Rest Tonight Knowing the Storm Will End
Why Chasing Happiness Won’t Make You Happy
“Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you notice the other things around you, it will gently come and sit on your shoulder.” ~Henry David Thoreau
Most of us are always on the lookout for a big breakthrough—a point in our life where the beam balance tips to maximal happiness so we can enjoy everlasting bliss. What can we do to get there?
Our pursuit of happiness is like a coyote chasing a roadrunner. But what happens? Just like the roadrunner, happiness slips out of our hands every …
How Illness Can Be Lonely and What to Do About It
“I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.” ~ Hafiz of Shiraz
When we think of illness, we don’t usually equate it with loneliness; however, there seems to be a huge connection between the two conditions.
The fact is, when dealing with health challenges, we are most connected to our bodies: we are one with ourselves. Even when we have thoughtful and caring loved ones in our inner circles, these individuals can never truly understand what we’re experiencing on a physical, psychological, and spiritual level.
Illness is …
What Helped Me the Most When I Thought My Life Was Over
“What I’m looking for is not out there, it is in me.” ~Helen Keller
I used to think that life should be easy, and if it wasn’t easy, then I was doing it wrong.
I’m older and wiser now, and I’ve learned that if it is hard, that means I am probably doing something right.
I had a good childhood. I had a loving family, plenty of opportunity, and I excelled at whatever I put my mind to. But I was a high-anxiety kid, and a relentless perfectionist. As I grew older, that need to have everything flawless impeded my …
Why Long-Term Love Feels Boring and Why It’s Actually Not
“It’s not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean.” ~Tony Robbins
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The sound of my fiancé’s alarm went off at 5:00 in the morning. I had fallen asleep around 2am after scrolling for hours on Instagram and Pinterest.
Frustrated, I rolled into my pillow as he leaned over to give me a kiss on the forehead.
I grimaced.
Why does he always have to kiss me every morning when I’m tired.
Resentment is an odd feeling.
“Here we go again,” I thought to myself, “another boring Monday …
Flip the Script: How to Overcome Your Negative Thoughts
“You can’t stop negative thoughts from popping into your head, but you can choose to stop letting them control you and your life.” ~Lori Deschene
Some of us are more prone to negative thoughts. They start out subtle and quiet, a small voice in the background of your life, until suddenly they’re shouting at you that you’re not good enough. They shout so loud and so often you think it’s your own voice and you start to agree.
There was one day in particular, a few years ago, where this problem became clear to me.
That day (and week …
How Marijuana Was Great for My Anxiety and Why I Stopped Using It
“When solving problems, dig at the root instead of just hacking at the leaves.” ~Anthony J. D’Angelo
This is an account of my experience using marijuana as a device to help my anxiety, why I’m glad I had it, and why I no longer need it.
This story isn’t an advocation for or against smoking pot. It’s a story to shed some insight into how and why it helped certain ailments and my journey to lasting change without it.
How Smoking Pot Helped My Anxiety
For most of my life I was a closet anxiety sufferer.
That’s mostly because …
How to Reduce the Harmful Impacts of Technology
“Today be thankful and think how rich you are. Your family is priceless. Your health is wealth. Your time is gold.” ~Unknown
The other day I read a science fiction story called “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury. It’s about Leopard Mead, a citizen of TV-centered society, who enjoys walking at night.
The routine eventually lands him a cell in a psychiatric center because nobody understands why he does that. In the television-dominated city, people don’t walk. They’re too busy sticking their eyeballs to their screens.
I wonder if there will be a day when technology takes over us all, when …
Healing PTSD One Breath and One Day at a Time
“Recovering from PTSD is being fragile and strong at the same time. It’s a beautiful medley of constantly being broken down and pieced together. I am a painting almost done to completion, beautiful but not quite complete.” ~Kate J. Tate
I never considered myself as a trauma survivor.
I didn’t think I had something as severe as PTSD. I reserved that diagnosis to those who suffered from things far worse than me.
It felt dramatic and attention-seeking to label myself as a “trauma survivor.”
First of all, what is trauma? The term tends to be loosely thrown around, and …
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