You Were Doing the Best You Could
The Powerful Insight That Helped Me Worry Less and Sleep Again
“Surrender is not about giving up. It is about letting go of the illusion of control.” ~Judith Orloff
Watching my mother lose her memory while I was losing mine felt like a cruel preview of my future—until I learned that stress, not genetics, was writing my story.
It was 3:47 a.m.—again. I’d been awake since 2:13, and before that I’d slept maybe ten minutes.
This had been my pattern for years: wake up shortly after falling asleep, check the clock, lie there frustrated.
Wake again, check the clock, review the day prior, and plan the next day.
But this …
Breaking Free from Self-Consciousness and Erythrophobia
“Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.” ~Brené Brown
I used to call myself a “beetroot.” It was a label of defectiveness that my inner critic screamed at me every time I felt the heat rising in my cheeks. For years, I lived with erythrophobia, an intense and persistent fear of blushing that quietly dismantled my world from the inside out.
Most people blush. A warm flush creeps up the neck before a first date or a public speech, and then it passes. For me, …
To the Wounded Parent Who Wants to Do Everything Right
“The greatest gift you can give your children is your own healing.” ~Dr. Shefali Tsabary
Am I doing too much or not enough?
Am I screwing my child up? Am I being too hard on my child? Am I being too soft? Am I spending enough time with my child? Do I help too much? Should I help more?
Is my son going to be taken advantage of because he talks about his feelings? Is my daughter going to be considered too bossy because she has boundaries? Should I be doing more as a parent? Or less?
These are the …
Why I Gossiped and What I Now Do Instead
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss people.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt
I stopped gossiping when life humbled me. I didn’t realize at the time, but what I thought was just innocent girl talk with my friends was really a way to escape my own shame and insecurity.
I had this quiet, ongoing sense that I wasn’t measuring up personally or emotionally. Gossiping about someone else gave me a fleeting escape, since it allowed me to shift my focus to someone else’s behavior. Every time I did it, I felt a sense of guilt and shame after, but I never thought too …
What Happens When the Strong Friend Finally Asks for Help?
“We don’t build trust by offering help. We build trust by asking for it.” ~Simon Sinek
I have always been the strong sister, partner, and friend.
I didn’t make a conscious decision one day to be the strong one and stuck to it. It became who it was from a very young age, being the firstborn daughter. I was used to carrying a larger load than my siblings. Being the strong and responsible one was rewarded by my parents, and it’s what kept people close.
I am the friend you call when you can’t think straight. I am the friend …
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