Hi, hello. Welcome to Mary's Cup of Tea, the self-love podcast for women. Though all self-lovers are welcome here. I'm Mary. I write and speak about self-love and I'm best known for my book, The Gift of Self-love, and I also host retreats for women. And this is the podcast that will inspire you to love yourself. Real quick, before we dive in,

I want to make sure you know about my book, The Gift of Self-Love. It's a workbook to help you

build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to love who you are. It's available anywhere

books are sold. Thousands of people have it, love it, and have told me that it has greatly benefited their self-love

journey, and I hope it'll do the same for you. And now let's get into the podcast.

Today's episode is part of our best of series, where I dug through more than 250 episodes

to pull together some of the most powerful conversations we've

ever had on Mary's Cup of Tea. Just like this podcast, this Best of series covers topics

surrounding self-love, including body image, mental health, mindset, confidence, relationships,

which is today's topic, and women's empowerment as a whole. So today's compilation is all about

love and relationships, from navigating the early stages of dating to keeping the intimacy alive

when you've been together forever, to handling conflict and communicating well, and connecting

deeper with your significant other. And yes, sometimes that includes the very important skill

of knowing when you're right and they're wrong. I got you, Always on your side. Highly recommend sending this episode to your partner or listening

to it with them. We'll talk about self-worth, of course, what a healthy relationship is like,

and toward the end, we'll get into toxic dynamics, breakup advice, and learning to feel safe

and empowered in your love life. If a particular clip resonates, head to the show notes to find the full episode links,

but for now, grab a cup of tea and let's dive into the wisdom that shaped how I think about relationships

from a lens of self-love.

Let's start with none other than hearing from my husband. Here's him and I giving some

unsolicited dating advice. Welcome back, ladies and germs. Men are definitely germs. Bucats

full of wood germs. You see, girls often wear their hearts in their sleeve. Most men have

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