“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” ~Jim Rohn
We spend so much of our days at work, it makes sense that we should enjoy it, but many of us are not that lucky.
Too many people work in jobs they dislike or for people who make them unhappy.
Perhaps we don’t get the meaning of our jobs or are caught up in the corporate rat race. So quit, our friends say, but it’s not that easy. I have bills to pay, kids to feed, or things I need …
Stress can be overwhelming, and sometimes crippling.
Not only does stress suck the joy out of our days and keep us awake at night, it can also take a toll on our bodies.
Headaches, chest pain, digestive problems, hair loss—they’re all potential consequences of stress, not to mention serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
Then, of course, there are mental consequences. We feel anxious, restless, and irritable, and often scared and discouraged. Like there’s too much to do and we don’t have enough time or skills to do it.
Everything feels urgent, like life is a series of catastrophes …
“Oh, my friend, it’s not what they take away from you that counts—it’s what you do with what you have left.” ~Hubert Humphrey
Last year I was diagnosed with breast cancer three weeks after my wedding, at twenty-seven years old. After months of grueling chemotherapy treatments, I am now recovering from surgery and can look back with tremendous appreciation at what my body has accomplished.
One question I get, after the gasps and looks of incredulity have faded, is how I got through it all.
Now, for a long time, my toughest challenges in life were those brought on by …
“There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Life seems complicated these days.
We’re all busy pursuing happiness, yet how many of us ever reach that goal?
Success, money, and busyness are top of our priority list, yet deep in our hearts we’d prefer time, love, and security.
It’s the age of making a living, but perhaps at the cost of making a life.
What really makes us happy, and how do we find it?
I spent many years trying to fit in, to be someone else, to pursue the dream of success, in …
“The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change; yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly all right as it is.” ~Timothy Gallwey
Have you ever wanted something so desperately that you became devastated after many failed attempts to get it?
Has the same pattern kept repeating itself no matter how you tried to change it?
Have you ever longed for something so deeply that you lost interest in …
UPDATE: The winners for this giveaway include:
If you’ve ever been sick for a prolonged period of time, you understand how physically, mentally, and emotionally draining it can be.
Maybe you don’t know what’s causing your illness, or how to treat it, and you’re tired of searching for answers.
Maybe you blame yourself for repressing emotions, not exercising, or otherwise potentially causing your condition; or maybe you don’t hold yourself responsible, but fear that others do.
Maybe you can no longer do the …
“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” ~Lao Tzu
I was going out with a wonderful man. He was generous and caring and had a great sense of humor. He treated me well and attended to my every need.
But something just wasn’t right. I battled with myself for over a month.
Every time a fear surfaced about how quickly things were moving, I smoothed it over with a shrug or a hug or a reminder of how lucky I was to have found someone with whom to share my life.
My logical mind told me that he …
“Self-care is not selfish or self-indulgent. We cannot nurture others from a dry well. We need to take care of our own needs first, and then we can give from our surplus, our abundance.” ~Jennifer Louden
I have always been really driven. I readily admit that I am an overachiever, and I have the capacity to burn the candle at both ends.
Following my dreams and creating what I imagine is my destiny takes work, real work, so I can easily spend way too many hours a day striving to bring my visions into reality.
I am hardwired to push …
“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways—either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.” ~Dalai Lama
You’re overwhelmed and stressed by all the things that need to be done. All your best-laid plans for becoming a better version of yourself are feeling very tenuous at the moment.
You still want to be healthier, more present in your relationships, and able to appreciate and express gratitude for all the things you have instead of worrying about the things you don’t. But, you are strongly …
Update – The winners for this giveaway are:
When I first discovered Crystal Andrus Morissette’s new book The Emotional Edge, I was intrigued. I knew the book would offer a process for discovering our “Emotional Age,” a term that was new to me, but I didn’t realize it would provide a powerful roadmap for healing the wounded parts of our psyche and growing into our most empowered, authentic self.
From the Amazon page:
The Emotional Edge empowers you to stop reacting in knee-jerk ways that hurt and instead start expanding your life to become the …
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” ~Seth Godin
Over the last few years I’ve felt a little trapped in a cycle of travel, normal life, travel, normal life, constantly changing externals in an attempt to find a level of contentment.
I travel because it excites me, makes me feel alive, and brings me satisfaction. Then, when the draw of home and seeing loved ones sets in, I’ll return, determined to get a “real job” and settle into daily English life.
This usually lasts a …
“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” ~Sydney Harris
I was working myself into the ground and I knew it. Balancing a full-time job, my fledgling business, studies, home life, and relationships, I was constantly feeling the pressure and slowly, the cracks were showing.
I was exhausted, I was argumentative, I wasn’t taking care of my health, and my business had transformed from my creative outlet to a source of incredible stress.
I kept thinking, “I just need one day to relax, just one day!” but even when I had the chance, I couldn’t let …
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~Anais Nin
Do you remember a time when you wanted to crawl under the bed and stay forever?
Perhaps you’d been dealing with chronic pain and anxiety, had recently experienced divorce or the loss of a loved one, maybe even lost a job or two. I had experienced all of these things in just a few short years, and, judging by the loud knocking as I hid, was about to have my car repossessed, too.
I …
“An outstanding love doesn’t come from two half-fulfilled people coming together to make one whole, complete life. Outstanding love comes from two whole people coming together to share and enhance their already full and beautiful lives.” ~Pia Scade
My partner and I were having a conversation about our relationship recently.
We both told each other just how much we loved the relationship. We weren’t talking about how much we love each other, but about how much we enjoy this shared space between us, this thing we call our relationship.
We enjoy giving to it and nurturing it. We enjoy receiving …
“We have one precious life: do something extraordinary today, even if it’s tiny. A pebble starts the avalanche.” ~K.A. Laity
Do you have a vision of a life you want to lead?
Doing work that you enjoy, being happy, healthy, and having great relationships?
You probably have your own idea of what an extraordinary life means. But how often do you feel that you are living that life?
Life is bound within the confines of our schedules, our money, and our limited resources.
There are many things that you want to do, or want to be, but most of the …
“If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.” ~Maya Angelou
Have you ever felt really stuck? Like every day was a struggle to get through and you knew in your heart the next day would feel the same?
For the last seven years—since the crash of 2008—I’ve been redefining myself, and it’s been painful.
In 2009 I opened an Internet retail store, knowing nothing about retail, let alone the intricacies of the Internet.
After years of hard work and little to show for it, every day began to …
“Buddha was asked, ‘What have you gained from meditation?’ He replied, ‘Nothing.’ ‘However,’ Buddha said, ‘let me tell you what I lost: anger, anxiety, depression, insecurity, fear of old age, and death.’”
“I never get stressed.”
I used to say and think this all the time when I saw someone freaking out about an upcoming test, a bad grade, relationship problems, or a boss or coworker.
I had a false sense of being “carefree” because I wouldn’t get stressed over the trivial things that most people did.
I was a “battle hardened” soldier recently back from a deployment in Afghanistan. …
“The simplest things in life are the most extraordinary.” ~Paul Coelho
Life can be frustrating. Things don’t always go according to plan.
People let you down, your loved ones seem insufficiently appreciative, the future seems uncertain, demands pile up, and stress invades your life.
You start to beat yourself up over mistakes. You might even start to question if you are worthy of love. Life loses its shine.
You’re not alone. Hundreds of millions of people feel this way. But pause for a little while to consider this story.
A personable young man approached me at a gathering and …
“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” ~Nikos Kazantzakis
One minute I was a young warrior in a guild of travelers, the next, a middle-aged aristocrat in a strange Victorian world.
A pretty standard day. Oh, did I forget to mention where I was?
I was at a role-playing convention. That was over twenty years ago. Here’s how the fun worked.
Every three to four hours, I would play a different session. That means I would become a new character and go on new adventures in another world, with different people. It was …
“More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.” ~Roy Bennett
You are a slave to stress.
I can relate. Stress crushed my life and dreams.
I started a business and faced intense criticism over this decision.
Everyone was sure I’d fail. My friends and family attacked me while I was combating my own self-doubt.
My stress level was insanely high.
Then the worst happened. My business failed and I lost all my savings. I was crushed.
It took a long time to finally accept this failure.
Today, whenever I work, stress still …
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