” said Chakravarty, adding the group had a range of travellers from different regions and ages.

Chakravarty was one of five solo travellers on the tour and ended up bonding with all of them, from having dinners together on free evenings, to taking a side quest to explore the Alcazar of Seville.

Some of the other trip highlights she pointed to included experiencing the music of Flamenco shows in Seville and Madrid, walking through the Alhambra of Granada, and participating in a Mescladis Paella Cooking Class where they were able to cook with, and support migrant workers.

“In this particular Spain trip, there was a lot of free time … So what we had was the CEO (Chief Experience Officer), she created a WhatsApp group, and whenever we wanted to plan to go to dinner, we would just post, and others would show up,” she said.

“Even after we came back, we were still chatting there … genuinely, it developed into a relationship.”

A delicious plate of paella in Seville

Tips for travelling as a solo woman

Travelling completely solo versus travelling solo in a small group tour has its pros and cons, Chakravarty says, adding for those who wish to plan less and meet other like-minded individuals, a small group tour can be more beneficial.

“For solo travelers the first time, consider tours. It will relax you. You will not feel anxious, and you will really get to enjoy everything,” she said.

The Alhmabra at sunset in Granada, Spain

And when it comes to words of wisdom for other women contemplating a solo trip, Chakravarty says it’s an empowering experience that is worth taking the leap for.

“Going solo, it builds your confidence,” said Chakravarty, adding it’s important to trust yourself and enjoy independence.

“I found that it’s very freeing. You are doing what you really want to do, but if you go with someone, then you sometimes just have to adjust to the other person. So that experience, you get when you only go solo,” she said.

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“Seaside Solitude” by Photographer Thiago Cosme Morales

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A series shot in Rio de Janeiro during September 2025 by Thiago Cosme Morales. Morales is a street photographer from Brazil, currently working between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. After decades living in the city and spending time on countless beaches, Morales came to notice a curious local habit: seeking out an empty spot on the sand to disconnect from everything and everyone, alone in front of the sea. “Seaside Solitude” is photographed on 35mm Ferrania 80 and Kodak Tri-X 400.



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Doulas Are New Go-To For Pregnant Women As Access Grows

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doulas, birth, childbirth

Research has also shown the inclusion of doulas can help Medicaid-covered women have healthier births.


The growing popularity of doulas has made women of all tax brackets get the holistic care they need during pregnancy.

As insurance begins to cover doula care, more expecting women have opted into the historically luxurious experience. Doulas, trained birthing professionals who offer emotional, physical, and wellness support for pregnant women, have now become a mainstream service.

Beyond doctors and nurses, doulas often work as advocates for mothers in the hospital room. Although non-clinical aides, they serve as an extra means of support and guidance for moms throughout each trimester.

However, low-cost insurances like Medicaid to premium options like UnitedHealthcare offer reimbursements for doulas, allowing more women to use these aides for pregnancies. The shift comes as more research finds that doulas can significantly help mothers have healthy births, especially with their dedication to care.

The check-ups with doulas do more than ensure the baby’s health, but also ensure the pregnancy is running as smoothly as possible for mothers. The inclusion has become especially critical for Black mothers as well, who face disproportionate maternal mortality rates.

According to the Black Maternal Health Caucus, Black women are more than three times more likely to die from childbirth complications than their white counterparts. However, a doula’s presence can add that vital care and attention Black mothers need to thrive post-pregnancy.

“Doulas can benefit everybody,” explained Sierra Hill, an employee at the Minnesota health department, to KSL. “Especially communities facing inequities.”

A MACPAC issue brief on Doulas in Medicaid even confirmed that “doula-assisted mothers were four times less likely to have a baby with low birthweight, two times less likely to experience a birth complication for the mother or baby, and significantly more likely to initiate breastfeeding.”

Many hospitals and insurance companies have supported this trend of doulas partaking in the maternal health process, with more working in tandem with medical professionals. Furthermore, doulas frequently provide a level of personal consideration and care that makes clients become family, ensuring pregnant mothers feel safe as they bring new humans to the world.

As they continue to amplify maternal health, especially for disadvantaged mothers, doulas are a growing way for pregnant women to feel championed.

RELATED CONTENT: Black Mothers Reveal Their Maternity Care Horror Stories: ‘The Nurse Got Angry’



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