It’s Okay to Be Sad Right Now
Why Forgiving Is the Last Step in The Process and What Comes First
“True forgiveness comes when you realize there is something totally radiant inside you, that nobody could ever touch” ~Eckhart Tolle
I grew up in an emotionally abusive household.
My father was a man who diligently provided for us, but he left me with scars and shattered self-esteem.
My mother cooked me my favorite foods and let me sleep in her bed when I was scared, but she attacked my insecurities when I frustrated her. My friends played nasty pranks, but she wiped my tears as we both tried to survive my religious, cult-like school together.
As a kid, I didn’t …
How We Can Let People Go When a Relationship Runs Its Course
“Sometimes it takes relationships that don’t last forever to teach us lessons that will.” ~Unknown
I recently had to let go of a friendship I had been in for almost eight years.
In the first few years of knowing each other, we had magnetic pulls. Each time we would arrange to hang out, it was as if time stood still. We talked and shared so much of each other that sometimes five whole hours would pass by as if it had been only minutes.
We texted each other, sent long emails, and would arrange coffee dates when our lives weren’t …
Choosing Now to Be Happy: Why the Conditions Are Never Perfect
“Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles, and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving until the right action arises by itself?” ~Lao Tzu
I don’t know why, and I don’t know when it exactly begins, but somehow, we are socialized to believe that happiness depends on the stars aligning, and we subscribe to the notion of a happily-ever-after, whereupon life is supposed to be smooth sailing.
It sounds ridiculous just saying it out loud, but yes, we do this. I’m guilty.
If we could only get into this school, have that job, find a …
How I Moved from Depression to a Deep and Meaningful Life
“Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.” ~Pema Chödrön
Standing at the bathroom sink, I brought my gaze up to the mirror. I couldn’t avoid eye contact with the one person I had no desire to talk to. I had questions, and I knew the reflection looking back at me wasn’t capable of giving the answers I needed.
My solution was a handful of prescription pills to numb my anxiety and Type II Bipolar.
Every morning I popped a Wellbutrin, Cipralex, Valproic Acid, Lithium, and …
The Freedom of Being Ourselves (Whether Others Like Us or Not)
“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” ~Oscar Wilde
“Cringey” is what my kids called it. Me? I was just being Sam.
After hitting “post” on my highly emotive Instagram video—one of those more-than-one-minute jobbies that winds up on Instagram TV—I closed the app and had a brief moment of panic. Maybe I said too much? Maybe I screwed myself by being too honest? Too open? Too… vulnerable?
A few hours after sharing that five-minute, tear-filled video on not giving up on our dreams, I still didn’t have the courage to log back in to see how many followers I’d …
To All the Abused Kids Who Are Dealing with the Consequences as Adults…
“The feeling of being rejected, disapproved of, or conditionally loved by one’s primary caregivers is a monumental, long-lasting burden for a child to carry. It produces chronic shame, guilt, and anxiety. The child is blamed for doing something wrong and in doing so learns to perceive themselves as being bad.” ~Darius Cikanavicius, Human Development and Trauma: How Childhood Shapes Us into Who We Are as Adults
You’re safe now, but you weren’t before.
Before you were abused.
If your experiences were anything like mine, you were told that you were worthless on a daily basis, that your feelings and needs …
When You Keep Failing: How to Recover and Boost Your Confidence
“Success is a series of small wins.” ~Unknown
You tried everything. Nothing worked. What now?
I was the Marketing Director of a tech startup, and my work wasn’t bringing in the money or traction that it should. I did everything to improve my results: I read more books, consulted mentors, changed my mindset and tactics, did more field research and experiments, consulted even more books and mentors.
I won’t go into specifics, as that’s not what this article is about. But suffice to say that I did my best to learn from every book, mentor, experiment, and mistake. And I …
How to Embrace Your Physical ‘Flaws’ and Feel Comfortable in Your Skin
“When you’re comfortable in your skin, you look beautiful, regardless of any flaws.” ~Emily Deschanel
I started doubting the way I looked at the age of eight following comments from other children, about my twin sister being cuter/prettier than me. During adolescence I suffered from bullying because of my appearance and thought I was ugly. Like many others, I believed for many years that everything would’ve been easier if I was better-looking.
At eighteen, when I left home for military service (mandatory in Israel), I started to get positive feedback from men and to feel much better about the way …
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