People Grow When They Are Loved Well
Forget What Other People Expect and Do What’s Right for You
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.“ – Steve Jobs
When we come to this world, we know nothing. We are all products of the societies that raised us and shaped our belief system with things labeled good or bad, right or wrong, normal or abnormal.
I was raised in an Eastern European culture that led me to believe every single woman on Earth must tick off certain boxes.
During the time I was single, especially once I turned thirty, many people started to wonder “what was wrong with me” and why I couldn’t …
3 Ways to Stop Worrying and Feel Less Anxious
“There isn’t enough room in your mind for both worry and faith. You must decide which one will live there.” ~Sir Robertson
Do you consider yourself a worrier?
Maybe even a perfectionist or Type A personality?
When I’m not at my best, I can be all of those things combined. (Not cute, I know.)
Because of this, I know exactly what it feels like to be stuck in my head, with tightness in my chest and emotional wrenches in my gut.
If you also struggle with worry and anxiety, then I feel you. I rode the worry struggle …
Whatever Is Taken for Granted Will Eventually Be Taken Away
“They say ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.’ The truth is, you knew exactly what you had. You just didn’t think that you were going to lose it.” ~Unknown
She was a mother of eight children. She lived with her family in a small village in the countryside.
Living in a poor family, with eight mouths to feed, she worked every possible job from dawn till dusk, from working in her family’s own rice field to accepting gigs from anyone who’d hire her.
Many people told her not to put her children in school so she could …
How Forgiving Yourself and Others Changes Your Brain
“Be quick to forgive, because we’re all walking wounded.” ~Anonymous
People often behave in ways that we find irritating, annoying, or worse. This can happen especially with people close to us.
They can speak with little consideration for the impact of their words. They can criticize us and pounce on our mistakes. Sometimes they do unfair things that seriously disadvantage or damage us. Or they let us down when we’re counting on them.
All these behaviors can lead to us feeling wounded. The scars can persist for years or even decades. The closer the offenders are to us, the greater …
How I Stopped Emotional Eating and Started Feeling Better About Life
“Don’t forget you’re human. It’s okay to have a meltdown, just don’t unpack and live there.” ~Unknown
For the longest time, I wanted to lose weight. I wasn’t terribly overweight but it seemed to me that if I could just have the perfect body, life would be amazing.
So, I threw everything but the kitchen sink at my food and exercise habits.
Never one to settle for small wins, I pushed myself to have the perfect diet—I prepped meals at home, didn’t eat out very much, and worked out as often as I could. Yes, the kind where I …
Yes, I Do Matter
“Love yourself like your life depends on it. Because it does.” ~Danielle LaPorte
Thank you website impersonator. I appreciate you. In fact, you may be one of my best teachers.
Whoa. What?
Most people wouldn’t normally think of extending gratitude for someone who steals your words, impersonates your personal story, and uses your images online. Neither did I when I realized that an anonymous source had lifted not just my blog posts, but images of my daughter and specific characteristics of my life on their website.
Truth be told, I was outraged. This took intent. This took more than just …
3 Things That Are Helping Me Deal with Stress, Pain, and Loss
“Being on a spiritual path does not prevent you from facing times of darkness; but it teaches you how to use the darkness as a tool to grow.” ~Unknown
Life has not been kind lately.
My aunt passed away in October. She had been suffering from cancer, but her family kept the extent of her illness to themselves, and hence I did not have a chance to see her before she passed away. I felt bad about that.
My father followed her a month later, just after Thanksgiving. He had been ailing from Parkinson’s Disease, but his death as well …
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.