What I Did When I Felt Lost and Purposeless
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” ~Lao Tzu
About a year ago, I came across an e-course titled “Find Your Purpose in 15 Minutes.” I found this course during a time when …
Blog Posts
When Things Go Wrong, I Remember This Day
“There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.” ~Richard Bach
I’d wanted to visit Alaska nearly my entire life. I’d always wanted to see …
3 Negative Inner Voices and How to Challenge Them
“Beautify your inner dialogue. Beautify your inner world with love light and compassion. Life will be beautiful.” ~Amit Ray
There is no better way to feel good about yourself than changing your internal dialogue. Yes, you have the power to …
What a Month of Daily Panic Attacks Taught Me About Anxiety
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” ~Jon Kabat-Zinn
It happened in the middle of an intimate moment, about a month before my wedding.
One minute I was enjoying a kiss from my fiancé and …
How to Step Out of the Drama Triangle and Find Real Peace
“Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours.” ~Epictetus
Are you addicted to drama? I was, but I didn’t know it. …
The People Who Hurt Us Are Vehicles for Our Growth
“You only see in others what you have in yourself.” ~Annette Noontil
I now recognize, after observing painful patterns repeat many times, how things that trigger me are just lessons I need to learn that are often delivered through other …
You Can Have a Tender Heart and Still Be Fierce
“Life is a balance between what we can control and what we cannot. I am learning to live between effort and surrender.” ~Danielle Orner
For too long, I felt myself pulled between two shores of my identity. On one …
The Life-Changing Benefits of Two-Minute Meditations
“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
I felt everything, from my lower back pain flaring up to tightness in my jaw where I clinch and carry my stress. With my eyes still closed, I rolled my shoulders and …
Living with Depression and Anxiety: How to Lessen the Pain
“I am bent, but not broken. I am scarred, but not disfigured. I am sad, but not hopeless. I am tired, but not powerless. I am angry, but not bitter. I am depressed, but not giving up.” ~Unknown
Depression and …
Maybe I Don’t Need to Make a Big Change in the World
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
As a teen, I was passionately idealistic about justice, love, and compassion. Reading the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and other icons of …
6 Ways Meditation Improves Your Life
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our hearts, we still cling to anything—anger, anxiety, or possessions—we cannot be free.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Back in 2001, I was a freshman in college, …
When You Feel Tired of Hoping and Trying, Remember…
“What happens when people open their hearts? They get better.” ~Haruki Murakami
What do you do when just can’t do it anymore? When the pain is too much? The discouragement is too much? The hoping and trying are too …
When You Start Thinking That You’re Not Good Enough…
“You are strong when you know your weaknesses. You are beautiful when you appreciate your flaws. You are wise when you learn from your mistakes.” ~Unknown
The most annoying thing for me is to hear someone tell me, “Just stop …
What If Everyone Were Conspiring to Help You?
“The sage perspective accepts every outcome and circumstance as an opportunity.” ~Shirzad Chamine
No doubt you’re familiar with paranoia. In the modern world, it’s hard not to be. And as Joseph Heller wrote, just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t …
How to Stop Feeling Consumed by Your Fear of Being Alone
“Pain makes you stronger. Fear makes you braver. Heartbreak makes you wiser.” ~Unknown
You wake up and check your phone expecting a “good morning” text, but there’s nothing there. Going through your day, everything feels quieter and there’s a gaping …
Why I’m Grateful for Accidents, Pain, and Loss
“If you have nothing to be grateful for, check your pulse.” ~Unknown
I couldn’t feel my legs.
There wasn’t any pain, just this odd “sameness” of non-sensation.
My body was frozen as I turned my eyes downward to scan down …
Why Positive Thinking Drained Me (and How I’ve Found Peace)
“Glimpses of love and joy or brief moments of deep peace are possible whenever a gap occurs in the stream of thought.” ~Eckhart Tolle
Eleven years ago I read a book that was life changing for me. It taught me …
The Truth About Body-Positive Activists on Social Media
“The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves.” ~Pema Chodron
I’m on my phone, posting a photo of myself on Instagram. It’s a vulnerable shot—I’m holding my bare belly.
I type in the …
That Big Life Change Won’t Be Satisfying If…
“Nothing changes unless you do.” ~Unknown
In the fall of September 2017, after one of the longest summers of event planning I could have imagined, I quit my job.
As I proudly exited the workforce to pursue my creative talents …
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine.
Why I’m Done Fishing for ‘Likes’ on Social Media
“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” ~Ernest Hemingway
Recently I was invited to listen to a recorded presentation about humility, and it literally rocked my world.…