According to Linda Naiman, of www.creativityatwork.com, belief that only special, talented people are creative -- and you have to be born that way -- diminishes our confidence in our own creative abilities. She goes on to say that notion that geniuses such as Shakespeare, Picasso and Mozart were `gifted' is a myth.

In a study Naiman references, conducted at Exeter University, researchers examined outstanding performances in arts, mathematics and sports, to find out if widespread belief that to reach high levels of ability a person must possess an innate potential called talent. The study concludes that excellence is determined by opportunities, encouragement, training, motivation, and most of all, practice.

According to Webster's Dictionary, creativity is 'marked by ability or power to create - to bring into existence, to invest with a new form, to produce through imaginative skill, to make or bring into existence something new.' So, where do you allow your creativity and excellence to come through? Where do you find yourself saying 'Let's try to put this with that and see what happens?' What activities bring you joy? What activities make you feel connected to lots of other pieces of yourself and others? What activities bring you a strong sense of accomplishment and achievement? These are most likely areas where we express our creativity.

It is vital that each one of us recognize that spark of creativity, nurture it and allow it to grow. You are creative; you just might not have figured out where yet. Honor your creativity. It is a critical component in achieving life of your dreams.

3. Don't Wait to Talk About It.

The longer you put off talking about stress in a relationship, more stressful relationship becomes. The more you think about small slight or hurt, you more you remember - or invent - big ones. And then, when that molehill becomes an erupting mountain, other person has no idea where it's coming from! As soon as you realize something is 'off', talk about it.

4. Put Yourself in Their Shoes.

Imagine how you would feel and react to situation. This isn't always easy to do, but it puts you in a place where conversation becomes possible.

5. Start Conversations with 'I'.

Tell other person 'When you do x, I feel..' Let them know why something affects you. Also, starting with a 'You' statement generally feels like (and often is) an attack. Those conversations usually escalate before they an get better.

6. When someone asks what's wrong, don't say 'Nothing'.

This is something a lot of us women do. I don't know why we do, but we do. If you are lucky enough to have someone who asks what's wrong, then tell them! They obviously care enough to want to remove stress, so work with them on this one!