When All You Can See Is the Dark
The Power of Imperfect Work in an AI-Driven, Perfection-Obsessed World
“Have no fear of perfection—you’ll never reach it.” ~Salvador Dalí
We live in a world that worships polish.
Perfect photos on Instagram. Seamless podcasts with no awkward pauses. Articles that read like they’ve passed through a dozen editors.
And now, with AI tools that can produce mistake-free writing in seconds, the bar feels even higher. Machines can generate flawless sentences, perfect grammar, and shiny ideas on demand. Meanwhile, I’m over here second-guessing a paragraph, rewriting the same sentence six different ways, and still wondering if “Best” or “Warmly” is the less awkward email sign-off.
It’s easy to feel like our …
How to Stay Kind Without Losing Yourself to Toxic Behavior
“The strongest people are the ones who are still kind after the world tore them apart.” ~Raven Emotion
A few months ago, I stopped being friends with my best friend from childhood, whom I had always considered like my brother.
It was a tough decision, but I had to make it.
In the past five years, my friend (let’s call him Andy) had become increasingly rude and dismissive toward my feelings.
Not a single week went by without him criticizing me for being optimistic and for never giving up despite being a “failure.”
Still, I tried to be understanding. I …
What Finally Helped Me Break Free from Constant Food Noise
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” ~Viktor Frankl
For years, I thought something was wrong with me.
No matter what I was doing—sitting in a meeting, walking the dog, or watching TV—my brain was busy debating food.
Should I eat? Shouldn’t I? I could just have one more bite, couldn’t I? What should I eat next? I’ve blown it today, haven’t I? I’ve failed again. Shall I just eat whatever I want and start again tomorrow?
The chatter was constant. It left me exhausted, ashamed, and convinced that …
5 Surefire Signs You Grew Up with an Emotionally Immature Parent
“There’s no such thing as a ‘bad kid’—just angry, hurt, tired, scared, confused, impulsive ones expressing their feelings and needs the only way they know how. We owe it to every single one of them to always remember that.” ~Dr. Jessica Stephens
All children look up to their parents from the moment they enter this world. They have this beautiful, pure, unconditional love pouring out of them. Parents are on a pedestal. They are the ones who know what’s best! They are the grownups showing us how to do life!
We don’t think for one moment that they could be …
Work Is Not Family: A Lesson I Never Wanted but Need to Share
“The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect.” ~Peter Levine
I was sitting in the conference room at work with the CEO and my abusive male boss.
The same boss who had been love-bombing and manipulating me since I started nine months earlier, slowly pushing my nervous system into a constant state of fight-or-flight.
When I was four months into the job, this boss went on a three-day bender during an overnight work conference at a fancy hotel in Boston.
He skipped client meetings or showed up smelling …
Letting Go of the Life You Were Told to Want
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ever since I was about four years old, I knew I was different from the other kids. I was always on the outside looking in. As I approach middle age, I’ve never shaken that feeling—the knowing—of being different.
We live in a noisy world where we find whatever we seek. If we’re looking for validation that we don’t belong, that’s exactly what we’ll find.
While flawed, the standard ‘life blueprint’ hasn’t quite sailed off into …
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