Lauryn's Nook

Ali Abdul is a character from Squid Game that is often viewed as having the purest heart of those in the show because of his humility. While humility in moderation can indeed be a good trait to posses, too much of it can cause you to make poor decisions and be taken advantage of as we see Sang Woo betray Ali. Discover steps to avoid these pitfalls and free yourself from the burden of being overly humble.

With all of the spiritual doctrines and new age practices making their way around social media, it can be difficult to filter through the information. The Legend of Korra's Unalaq is a prime example of a leader that uses this confusion to take advantage of those who are struggling with their spirituality. Unalaq vs Korra ensues after Unalaq becomes the dark avatar and his spiritual manipulation is exposed to the gang. While it took a while for the water tribe to recognize his fake spirituality, there were red flags all through his relationships and interactions. Find out what these red flags are and what they can look like to avoid spiritual manipulation.

HunterxHunter's Shoot McManon is a character who has lived his life in a cage due to his fearful outlook on life. We can see his aversion to conflict and social interaction in Shoot vs. Killua and his relationships with Knuckle and Morel. Although it can be easy to conflate the traits of a socially anxious individual with an introvert, they are not the same. In this video, we identify specific characteristics of both types of individuals by looking at the character of Shoot.

Hisoka Morow's moments within Hunter x Hunter often reveal an extremely self-centered and selfish attitude that sometimes serves, but occasionally backfires on him. Hisoka's theme of selfishness in relationships with the Hunters and the Phantom Troupe cause him to be ostracized at times, but also allows him to do the things he wants. We see him trick his way into the Troupe in an attempt to fight Chrollo, only to find Chrollo unable to fight. This is his approach throughout the show, 'trick my way in for my purposes without caring about the effect it has on others', but this attitude can come at a cost. If you are wondering what it might look like for you to become more selfish, the good, the bad, and the ugly, this one's for you.

Disney's live action prequel, Cruella, chronicles a tumultuous relationship between Estella and Baroness Von Hellman that goes from unhealthy to worse. Estella begins as a humble intern that idolizes the Baroness to a fierce arch nemesis. The problem with hero worship is that it can blind us to our own skills and talents in favor of another. Overcoming this can free us up to be the best versions of ourselves and release ourselves from any type of inferiority complex we may have. Discover the steps you can take to do so in this video.

Films most famous villains often use gaslighting and manipulation to rise to and maintain power. In this video, we answer the question of what is gaslighting and detail examples of what gaslighting looks like as emotional abuse. Immortan Joe of Mad Max, Thanos of the MCU, and Magneto of X-Men are all villains who use their positions of power to manipulate, control and gaslight their subjects into obedience and submission. Learn how to spot and avoid these gaslighting pitfalls in this video.

The Legend of Korra's first villain Amon presents himself to be the savior of the underclass of benders in Republic City. Amon's speeches and ideals inspire an uprising of those who begin a fight for a seat at the table of benders. Even through Amon is exposed as a bloodbender (waterbender), his revolution left a lasting impression on the series and its viewers. Fighting for equality or equity is never an easy battle for reasons discussed in the video, but it is often worth the costs. Discover the steps these characters took to begin their revolution in this video.

While Katara is one of the most fierce and essential characters in the ATLA series, she struggles with gaining control over her emotions for much of the show. Katara and Aang's interactions along with her relationship with Toph prove to be challenging at times due to her disposition. This video discusses steps Katara took to develop her emotional intelligence and how you can take these same steps.

Naruto's "land of waves" arc introduces two of the most interesting characters in the series: Haku and Zabuza. The relationship between these two is toxic and Haku struggles deeply with his own self-worth which is only worsened by Zabuza. It isn't until the end of their relationship that we see any sort of resolution to their story. Haku, coming from a troublesome background, struggled with his identity and as a result allowed it to be determined by other people. In this video we discuss how to avoid some of these self-doubt pitfalls that Haku falls into, and how to raise your confidence.

Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away teaches a valuable lesson in growing up and realizing who you are. We see Chihiro begin as a timid and fearful little girl who has to rely on everyone around her to do things for her. Throughout her journey, she learns that she too has power and it is up to her to take control of her destiny. In this video we discuss the steps Chihiro took to empower herself in what seemed like a powerless and impossible situation and how we can do the same.

Disney's miniseries WandaVision illustrates the process of grief Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) undergoes after the loss of Vision. In her grief, she creates and holds on desperately to a altered reality to cope. Trying to hold on to Vision, she discovers the truth behind attempting to make someone stay. Find out how to overcome this issue in this video.

Disney's newest animated film illustrates the power of trust in a whole new way, but what actual steps must one take to establish a trusting relationship?  Find out how these characters navigate this question and how we can do the same.

Neji Hyuga is introduced as an uptight, distant character trapped in his own world. A long way from his attitude during the Neji vs. Hinata fight, we see him develop into a person who is able to set standards and develop an open mind. During Neji's fight with Naruto during the Chunin exams, he discovers that he has more control of his destiny than he previously thought which allows him to free himself from his mental prison. Find out the steps he takes and how we can do the same in this video.

We met Gaara as a highly disturbed and violent youth who had a disdain for nearly everyone he met, yet he became one of the most mild-mannered and peaceable characters in the show. From his violent attitude in the infamous Gaara vs. Rock Lee fight, to the calm and collected leader of the sand during his speech to the shinobi alliance we see Gaara transform and take control of his narrative. How did Gaara go from being the most hated of his people, to a renown leader of that same village? Discover the steps Gaara took to rebrand his image in this video.

Killua Zoldyck's growth throughout the Hunter x Hunter series stems from the numerous times that he decides to redefine and separate himself in order to craft his own identity. We see Killua's best moments occur when he steps out in confidence and makes decisions for himself. As Gon's best friend, we see Killua take a backseat and become a part of Gon's shadow. In this video, we discuss what steps he takes to overcome his codependency issues with a number of characters in the series including Illumi and Gon and establish his own presence apart from anyone else.

Azula's manipulation tactics allow her to control everyone in her circle and demand respect wherever she goes. We see her rise and fall from power from her successful coups to her full on mental breakdown just after her fight and ultimate defeat by Zuko and Katara. Azula's calm and calculated demeanor coupled with her high intelligence allows her to trick her friends, family and enemies alike. That is until her circumstances cause her to unravel. Whether you are looking to pick up some of these manipulation tactics for yourself or to free yourself from someone else's manipulation, this video is for you.

Tenzin is one of the most lovable characters in The Legend of Korra as he provides a sense of stability to the series. Tenzin's best moments occur when we see him being this anchor for those around him, but this also causes him a great deal of stress. Because he plays so many roles to so many people, he feels stressed and overwhelmed for much of the series. In this video, we uncover how he begins to manage all of this stress and become a better version of himself.