“Forgive yourself for not knowing better at the time. Forgive yourself for giving away your power. Forgive yourself for past behaviors. Forgive yourself for the survival patterns and traits you picked up while enduring trauma. Forgive yourself for being who …
“You could have grown cold, but you grew courageous instead. You could have given up, but you kept on going. You could have seen obstacles, but you called them adventures. You could have called them weeds, but instead you called …
“Picture a pattern of upright dominoes that have been positioned just far enough away from one other to highlight the gap between them, but just close enough to hit each other if one of them tips over. Hit a single …
“You are not a mess. You are a feeling person in a messy world.” ~Glennon Doyle Melton
I have suffered with some type of anxiety for as long as I can remember.
The stomach aches at age five. Trips to …
My journey to living in gratitude began in 2010. And let me say that up until that time, until I was age forty-five, I was a complainer, griper, and a whiner, with absolutely no reason to complain!
Luckily, I was …
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” ~William James
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt your world was ending? When the stress was overwhelming and you were so miserable, …
“I smile because I have survived everything the world has thrown at me. I smile because when I was knocked down, I got back up.” ~Unknown
Had you asked me only two years ago I wouldn’t have even been able …
“The moment you take personal responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you can change anything in your life.” ~Hal Elrod
I’m an introspective person, and at this point in my life don’t have any problems with taking …
“You could have grown cold, but you grew courageous instead. You could have given up, but you kept on going. You could have seen obstacles, but you called them adventures. You could have called them weeds, but instead you called …
Would you say you’ve experienced trauma in your lifetime?
Perhaps it’s an obvious yes—if you’ve fought in a war, you’ve been abused, or you’ve survived a tragic accident or natural disaster. But odds are, even if you haven’t experienced these …
“If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a time of great personal growth ahead.” ~Oswald Chambers
If I were to look back at my life thus far, as I often do, I’d notice a pattern of …
First things first, happy 2020! It’s a new year, filled with promise and possibility. If last year was tough for you, it’s now in the rearview mirror. If it was full of blessings and opportunities, you’re likely excited to see …
“One has to accept pain as a condition of existence.” ~Morris West
This may seem sounds counter-intuitive, but this year I want to let go of trying to avoid suffering.
It doesn’t mean that I am a masochist and plan …
The holidays can be a lot of fun, but let’s face it, they can sometimes be stressful, particularly if you spend them with family. Surrounded by multiple generations of people, many with different perspectives and beliefs, it’s easy to feel …
“You can never know how many lives you’ve touched, so just know it’s far more than you think. Even the tiniest acts of love, kindness, and compassion can have a massive ripple effect. You have made the world a better …
“Boundaries are a part of self-care. They are healthy, normal, and necessary.” ~Doreen Virtue
I’m really nice. Too nice actually. I’ve even been something of a doormat in my life.
But what can I say? I was trained that way.…
“The symphony of bodily feeling, mental thoughts, and images is emotion. It is the symphony on which people must learn to focus, to understand their inner stirrings and to harness its message.” ~Dr. Leslie Greenberg
Like most people in our …
“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” ~Jim Rohn
For years I dreamed of leaving the winters of Northern Ontario, Canada and basking in the warm golden sun somewhere in Central America from October …
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” ~John Burroughs
I sat on the front stoop sobbing, unable to move. Hunched over like a heaving dog hugging my knees and clutching …
“The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places.” ~Hemingway
We all know of post-traumatic stress (PTS) but how many of us know of post-traumatic growth (PTG), a very hopeful and attainable way of life beyond …
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