Healing Doesn’t Have to Look Magical or Pretty
How I Learned to Trust Others by Learning to Trust Myself
“You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don’t trust enough.” ~Frank Crane
I’ve had trust issues for as long as I can remember, but didn’t realize it until after my divorce.
Divorce can be a traumatic experience, and in this case, it made me begin to take stock of my life. I began to reflect on my failed romantic relationships and why this was a repeat pattern for me.
I realized then that I never let people in for fear they will let me down, belittle or make me feel …
How to Recover from Heartbreak and Feel Whole Again
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” ~Iain Thomas
A deep heaviness and uneasiness began to pulsate throughout my body. Warm, salty tears streamed down my face at all hours of the day. It felt like all the best parts of me were gone and would never return.
Heartache can be one of the hardest things to overcome in life. …
Why We Need to Stop Hiding and Share the Beauty in Our Brokenness
“Out of perfection nothing can be made. Every process involves breaking something up. The earth must be broken to bring forth life. If the seed does not die there is no plant. Bread results from the death of wheat. Life lives on lives. Our own life lives on the act of other people. If you are lifeworthy, you can take it.” ~Joseph Campbell
Head on my pillow, tears in my eyes, a list of to-dos in my brain, I felt unable to move my body. I’d worked so hard to leave behind this person who stayed in bed avoiding life. …
The Danger of Wishful Thinking: Nothing Changes If We Don’t Take Action
“You just have to determine to settle for nothing less than being fully alive, to show up, be who you are, and share your gifts.” ~Gabrielle Roth
A few years ago for the winter solstice my women’s group got together, as we do every week, and held a beautiful ritual to welcome both the darkness and the light. We released what we were ready to let go of in our lives and set our intentions for the New Year. We not only spoke our intentions, we danced them for each other. It was beautiful and powerful.
But a few days …
How to Rebuild a Relationship with Someone Who’s Hurt You
“Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free.” ~Unknown
My situation is probably not unlike that a lot of people reading this.
I grew up in a single-parent home. Don’t get me wrong, I had a pretty happy childhood, and my mom did an unbelievable job raising me. She worked four jobs to make sure I always had the best of everything. But I could never shake the feeling that I always wanted a father figure in my life.
My parents had separated when I was very young. …
Why I Can’t Always Be the “Strong One” and What I Do Now Instead
“She was strong and weak and brave and broken… all at the same time.” ~Unknown
My mom was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder when I was seven years old. It’s a chronic condition that doctors say can be managed but not cured. The symptoms included manic high energy, depression, delusions, hearing voices, reduced need for sleep, and loss of touch with reality.
There were many times of stability for her, when she was on the right medication, taking it routinely, and attending regular psychotherapy. But if any of these elements were missing, those moments were often short-lived.
She was the …
How to Face Uncertainty: Why We Don’t Need to Press the Panic Button
“This time, we are holding onto the tension of not knowing, not willing to press the panic button. We are unlearning thousands of years of conditioning.” ~Sukhvinder Sircar
This morning I awoke feeling uncertain about the direction my life was taking. Was it what I wanted in all areas? Was I right to be living where I wanted to, in London, away from family? Was I doing the “right thing” restructuring my business, and was I doing the “right thing” going away for two months next year?
I’ve had a few days like this recently, and while I’d like to …
How Social Media Is Helping Me Cope with Grief
“Grief, no matter where it comes from, can only be resolved by connecting to other people.” ~Thomas Horn
We had just landed in Chicago. I had spent the last three hours on a flight from New Jersey sitting next to grown-ups who didn’t ask me fifty questions every two minutes, while my kids watched a movie with their dad, two rows behind.
I was looking forward to spending one whole week in Chicago, despite the freezing temps. This was my first real break in eight months, and boy, I had plans! Sleeping in, long baths, reading, and no laptop!
I …
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