DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend is celebrating her son’s first birthday soon! We are all excited to be there for him, but it seems like my friend left a few people off of her guest list -- my mom being one of those people. We have been best friends since we were 13. Our parents are close, and my mom is always there to support her for special occasions (graduations, birthdays, her wedding, etc.). This time, it seems like my mom didn’t even cross her mind. My mom and I were offended. It feels inconsiderate. Should I say something or focus on the birthday boy, despite my mom’s feelings? -- Family Friends

DEAR FAMILY FRIENDS: You should definitely speak to your friend. Assume that it was an oversight. Tell her that you noticed that your mom was not invited to the party. Ask if this was intentional. If she says yes, ask her why. Find out what reason she could possibly have for not including your mother, given her involvement in your friend’s life. Tell her your mother’s feelings are hurt, and ask her to reconsider.

Is it possible that your friend just assumed you would bring your mom? Chances are, it was an honest mistake, and she will immediately extend an invitation to your mom. If so, suggest that she take another look at her whole list to make sure she didn’t exclude anyone else by mistake.

DEAR HARRIETTE: About a year ago, I left college. I didn’t complete my four-year program, so I didn’t earn a degree. Since I’ve been back home with my mom, my two older sisters -- who are both at least 10 years older -- keep asking questions about why I dropped out and what I plan to do next, and it’s so frustrating. I am trying to figure out what is best for me right now, but I can barely think clearly because my sisters are always badgering me with their own ideas. I know I’ve been a bit slow to act, but I just wish they would back off. How can I get them to realize I’m an adult now? -- Figuring It Out

DEAR FIGURING IT OUT: Your sisters sound like they mean well, even as they are suffocating you. They want to make sure that you succeed. Since you didn’t finish school and haven’t figured out a way forward, they are worried about you. They also do not want you to become a burden on your mother since you are back at home living with her.

Ask them to stop badgering you. You need space to plot out your life. Give yourself a schedule so that you are disciplined about your next steps. In the short term, what type of job can you get to help pay the bills and make yourself independent? In the longer term, what fields of work interest you? What were you studying in school? What types of jobs have you had in the past? What sparks your interest? Pay attention so that you can figure out which direction is of interest to you.

If you are open to it, you could ask them to brainstorm with you occasionally. They know you, so they should have a sense of what you are good at. Rather than grilling you, maybe they could work together with you to dream up ideas for your future and possibly come up with something worth following up on.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister is trying to become a content creator. While I want to support her dreams, it’s starting to take a toll on our relationship. Every time we spend time together, whether it’s getting coffee, going on a walk or just hanging out at home, it somehow turns into a content production day. She’s constantly filming, taking pictures, asking me to retake videos or stopping in the middle of a conversation to capture the “perfect shot.”

I get that this is important to her, and I know building a platform takes work, but I miss when we could just be present with each other, talking, laughing and sharing memories without it needing to be documented or curated for public consumption. It feels like I’m spending time with her online persona, not my actual sister. I sometimes feel used as a prop for her brand instead of appreciated as a person. How do I talk to her about this without sounding dismissive of her goals or unsupportive of her hustle? -- Used

DEAR USED: Just tell her. Point out that you need to create some boundaries when you are together so that every moment isn’t work. The workaholic nature of her behavior is interfering with your time together, and you need it to stop -- or at least not be so invasive. Tell her you will allow a certain amount of production when you are together, but request that most of your time be reserved for just the two of you.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I feel like I always focus on the negative that’s going on around me. When something good happens, I doubt that it's real and wonder when the other shoe will drop. My friends have told me that I am too negative. I think it may be because when I was young, bad things happened all the time. My parents got divorced just as I started making friends at school, and then we had to move because we couldn’t afford our house. Then my sister got sick, and all of the attention went to her and hardly any to me. The only time anybody seemed to notice me was when I had a problem. When I think about it, the bad stuff is what drew the most attention. Now it's the opposite. People don’t want to be around me if I am in constant complaint mode, but I don’t know how to snap out of it. Can you help? -- Be Positive

BE POSITIVE: Medical professionals have noted that the human brain naturally has negative thoughts throughout the day, in part to protect itself from the elements and any outside danger. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to choose to think positive thoughts, to train our brains to look for the good in situations even if bad things have happened in the past. In your case, this may require you to rethink how you are accustomed to getting attention and retrain your brain to look for healthier means of finding the love you want and need.

Try it out. What happens if you choose to be in an upbeat environment and notice the good surrounding you? Similarly, what if you take a moment to see the good in a situation that is stressful? Look for something good even if something negative is also happening. Focus on that.

Finally, get a therapist to help you sort through your baggage and find a clearing for how to face the future.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a family member who is dying. She is a grumpy woman, and everybody in my family is tired of dealing with her. Same goes for the people in the assisted living facility where she lives. They tolerate her, but they don’t do anything extra because she complains constantly. She has always been grumpy, talking down to people and generally being a naysayer.

I feel like it is my duty as her nephew to be there for her. I can’t get my family to come around, so I visit her just about every week. How can I get the people at the facility to spend a little more time with her? They seem to do the bare minimum. I guess I don’t blame them, but I do need somebody to watch out for her. -- Grumpy Old Lady

DEAR GRUMPY OLD LADY: If you have the budget, hire an additional caregiver to sit with her for a few hours a day. You may be able to use supplementary insurance to cover most or all of the cost, so it’s worth it to check. When you interview people for the job, be honest about your aunt’s disposition and be clear regarding what you want them to do. Then oversee the interaction. Go to the facility regularly to observe and interact. Give pep talks to both your aunt and the caregiver about getting along. People don’t usually change with age unless their health condition precipitates it. You need to hire someone who is willing and able to deal with a difficult personality.

You may want to ask members of your extended family to visit your aunt, but respect their decisions if they decline.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I was dating a guy for about a year, off and on. I enjoyed his company a lot when we were together, but he pretty much ghosted me when we were apart. I told him I didn’t like that, but he didn’t change much. He said that this is how he is: Take it or leave it. Anyhow, I had a loss in my family that was devastating for me, and he was nowhere to be found. This really hurt my feelings. Do I say something to him or just walk away? He has hardly been around, but part of me wants to let him know how his absence hurt me. -- Left Alone

DEAR LEFT ALONE: Don’t set yourself up for more pain. This man has not shown up for you in a way that would help you. This happened even before you were dealing with a loss. Why seek him out to tell him off? What do you think this will accomplish? For starters, you may not even be able to find him. You say he hasn’t been around. Tracking him down could be hard. More, what is the point of this confrontation? He has already made it crystal clear that he cannot or will not be there for you the way you want. Now is not the time to put yourself in a position to get your feelings hurt again. Turn to others who have proven their love for you rather than begging him for something he is not offering.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)