Some of the Best Days of Your Life
How I Escaped the Negative Thought Loop That Kept Me Down and Stuck
“You will never be free until you free yourself from the prison of your own false thoughts.” ~Philip Arnold
Do you ever doubt yourself? As if no matter how hard you try, it’s never enough.
Do you always tell yourself that you could do more? Or that somebody else is doing more, so why aren’t you on their level?
I’m not good enough.
Do you keep your thoughts to yourself because you feel as though your opinion doesn’t matter?
I’m not smart enough.
Or how about when you’re casually scrolling through social media? You see beautiful people taking such …
Your Story Shapes Your Life—and You Can Change It At Any Time
“Every moment of your life is a second chance.” ~Rick Price
We are constantly telling ourselves stories about who we are and what we are capable of achieving.
These stories are sometimes the nostalgia of once-upon-a-time that whispers longingly to us. The stories can be the remnants of hardened pain that want us to trace over the lines of old scars. They can also be the tales we invent about imagined futures—what we think will happen.
All of the narratives that we repeat to ourselves—both of the fiction and nonfiction varieties—are what we internalize and use to create self-identity.
Wait …
What a Felon Taught Me About Living Life Fully
“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” ~Jon Kabat-Zinn
I met Damon as one of about twenty ex-cons on a hiking expedition up Pike’s Peak. Like the others, he was kind of free, kind of not, released on good behavior to the halfway house and rehab center at which I was interning.
Damon had very recently tasted freedom after many years in the clink, and he was an extremely severe and intimidating individual. A man of very few words, 220 pounds of solid, athletic muscle, and eyes as cold as ice. …
How to Keep Going When Doubts and Fears are Holding You Back
“If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” ~Vincent Van Gogh
I don’t think there is anything more liberating.
At least nothing I’ve experienced at this point in my life.
I’m sure it’s happened to some of you. Probably more times than you can count.
The freedom I’m alluding to here is the moment when you do something that a part of your mind didn’t believe was possible.
Interestingly, the word ecstasy comes from the Greek ekastis, meaning “to step outside of oneself.”
And when …
50 People Share What They’re Grateful to Do Every Day
At night, when you think about how you spent your day, how often do you focus on all the things you had to do?
I worked. I ran errands. I went to the gym. I made dinner.
And when you tell someone about this kind of day, how often do you do it with a less-than-enthused tone?
I suspect this is the norm for many of us, at least during the workweek.
Commitments, to work and family, can engulf our lives and seem like chores, not choices and chances.
I distinctly remember one day, years ago, when my day felt …
How Getting Dumped Before My Wedding Made Me a Better Person
“The root of suffering is attachment.” ~The Buddha
Getting dumped a few weeks before my wedding was the most painful experience of my life to date, but how I came through it is the single proudest moment of my life.
When I met with his mother four years after the breakup, she said she’d felt so guilty over these past few years. “I loved you like a daughter, and he’s my son—I never want any of my children to feel that pain.”
I told her I was glad it happened, not for the fact that the breakup needed to …
13 Insights About Relationships That Could Save You A Lot of Pain
“It’s amazing how quickly someone can become a stranger; it’s even more amazing how quickly someone can become a treasured friend.” ~Unknown
The past six months have been unbelievably difficult for me.
My “normal” life turned upside down and inside out, as my beautiful daughter continues to fight a complex pain condition, which took us all by surprise one bright and sunny Monday afternoon. And literally, in a single heartbeat, just like that, instead of a regular routine day of school, work and afternoon activities, our time was consumed with juggling doctors, hospitals, tests, and specialists—all of us fully devoted …
The Art of Saying No: Lessons from a Caregiver
“When you say yes to others, make sure you are not saying no to yourself.” ~Paulo Coelho
There it is again. Another person asks me for help. There’s a sharp pull inside of me to stop what I am doing and give.
And the internal struggle comes up.
I should just say yes and help them. What’s it take to write out a few text lines? An extra phone call? It’s not so bad, I tell myself. You are, after all, a caregiver.
My internal voice is so strong. It has been with me for a long time, this …
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine.