A Lot of Us Fought Hard to Shine Again
If You Feel Stuck and Tired of Waiting for Things to Get Better
“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” ~Stephen Covey
In August 2019, I was sitting in my therapist’s office with my head in my hands. I was heartbroken over a recently ended relationship, stuck working a job I wasn’t excited about, and I was living across the country from my closest friends and family. I felt like I couldn’t do much to change my situation because I was about to enter my final year of university, and I needed to stay put.
“Sometimes, life is a logjam,” my therapist said. I visualized …
The 11 Most Common Myths About Highly Sensitive People
“I used to dislike being sensitive. I thought it made me weak. But take away that single trait, and you take away the very essence of who I am. You take away my conscience, my ability to empathize, my intuition, my creativity, my deep appreciation of the little things, my vivid inner life, my keen awareness of others pain and my passion for it all.” ~Caitlin Jap
Unsurprisingly, given my sensitivity, I struggled to fit in when I was growing up in the loud and vibrant 1970s, a decade not known for its subtlety.
I was unbearably sensitive and relentlessly …
How to Make the Best of Hard Times: The ABCs of an Empowered Mindset
“Things turn out the best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.” ~John Wooden
Aside from always wanting to celebrate turning forty in Paris at the top of the Eiffel Tower, I had another special birthday dream: to run in an international marathon.
My flight and hotel were booked, and I was going with some girlfriends to Cyprus to run Limassol.
That was the plan.
And that plan, along with the plans of my fellow eight billion humans was suddenly shut down, along with the entire world—literally, in what felt like a matter of minutes.…
Think Less, Sense More: How to Get Out of Your Own Way
“I believe in intuitions and inspirations…I sometimes FEEL that I am right. I do not KNOW that I am.” ~Albert Einstein
I’ve been thinking a lot. Maybe you have too?
There’s a lot to think about these days.
I’m taking in information, processing new ideas, adapting the conditions of my life to the current circumstances, and establishing new behaviors. Maybe this sounds familiar to you?
All of this reasoning is primarily a frontal cortex function. When we understand and organize information, that function occurs at the front of the brain. This part of the brain creates order out of chaos. …
When Life Gets Hard: How to Find Peace Within the Chaos
“The more in harmony you are with the flow of your own existence, the more magical life becomes.” ~Adyashanti
Have you turned on the news lately only to want to shut it off after a few minutes?
It seems that chaos has enveloped this planet. Every corner of every street has been impacted by the current situation; I have never seen anything quite like it in my time.
It may be incredibly difficult to find some breathing room between all of this. On one hand, you want to be up to date with the world, and on the other hand, …
Do You Remember When You Didn’t Worry About Your Weight?
“We need to start focusing on what matters—on how we feel, and how we feel about ourselves.” ~Michelle Obama
Do you remember the little girl (or boy) in you? The kid who ran, jumped, danced, laughed anywhere and everywhere they felt like it—before someone told them to shush, that they were too big, too loud, too much.
The kid who didn’t even know what a scale was before someone told them their size was wrong.
The kid who just ate—before someone gave them a mile-long list of “bad” foods and made them scared of food and distrusting of themselves.
After …
What I Now Know About Rejection and How It’s Set Me Free
“If someone does not want me, it is not the end of the world. But if I do not want me, the world is nothing but endings.” ~Nayyirah Waheed
Rejection means a lot of things to a lot of different people. To healthcare professionals, it may mean immunological incompatibility, a body not accepting a transplanted tissue or organ. To a couple that wants to adopt, a rejection letter can be discouraging and devastating news. To a writer, rejection can come in the form of submitting your precious work that you slaved over to a publisher and being told it didn’t …
What You Need to Do If You Feel Insecure in Relationships
“The key is in learning how to live a healthy, satisfying, and serene life without being dependent on another person for happiness.” ~Robin Norwood
When it comes to relationships, people can call you “crazy” and “needy” all they want. I can only guess some people don’t know how crazy it feels when every cell in your body feels like the only way to breathe is to stop this person you desire from abandoning you right now.
You may not realize it as the emotions hijack your mind and body, but unconsciously, you only have one job in that moment—to …
How to Calm Morning Anxiety by Mindfully Drinking Tea
“Mindfulness isn’t difficult. We just need to remember to do it.” ~Sharon Salzberg
As a Brit, I do what we British people do best: drink tea. Lots of it.
I’ve drunk a cup of tea every morning since I was a chubby-faced teenager.
I used to think tea was the best thing ever, that friendly little cup of brew that’s always there for you, reminding you to take a moment to chill. But it turns out that mindfully drinking a cup of tea is so much better. Not only does it make me enjoy my tea more, it has utterly …
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