President Trump is looking to get rid of his luxurious St. Martin estate.

The home, which he purchased in 2013, is called Le Château des Palmiers. It's a walled estate across nearly five acres, with both a main house and a guest house. In total, the compound has 11 bedrooms.

While the official listing states that the price is available only upon request, another listing aggregator pins the property's asking price at $28 million. Records show that it was listed for just under $20 million when Trump purchased it.

According to disclosure filings obtained by the Wall Street Journal, Trump owns the property through two shell companies called Excel Venture I LLC and Excel Venture Corp II.

Trump typically uses the Caribbean escape as a rental property, and, according to the disclosure, he gets between $100,000 and $1 million a year from it.

Lesley Reed of Sotheby's International Realty has the listing. 

SEE ALSO: Report: Trump's New York penthouse is actually a third of the size he says it is

Though Trump didn't develop the house himself, he added his own flair to it after purchasing it in 2013.

Plenty of light shines through the main house.

The front doors bear his family crest.

Treece, Kansas, doesn't exist anymore.

Founded in 1917 around a mining operation, the town served as a major supplier of lead, zinc, and iron ore for decades. But when the reserves dried up, the local economy collapsed. Then people started getting sick. The mining had made their own backyards turn toxic.

Residents left Treece in 2012 as part of a government-funded relocation program after the EPA named it one of the most environmentally devastated places in the country. Where churches, a city hall, and small businesses once stood, torn-up roads and murky, orange waters remain.

Before the exodus, photographer Dina Kantor traveled to Treece on numerous occasions to document a community that would soon cease to exist. She shared her journey with us.

SEE ALSO: Here is what the abandoned venues of the Rio Olympics look like just 6 months after the games

A hundred years ago, a mining company truck broke down on its way to Oklahoma. The crew dug a hole to pass the time — so the story goes — and discovered a reserve of lead and zinc.

Source: New York Times

Treece, Kansas, was born. The town led zinc and lead production in the US by the 1920s, and supplied metal for most of the ammunition in World Wars I and II.

Source: New York Times

Luck ran out by the 1960s. The reserves dried up, and the mining companies went bankrupt or left, taking their employees with them. The population fell to 138 by 2010.

Source: US Census

I've got some bad news: Your dog doesn't like being hugged, even though you love to hug them.

That isn't definitive, nor is it every single dog (#NotEveryDog) — Louboutina, for instance, is seemingly all about hugs. 

But, chances are, your dog isn't. And that's just scratching the surface of the many misconceptions we often ascribe to our canine family members. What other commonly-held beliefs about dogs are actually wrong? And what does it mean for our relationships with the dogs in our lives?

I spoke with dog cognition researcher Dr. Alexandra Horowitz — author of "Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know" and "Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell" — to learn more.

Here's what I found out.

SEE ALSO: You probably shouldn't hug your dogs, regardless of how adorable they are

DON'T MISS: Dogs see the world very differently from human beings — here's how it works

1. Dogs probably don't like being hugged.

"A lot of dog professionals would agree that hugging a dog is nonideal," dog cognition scientist Dr. Alexandra Horowitz told me in an interview earlier this year. "I've never seen a dog who — when you hug them — they stand up and wag their tail and they're so excited. They do something else. They deal with it, you know?"

It's hard to hear, I know. I certainly sympathize.

My dog Goodwin, seen below surveying Brooklyn, sleeps in the same bed I do. He goes on vacation with my wife and me. He gets Christmas presents. He's a member of the family.

And that means he gets hugged. If I'm being honest, he gets hugged every single day. And though it seems as if he's OK with it — happy to be hugged, even! — it's entirely possible he's not such a fan.

"The reason we say they don't like being hugged is because of what they look like when you're hugging them," Horowitz told me. "They pin their ears back, they lick their lips (sort of air licking). Or they yawn, which is another stress behavior. Or they move to get away. Or they show this kind of whale-eye posture — you can see the whites of their eyes. They show behavior that's like, 'This is uncomfortable.'"

2. Dogs "see" the world primarily through scent, not sight.

The adorable snout on your pup isn't just for petting — dogs "see" the world with their nose first. "We assume that non-human animals' perception would be kind of like ours, but simpler," Dr. Horowitz said.

But that isn't the case. Instead, dogs "see" the world through smells.

"They might look at someone with their eyes; as you approach, they look at you," Horowitz said. "But then once they've noticed that there's something with their eyes, they use smell to tell that it's you. So they sort of reverse that very familiar use of ours."

And that's crucial to understanding how dogs see the world.

You, as a human, might smell something delicious and then use your eyes to look around to locate the source of that delicious smell. "Ah, it's pasta sauce slowly coming together on a stove!"

For dogs, the opposite is true. Or, as Horowitz put it:

"We smell something and then when we see it we're like, 'Oh yeah, that's it. That's what it was. It was cinnamon buns.' And dogs when they see you, they're like, 'Okay, that's something to explore, I'm gonna smell it. Oh yeah that's Ben.'"

3. That guilty look isn't an expression of guilt — it's fear.

All the logic lines up: Your dog was left alone, did something they weren't supposed to do (that they know better than to do), and when they're called on it, their face says it all. Perhaps you're already saying "No! Bad dog! Bad dog!" or some variation thereof.

Dr. Horowitz's 2009 study, "Disambiguating the 'guilty look': salient prompts to a familiar dog behavior," specifically focuses on the concept of how humans interpret dog emotions through the scope of human emotion. More simply: Humans tend to misattribute dog emotions based on human emotions. The "guilty" look is a prime example of this.

"I look at a dog showing the guilty look and it feels guilty to me. It does! We're kind of wired to see it this way, so it's nobody's fault," Dr. Horowitz said earlier this year.

"It seems unlikely that they have the same types of thinking about thinking that we do, because of their really different brains, but in most ways dogs brains are more similar to ours than dissimilar," she said. 

That first bit is especially important — the concept of "thinking about thinking," known as "executive function" — because it means dogs aren't likely to reflect on their past actions and decide they've done something wrong.

"When you adopted your dog, and suddenly you're living with a dog, within a week we have opinions about the dog's personality, what they're like and what they're thinking. It's a way to try to predict what's gonna happen next with an organism that we don't really know," Horowitz said. "So we use the language of human explanation, and we just put it on the dog."

The spring semester is winding down for college seniors across the US, and graduation ceremonies will take place throughout May and June.

Many colleges have lined up impressive commencement speakers, landing reputable industry leaders in business, politics, and entertainment, who will aim to impart wisdom on the class of 2017.

But some colleges make more unusual choices when they book graduation speakers. Keep reading to see some of the most unexpected choices to give commencement addresses.

SEE ALSO: A 2005 address championing the liberal arts might be the best graduation speech of all time

Kermit the Frog — Southampton College, 1996

America's favorite Muppet gave the graduation speech at Southampton College, and was even awarded a doctorate of amphibious letters for his speech — an honorary degree for his contribution to raising environmental awareness, The New York Times reported in 1996. Environmental and marine sciences is a big part of the college's curriculum.

Kermit started his speech like many esteemed graduation speakers do — reflecting on his childhood. He said:

"When I was a tadpole growing up back in the swamps, I never imagined that I would one day address such an outstanding group of scholars. And I am sure that when you were children growing up back in your own particular swamps or suburbs, you never imagined you would sit here on one of the most important days of your life listening to a short, green talking frog deliver your commencement address. All of us should feel very proud of ourselves ... and just a little bit silly."

While most of the student body were supportive of the choice of Kermit as their graduation speaker, not everyone felt that way.

"I've been here laboring for five years and now we have a sock talking at our commencement," Samantha Chie, a marine biology major, told The Times. "It's kind of upsetting."

Progressive's Flo (Stephanie Courtney) — Binghamton College, 2015

Stephanie Courtney is better-known by her fictional alter ego Flo, who sells insurance on commercials for Progressive. Flo was named one of the top female ad icons of all time by Ad Age.

While Flo may be known for her quirky humor, Courtney struck a serious note in her advice to Binghamton graduates. Speaking about how failure can be a positive experience she said:

"But those gaffes, those cringe-worthy moments, at best teach you how to be better, stronger, tougher, faster at whatever you want to do. And at the very least they make excellent dinner party stories."

Ali G — Harvard University, 2004

Dressed head to toe in his recognizable red track suit, Ali G — a character played by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen — addressed Harvard graduates for Class Day, the more informal graduation celebration that happens the day before students receive their diplomas. He started off:

"Me name be Ali G and I represent the UK. For those of you who didn't study geography the UK is a place over a 100 miles away from here, and the capital of it is? Anyone? Not you geography square! Yes, it is Liverpool. You are clever and quite fly if you don't mind me saying."

Harvard's student paper covered the speech noting that topics addressed ranged from "sex, drugs, race relations and higher education, interspersed with the occasional 'respect' and 'booyakasha.'

Gillette is facing stiff competition. Now, in an effort to win back customers, it's taking a page straight out of its competitors' playbooks.

After slashing prices across the board and launching a marketing campaign called "Welcome Back," Gillette has now introduced a new way to buy blades directly from the company.

Called Gillette On Demand, the service mimics the direct-to-consumer models of competitors like Harry's and Dollar Shave Club. It allows customers to either buy blades as needed or build a custom subscription.

Three of Gillette's products are offered as part of the service, acting as three separate tiers: disposable Sensor 3 razors ($11 for eight razors), the tri-bladed Mach3 turbo ($13 for five refills), and the top-of-the-line Gillette Fusion Proshield ($21.45 for four refills).

Subscribers are rewarded for their loyalty with their fourth order free, while others can text or email the company at any time to order for a one-time purchase.

Gillette is increasingly feeling the threat from startups like Harry's and the now Unilever-owned Dollar Shave Club, which are eating away at its dominance in the global men's-razor business.

Gillette claimed a US market share of 70% as recently as 2010, but it fell to 54% in 2016, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited data-tracking firm Euromonitor.

Harry's and Dollar Shave Club now combine for a 12.2% market share, up from 7.2% in 2015, according to Euromonitor.

SEE ALSO: Customers are leaving Gillette in droves — and now the company is taking drastic measures to stop the bleeding

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NOW WATCH: A laser-powered razor has been banned from Kickstarter after raising $4 million

Jet.com— the online retailer that Walmart bought in 2016 for $3 billion — is now selling some of its products IRL.

From May 10 to June 18, Jet will have a food-themed concept shop in Manhattan which showcases artisanal accessories, cookbooks, and kitchen appliances. Most of the items are pretty quirky, like face masks made from tomatoes, kale-flavored chocolate bars, socks with ice cream prints, and banana-shaped flasks.

The Jet experience comes to life at Story, a 5-year-old retail space that changes its products, decor, and events programming about every month based on its particular sponsor. For the next six weeks, the sponsor is Jet, where people can also find most of the store's items. 

The larger goal of the temporary store is to raise awareness around Jet's grocery delivery service, Sumaiya Balbale, Jet's VP of marketing, tells Business Insider.

As thousands of mall-based stores close around the country, she says the set-up — a store that's constantly changing and includes interactive events — could signal the future of brick-and-mortar retail.

"Retail is rapidly evolving,"Balbale tells Business Insider. "Tech is changing a lot of the ways in which people shop, and the way that retailers can fulfill on those behaviors. It's an exciting time to experiment. I don't think shopping behaviors are set in stone, and there's a lot of opportunity to help shape them."

Widely considered an Amazon competitor, Jet was founded in 2014 by Marc Lore, who now serves as the CEO of Walmart E-commerce. Jet's installation at Story is the first time the online retailer is selling its products in a physical location.

Business Insider got an inside look:

SEE ALSO: 22 companies defying the retail meltdown by opening hundreds of new stores

On May 10, Jet.com opened a 2,000-square-foot temporary store, called Fresh Story, on Manhattan's west side. It will be there for six weeks.

The store lives inside Story, a retail space that changes every three to eight weeks like a gallery. It was founded by marketing consultant Rachel Shechtman in 2012.

Past sponsors have included American Express, Mr. Robot, and GE. There have been 34 "stories" so far.

For Jet's installation, Story laid artificial grass on the floor ...

Deutsche Bank analysts collected data on the prices of various services for a recent report to clients. Among them, they included how much it costs to get a beer (500 mL or 1 pint) in a neighborhood pub in an expat area of a given city in 2017.

Beers are the cheapest in Prague, Czech Republic ($1.30), Johannesburg, South Africa ($1.70), and Lisbon, Portugal ($2.00). On the flip side, they are the most expensive in Oslo, Norway ($9.90), Singapore ($9.00), and Hong Kong ($7.70). 

As for American cities, New York City was the most expensive, with the average beer costing $7.40. Boston wasn't too far behind, at $7.20.

Check out the full list below.

SEE ALSO: Here's how much it costs to get a haircut around the world

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: People on Twitter are roasting United Airlines after a passenger was forcibly dragged off a plane

Getting some shut-eye at a stylish hotel will cost you significantly more in certain cities around the world.

As part of the bank's annual survey of global prices, Deutsche Bank analysts released a report on where in the world a stay at a five-star hotel will cost you the most.

To come up with the ranking, Deutsche Bank compared the cost of a one-night stay at a Hyatt Regency property, in a king- or queen-sized room, in mid-November. If a city did not have a Hyatt Regency location, analysts considered Park Hyatts or other hotel brands of similar quality.

Here's where a one-night stay at a luxury hotel will cost you the most. 

SEE ALSO: The 25 most expensive weekend getaways in the world

25. Mexico City, Mexico

Cost of one night: $332

24. Cape Town, South Africa

Cost of one night: $335

23. Oslo, Norway

Cost of one night: $339

Over the past 15 years, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a company with more than a century's worth of heritage and brand equity, has completely reinvented itself under BMW ownership. This reinvention was not conducted in a way that abandons tradition — because that would be foolish— but rather by embracing it while injecting a heavy dose of modernity.

In other words, rather than slapping the brand's badge on a run-of-the-mill luxury car, they decided to build honest-to-God Rolls-Royce motor cars with the latest chassis, engine, and infotainment technology money can buy.

First, there was the flagship Phantom limo. Then came the "entry-level" Ghost sedan. That was followed by Wraith coupe. Now, with the arrival of the Dawn, it's safe to say the Rolls-Royce revolution is complete.

Late last year, just before the winter chill bore down on the Northeastern part of the US, Rolls-Royce dropped off a brand new Dawn for Business Insider to check out at our top secret suburban New Jersey road test facility — the nerve center of our vast vehicle evaluation operation. Otherwise known as my colleague Matt DeBord's drive way.

Obviously, this was the perfect opportunity for a weekend drive through the wilds of New Jersey. 

The Rolls-Royce Dawn starts at a lofty $335,000. However, our option-laden test car clad in Midnight Sapphire and Blue Ice livery cost a whopping $402,675.

Hollis Johnson contributed to this story.

SEE ALSO: The car that saved Porsche isn't perfect, but it's close

I began the day at Business Insider's suburban test car facility located not too far from BMW/Rolls-Royce North America's headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

The Dawn is the latest addition to the Rolls-Royce family. It joins the flagship Phantom, ...

... The Ghost, and...

The world is home to many incredible destinations that have yet to be overrun by tourists.

Inspired by a Quora thread about the best unknown travel destinations, we've found 23 lesser-known gems around the globe. 

From a stunning, hidden beach to one of the only places in the world where you can swim between two continents, here's your off-the-beaten-path bucket list. 

Talia Avakian contributed reporting to an earlier version of this article. 

SEE ALSO: The 25 cities with the most expensive five-star hotels

Tucked away under the surface, the Marieta Islands' "Hidden Beach" is a secret beach with crystal-clear waters that travelers can access either by swimming or kayaking through a long water tunnel.

Click here to learn more about Hidden Beach »

Huacachina is a desert oasis located five hours south of Lima, Peru. The watering hole was once a popular getaway for the upper class escaping from nearby Ica, but now it has become a stop for backpackers who come here to enjoy activities like sand boarding and dune buggy rides.

Click here to learn more about Huacachina »

Those who visit Blagaj, a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are often in awe at the majestic sight of the Blagaj Tekke — a monastery built for the Dervish cults. Visitors are welcome to enjoy its wooden interiors or have a cold drink while overlooking the striking Buna river.

Click here to learn more about the Blagaj Tekke »

Next time you spill some coffee on your favorite shirt, don't panic. Stains of all kinds can be easily removed with products you probably already have at home.

Here are some of our favorite hacks:

OIL: Whether it's lipstick or bacon grease, consider rubbing chalk powder into oil stains before throwing them in the laundry. The chalk will absorb the grease, making it easier to remove in the wash.

DEODORANT: Keep dryer sheets handy to lightly rub out any deodorant stains you may get on clothes. The dryer sheets will pick up the excess deodorant and won't harm delicate fabrics in the process.

COFFEE: To get rid of those annoying coffee stains in mugs, just moisten a cloth and stick it in some baking soda. Gently rub the cloth on the stained china or cups, and then rinse off. Those coffee stains are as good as gone.

LIPSTICK: Cotton balls dipped in rubbing alcohol will get lipstick out of your clothes and fabrics. Dab at the stain repeatedly until it's gone.

GREASE: If you have a grease stain on your clothes, all you need is a can of Coca-Cola. Pour the soda in your wash along with laundry detergent and run on a normal cycle. 

SWEAT: Banish those yellow underarm sweat stains by mixing 1:1 lemon juice and water and rubbing it on the affected area.

INK: Though it might seem odd, milk really can help remove ink stains from clothes. Soak your ink-stained fabrics in a milk bath overnight before rinsing and laundering as usual.

RED WINE: Before red wine has a chance to set, sprinkle the stain with salt. It will help absorb the wine, making it easier to get the wet stain out.

BLOOD: On fresh bloodstains, apply 3% hydrogen peroxide to the stain and then rinse with fresh water. Throw in the laundry and your garments should be as good as new.

GRASS: If your grass stains are fresh, dab a sponge soaked in vinegar to the affected area until the stain lifts. If it's a dried stain, try making a paste of vinegar and baking soda and scrub it into the fabric before throwing it in the laundry.

MAKEUP: Amazingly, you can get makeup like foundation, concealer, and more out of clothes by applying some shaving cream. Rub and scrub the stain with shaving cream and then rinse. Repeat as necessary until the makeup is gone.

BERRY JUICE: Berry stains are easy to get out by using a simple boiling water flush. Boil some water in a tea kettle and then pour from at least eight inches above the garment to really flush out the fabric. If the stain is still there, soak in a bowl of vinegar before rinsing and drying in the sun.

SEE ALSO: These are all of the pots and pans you need in your kitchen

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This company has created stain-resistant ‘self-cleaning’ jeans you never need to wash

Ordos, China, once flush with cash, has been called the world's largest ghost town. In the early 2000s, a coal-mining boom led the local government to throw money at urban development in the hopes of creating a new epicenter of culture, economy, and politics. Although the city has been built, people have only been gradually moving in, leading to some incredibly surreal photos taken by Raphael Oliver.

Join the conversation about this story »

Johnny Depp’s unorthodox behavior has helped make him one of the biggest movie stars in the world, but it also appears to be a serious risk to his career.

Often balancing outlandish roles — as gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” in his numerous Tim Burton movies — with being the face of a giant blockbuster franchise in Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean,” Depp has been seen as an A-list star who loves to take chances. And it made him beloved the world over.

In the wake of his messy divorce from actress Amber Heard following her allegations that he abused her and recent financial woes, however, Depp’s superstar status is now in jeopardy.

The stories coming out about Depp’s behavior while making the latest “Pirates” movie, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” aren't going to help. They portray an actor in crisis mode.

The Hollywood Reporter delved deeper into the star’s reported reckless spending over the years and revealed allegations that he was constantly late to set and drank excessively while making “Dead Men Tell No Tales” (opening in theaters May 26).

Not enough liquid money for '$2 million in monthly bills'

Depp is engaged in a legal battle with his former business managers at The Management Group, who claim that the star, despite earning more than $650 million in 13-plus years, there wasn't enough liquid cash to cover Depp's "$2 million in monthly bills," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The business managers say they confronted Depp about his spending habits, which included, they say, $30,000 a month on wine. Depp has also admitted to paying $5 million to shoot the ashes of his friend Hunter S. Thompson out of a cannon.

Depp has sued The Management Group on charges of fraud and mismanagement, and the company has countersued.

A 'Pirates' staffer was reportedly tasked with following Depp's every move

THR also unearthed unflattering stories about Depp's work on the set of "Dead Men Tell No Tales" from production sources.

Depp's lateness to the set of the movie on certain days reportedly led to hundreds of extras waiting hours for the star to show up, causing the movie’s producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney production chief Sean Bailey to huddle to figure out how to shoot around him.

Though production staff raised the matter of Depp’s tardiness with the star, he reportedly never changed his habits.

"There were certainly days when our plans were challenged," Bailey said. "But no one should underestimate Johnny's passion and commitment to this character and franchise."

One source told THR that it got so bad that a production staffer was assigned to stake out Depp at the Coomera, Queensland, compound Depp rented while shooting the film. The staffer was stationed outside the house in an unmarked car and was told to alert his superiors of Depp’s movements, including when a light was switched on in the morning (or in some cases the afternoon), signaling Depp was awake.

"When he got up, he'd turn on the light, and the moment the light went on they'd call the line producer, who would then call the directors [Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg]: 'He's up! He's getting ready!'" a source from the set said. "They even had a special code term, like 'The eagle has landed.' Johnny had no idea this was going on."

Filming shut down after Depp injured himself by seriously cutting his finger. According to numerous reports at the time, the injury occurred when Depp was inebriated and had a dispute with Heard. Bruckheimer told a different story to THR.

"We don't really know. He got it caught in a car door, or he got it caught in a sliding door. I've heard a couple of versions,” Bruckheimer said.

Depp’s reported drinking and lateness to set also caused an argument between Bruckheimer and Depp’s then-agent Tracey Jacobs on the "Pirates" set, according to a soruce.

“She went over to Jerry and said, 'You've got to do something! You're the producer.’ He said, 'You do something. You're the agent,’” the source said.

“Everyone was an innocent bystander watching this trainwreck," the source continued. "But when Johnny came on set, he was charming, nice. He's yin and yang."

Bruckheimer denied to THR that the spat took place.

The reporting is just the latest black eye for Depp, who for most of his career has been able to keep negative press about himself to a minimum.

But so far, at least, it hasn’t hurt him from landing major roles. Following his cameo at the end of 2016’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” he is set to star in the movie’s sequel coming out in 2018. He’s also wrapped on the highly anticipated “Murder on the Orient Express.”

A representative for Depp did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

SEE ALSO: 100 movies on Netflix that everyone needs to watch in their lifetime

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed in episode 1 of 'American Gods'

I've been reading "Radical Acceptance," a 2003 book by psychologist and Buddhist meditation teacher Tara Brach.

Brach shares a bunch of simple but brilliant insights into the way we handle difficult emotions— and how we can handle them better.

But there's one sentence I've kept coming back to because it just makes so much sense:

"Because we are responding to an accumulation of past pain, our reactions are out of proportion to what is happening in the moment."

In other words, if your partner tells you he's busy and can't talk right now and you break down sobbing, it's probably not just your partner's comment that set you off. Maybe you're also reacting to all those times during your childhood when your mom locked the door to her home office and you felt alone and scared.

Those old fears about being left alone again are an example of what one of Brach's clients calls the "dogs from the cellar."

Even if you've locked the dogs up for the time being, they haven't disappeared. Read: You might think you've moved on from distressing childhood experiences, but they probably affect your current relationships in ways you don't even realize.

Brach writes: "When someone criticizes us or disapproves of us, we get thrown back in time and have no access to our adult understanding. We feel as if we were a child who is powerless, alone and terrified."

This isn't to say, of course, that you're doomed to relive the upsetting parts of your childhood forever. You're not.

The problem is that most of us try to resist our difficult emotions — or, to continue the metaphor, to ignore the dogs growling in the cellar. That only makes the situation worse.

Barbara, the client who coined the term "dogs from the cellar," was struggling with the fear that she'd upset her husband and the people she worked with. Her father had been an alcoholic and often exploded in anger at Barbara.

She didn't tell anyone about these feelings, of course, and she told Brach that "trying to keep her fears at bay felt like locking a pack of wild dogs down in the cellar. The longer they were trapped there, the hungrier they got. Inevitably they would break down the door and invade the house."

What we really need to do, Brach suggests, is lean into the discomfort — open the cellar door.

Brach writes:

"Our overreaction is a further humiliation. The last thing we want is for others to know how much our life is overrun by the dogs from the cellar.

"If others see we are afraid, we fear we will be unappealing in their eyes — someone they pity but don't respect or want to befriend.

"Yet as we pretend to be okay, we sink even more deeply into feeling separate, alone and threatened."

Brach helped Barbara tune into the physical sensations of fear she felt when she thought she was upsetting her husband. Then she asked Barbara to identify what exactly she was afraid of, and to recognize that her thoughts didn't necessarily reflect reality.

For sure, these strategies are easier when you've got a trained therapist helping you — which not everyone has or wants.

But for me at least, the real takeaway here is that sometimes, you need to acknowledge that you're afraid. The deep-seated cause of the fear might not present itself immediately, or for a long time. But the point isn't to be a psychic detective.

Even if you just acknowledge to yourself that something is scary — that the dogs are down there — that's a big step toward reducing the fear, and toward more fulfilling relationships.

SEE ALSO: A Harvard psychologist says too many people think about happiness all wrong

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: TONY ROBBINS: How to pull yourself out of a funk

Most people have experienced writer's block at one time or another, regardless of whether you're a professional writer or not.

Whether it's a novel, poem, essay, or even an email or letter, sometimes the words just won't come.

To help you get over writer's block, we've gone through some answers from published authors and writers to the question "What are some tips to get rid of writer's block?" on Quora.

Here are 7 of their best tips for overcoming writer's block:

SEE ALSO: 6 writing mistakes even good leaders make, and how to avoid them

Ask questions

When you can't think of what to write, you can get your mind going by answering the "five W's," namely, "Who, what, where, when, and why," writes K.M. Weiland, an author of historical and speculative fiction, on Quora.

"I've filled notebooks upon notebooks with my why-ing and what if-ing, especially during the outlining stages," she writes. "This is a process that has never failed me."

By journaling and writing down your thoughts in a stream-of-consciousness mode, you get your writing muscle going rather than just sitting and fuming in frustration, Weiland says.

Leave a few loose threads every day

Weiland also writes that if you "make it a habit" to stop yourself mid-sentence or mid-idea when you're writing, and leave yourself a few "loose threads," you'll have something to start on the next day, rather than sitting around waiting for the inspiration to come to you.

Brainstorm ahead of time

Instead of brainstorming when you sit down to write, take the time to come up with ideas in between writing sessions.

Weiland, for example, walks down to her mailbox every day after writing and uses that time to "run over scenes" she plans to work on the next day, "identify potential problems, and just generally form a plan of attack."

Since brainstorming and writing are two different processes, Weiland says it's helpful to break them up and brainstorm when you don't absolutely need a computer or notebook in front of you. It's also a good idea to do this when you're walking or commuting.

Many entertainment stars love the finer things in life, but it seems even the earnings of an A-lister like Johnny Depp couldn't sustain his wild indulgences.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star is currently in a public-relations tailspin after his messy divorce with actress Amber Heard, who alleged he had abused her, and his filing a $25 million lawsuit against his former business managers at The Management Group. (TMG has countersued.)

Things didn't get any better for Depp on Wednesday when The Hollywood Reporter published a feature that went deeper into Depp's financial woes.

TMG's Joel Mandel claims that even though Depp has earned more than $650 million in the more than 13 years the company represented the star, Depp didn't have enough cash to cover his $2 million in bills each month.

Depp's extravagant spending habits reportedly include $3.6 million annually for his 40-person staff, $350,000 monthly for maintaining his 156-foot yacht, $30,000 monthly for wine, and $5 million the star says he spent to shoot the ashes of his friend Hunter S. Thompson out of a cannon.

TMG says it met with Depp numerous times over the years to try to get Depp to sell some of his expensive items. On one occasion, he agreed to sell his $10 million yacht that he spent $8 million to renovate, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Another year, TMG almost got Depp to sell his French chateau — on which he spent $10 million to renovate — but he got cold feet after prospective buyers came calling, according to the former business managers, and it has since been relisted for $39 million.

Depp has routinely earned $20 million up-front paychecks for the movies he's been in since the success of 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." He also gets 20% of the backend per picture, according to The Hollywood Reporter — a source said that was $40 million from the backend of each "Pirates" movie and $55 million from his profit on the 2010 hit "Alice in Wonderland," which earned over $1 billion worldwide.

TMG attorney Michael Kump said in the lawsuit that TMG stepped in to help Depp avert a "devastating financial collapse." Depp has claimed he was kept in the dark about his finances.

It's unclear how cash-strapped Depp is. According to litigation, he has received $25.7 million over the past two years in profits from six movies, and he earned up-front money — likely close to $20 million each — from "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," "LAbyrinth," and "Gnomeo & Juliet: Sherlock Gnomes."

A representative for Depp did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

SEE ALSO: Johnny Depp reportedly drank heavily and was constantly late on the new "Pirates" movie set

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College is expensive — and it's only increasing.

Tuition at both public and private schools continues to rise at a fast clip, and Americans collectively owe more than $1.3 trillion in student loan debt. 

But not all states are created equal. While Harvey Mudd College, the most expensive school in California, runs $69,717 per year, the University of Wyoming, the most expensive school in its state, costs only $26,535 — even less for local students. 

Using data from the College Board's Trends in College Pricing and The Chronicle of Higher Education's helpful interactive chart, Business Insider rounded up the most expensive college in every state. The ranking uses tuition data from the 2016-17 academic year and looks at each school's full sticker price — published tuition and required fees, as well as room and board— rather than tuition numbers alone.

All states were ranked according to out-of-state tuition where applicable. 

SEE ALSO: Here's how much people earn 10 years after attending the 25 best colleges in America

DON'T MISS: The 50 best colleges in America

ALABAMA: Spring Hill College

Location: Mobile

Total cost: $48,488

Tuition: $35,798

Room and board: $12,690

ALASKA: University of Alaska at Anchorage

Location: Anchorage

Total cost: $32,612 (with out-of-state tuition)

Tuition: $21,744 (out-of-state); $7,074 (in-state)

Room and board: $10,868

ARIZONA: University of Arizona

Location: Tucson

Total cost: $47,317 (with out-of-state tuition)

Tuition: $36,017 (out-of-state); $12,817 (in-state)

Room and board: $11,300

Kroger is diving into the fast-growing meal-kit business.

The supermarket chain is offering meal kits — or packages that contain recipes and accompanying ingredients — at a handful of stores and launching them nationwide over the next year, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said Wednesday in a letter to shareholders.

The $1.5 billion meal-kit market is currently dominated by Blue Apron, a subscription service that now delivers more than 8 million meals a month — up from about 1 million meals per month two years ago. Blue Apron costs $20 for a meal that services two people.

But Kroger has two major advantages compared to Blue Apron. 

First of all, Kroger's boxes are cheaper, costing about $14 for a meal that feeds two people.

Kroger also goes a step further than Blue Apron by doing most of the food prep for customers. No chopping, slicing, dicing, grating, or other work is necessary — all the ingredients are ready to be cooked.

This means the meals can take a lot less time to make. Kroger says its meals take about 20 minutes to prepare "from kit to fork," whereas Blue Apron meals tend to require about 45 minutes of prep and cooking time. 

McMullen says meal kits are one of many "megatrends" that Kroger is hoping to tap into this year.

"Our culinary team has developed delicious meal kits that are available in pilot stores today, and we have plans to quickly make them available at scale over the course of the next year," he said. "Meal kits are one of many offerings designed to meet our customers’ changing definition of convenience."

The meal-kit business is rapidly growing, and getting increasingly crowded along the way.

More than 100 companies now offer the kits, including Plated, HelloFresh, Sun Basket, and Amazon (in limited cities).  Supermarkets including Publix, Fresh Market, and Whole Foods are also testing the kits in some stores.

SEE ALSO: The real reasons Trader Joe's wine is so cheap

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Snapchat's newest update packs a bunch of cool new features into the app. Most noticeable is the option to make the photos and messages you send stay on-screen for a long time, instead of disappearing after ten seconds.

There's also a way to "loop" your video clips, as well as handy new editing tools like the "Magic Eraser," which let you erase parts of a photo, and an emoji brush, which lets you draw on your photos using your favorite emojis. 

Here's how to use Snapchat's new features: 

SEE ALSO: Forget 10 seconds, Snapchat now lets you replay messages forever

How to access infinity-length snaps

Accessing infinity-length snaps is a breeze. Simply take a photo as you normally would, and click on the timer icon. You will be given the option to choose a length between 1 and 10 seconds, as well as a new option under the infinity symbol. 

If you choose the infinity symbol, your recipient will be able to view your snap for as long as he or she likes. However, once they close the snap, it will be deleted. 

How to use the Magic Eraser feature

The Magic Eraser tool is your last stand against unsightly elements making their way into your snaps. It can be found under the Scissor tool, and is simply to use. 

After taking your photo, select the Magic Eraser tool, and highlight the area that you want to eliminate. Once you've done that, lift your finger and the tool will work its magic. 

It's not perfect, however, so don't rely on it for any heavy duty editing. But if you want to get rid of something on a solid-colored background, it'll do in a pinch. 

Let's go over the Magic Eraser one more time

As you can see, the tool isn't perfect, but it's good enough for a picture that will only be viewed for a few seconds.