Stay True to Who You Are
The Value of Doing Nothing in a Hyperproductive World
“Allow yourself to be bored a little. In our world full of distractions, create some space for nothingness.” ~Unknown
My roommate sat in the kitchen, eating his late home-cooked dinner, and commented with a half-mocking smile, “Ah, you’re still living.”
The words hung in the air, awkwardly playful but sharp enough to sting. They echoed something larger: the subtle judgment that creeps into our culture of relentless productivity.
Confusion bubbled up inside me, followed quickly by shame. My cheeks turned red. I had spent most of this sunny Saturday alone in my room—reading books, listening to music, writing a little, …
When Love Isn’t Enough: The Lessons I Learned from my Breakup
“This is not where your story ends. It’s simply where it takes a turn you didn’t expect.” ~Cheryl Strayed
He had the courage to say what I couldn’t.
“It’s not working anymore.”
It didn’t make any sense that we were breaking up. We loved each other so much. We had been talking about getting engaged. Our couples therapy was moving in a positive direction, even when it was really challenging.
When he said those words, I knew I wasn’t going to argue with him. As much as we loved each other, we had taken the relationship as far as …
How I Found Confidence and a New Path When I Felt Inadequate
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” ~Arthur Ashe
It was a quiet evening at Boat Quay. The sun was setting, casting warm golden hues over the water, and the air smelled faintly of salt and street food. I was sitting on the riverbank with a close friend, my head heavy with thoughts that refused to settle.
“I’m thirty,” I said, breaking the silence. My voice quivered with frustration. “I haven’t achieved anything. Look at Joseph Schooling—he’s younger than me and a gold medalist! My other friend started his own business. And me? I’m just… …
When You’re Ready for More: How to Access Your Inner Wanderer
“Not all who wander are lost.” ~J.R.R. Tolkien
Sometimes as humans we lose sight of our profound inner resourcefulness—the wellspring of creativity and strength that has kept humanity reinventing itself over and over again.
It happens to everyone. We get lost in comfortable routines, become discouraged from trying new things, and forget how to play.
When life feels disappointingly status quo, it’s easy to keep floating downcurrent as you tell yourself, “Welp, I guess this is as good as it gets.”
I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely caught myself in a trap of wondering if the best is …
Web of Lies: Breaking Free from Manipulative Behavior
“The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.” ~James A. Garfield
When the email finally came, it felt like a trap snapping shut. Its words were carefully spun—half-truths and veiled accusations twisted together to shift blame and obscure the real issue.
For years, I had brushed off these moments as quirks or misunderstandings. But now, the patterns were clear. I was entangled in something far more calculated. Recognizing the manipulation for what it was marked the first step toward cutting myself free, though it was anything but easy.
Understanding Manipulative Behavior
Manipulation often hides in …
Healing Through Reparenting: The Greatest Act of Self-Love
“When you reparent yourself, you can step in and give your inner child the deep love and attention you may not have had when you were young.” ~Victoria Albina
Reparenting is not for the faint of heart, but the journey can surely be described as the greatest act of self-love. It’s a gift—a chance to redo some of the painful aspects of childhood and adolescence, but with the awareness of an adult mind. It is also an opportunity to connect much more deeply with ourselves and those we wish to connect with in a more authentic way.
What is reparenting?…
How to Work Mindfully with Pain and Illness
“Can I sit with suffering, both yours and mine, without trying to make it go away? Can I stay present to the ache of loss or disgrace—disappointment in all its many forms—and let it open me? This is the trick.” ~Pema Chödrön
At forty-seven years of age, I have experienced chronic illness in some form since my mid-to-late twenties. This past year, I’ve also encountered chronic pain on a level I have never experienced before. Part of that is illness-related, and part of it is simply my body getting older, coupled with the effects of repetitive motions from sitting and …
What Happened When I Stopped Blaming and Embraced Radical Responsibility
“I can respect any person who can put their ego aside and say, ‘I made a mistake, I apologize, and I’m correcting the behavior.’” ~Sylvester McNutt
I remember I was a teenager when I went through this horrible breakup. I had never experienced heartbreak before, and the pain was excruciating, impacting many areas of my life. For years, I blamed him for the end of our relationship and for not appreciating my love.
My friends told me it was his loss and that I deserved much better. I nursed that breakup for longer than necessary. I never took responsibility for …
Two Reasons We Sabotage Our Joy and Success and How to Stop
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~Rumi
Have you ever held yourself back from going after what you truly want, or from enjoying what you have, because of a lingering fear that it might be taken away from you, or because you felt guilty for having more than others?
For years, I found myself unintentionally sabotaging moments of pure joy and personal success without being able to embrace them fully.
For example, when my son was born, a rush of panic would flood me every time I even imagined the possibility of losing him, and I …
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