Look What I Did .... Hey It Doesn't Hurt To Try

Good Morning America is looking for an advice guru ... so I applied. Of course they are not going to hire somebody with a felony record, but it is fun to try. Actually when you think about it ... how can somebody who has never been through bad situations be qualified to give advice about anything? Maybe I am perfect for this job.

Here are the questions from the application and my answers:

What's the best advice you have ever given? What was the result? (150 words or less)

After dealing with prescription medication addiction myself, I have discovered how to deal with anxiety without depending on medications. I have a friend who is currently going through withdrawal herself and she gets really upset with her situation and is hard on herself for her life ending up like this. I recently told her "you have to stop mourning the life that you think you should have had and start living the one that you do". She told me that she loved me for telling her that and she is well on her way to living med free and dealing with anxiety on her own.

What would you tell his person: "Whenever there is an issue between my mother-in-law and me, my husband refuses to stand up for me. How do I get him to value our relationship more than the one with his mother? (150 words or less)

You can't force your husband to value your relationship more than the one with his mother and you shouldn't even try. Whenever your mother-in-law and you have an argument then you need to be adult enough to stand up for yourself. Your husband is a grown man and you can't change his behaviors, so stop trying. If the way that your mother-in-law treats you is upsetting to you, then YOU need to talk to her about it. Putting your husband between you and his mother will only make him resent you both.

What would you tell this person: "While cleaning my son's room, I accidentally saw on his Facebook page threatening remarks from his friends. I fear he's being bullied. What should I do?" (150 words or less)

First of all, if your son is young enough that you are still cleaning his room for him, then he is too young to have an account on Facebook. If your son is old enough to have an account on Facebook, then why are you cleaning his room? Facebook accounts are not a right and should only be allowed under strict supervision. If you fear that your son is being bullied (in person and/or via Facebook) then have a conversation with him about it. If there really is an issue then it might be time to visit some of the parents of the kids that your son has "friended". I feel that very few parents actually know what their kids are doing in real life and on the Internet. That needs to change.

What would you tell this person: "My boss keeps taking credit for my ideas. What should I do?" (150 words or less

Schedule a time to talk with him or her and tell them that you are very flattered that they like your ideas so much that they have used them themselves, but that you feel that you deserve some credit for contributing your thoughts and ideas to the company. Keeping your feelings to yourself could make you feel bitter about the whole situation and cause you to dislike your job. Be calm and assertive about how you feel without accusing your boss of outright "stealing".

Submit your essay: (300 words or less)

There really isn't much that my thirty seven years on this planet hasn't prepared me for. My life has been a journey through hoarding, neglect, parental drug abuse, parental emotional abuse, an abusive relationship in high school, alcoholism, etc. I also turned to prescription meds when life became stressful and they completely changed me into a different person. It took a jail cell and a pair of handcuffs for me to see that I was ruining my life. That "slap in the face" happened four years ago and it was what I needed to realize that I wasn't myself and that I needed to taper off of the meds and repair the relationships with my husband and children. I feel that all of us have the power within ourselves to live a better life and that sometimes we just need a little guidance. I would love the opportunity to use the events of my life to help others and to share my story with the world.