If Life Isn’t Gentle with You
Why Rest Should Be a Priority, Not a Reward
“In an age of constant movement, nothing is so urgent as sitting still.” ~Pico Iyer, from his TED talk “The Art of Stillness”
It was a Tuesday in late September, the kind of afternoon that feels borrowed from summer. I had a work deadline at 5:00. I went to the park anyway.
I spread a blanket on the grass, unpacked a little cheese and some fruit, and poured tea from the thermos I’d filled mostly out of habit. I had a book in my bag that I never opened.
For two hours, I sat outside in the middle …
How “Doing Fine” Was Actually Holding Me Back
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” ~Carl Rogers
For most of my life, the story looked like a straight line going up. I never hit bottom. This isn’t that kind of story.
And for a long time, that was exactly the problem.
From the outside, my life looked good. I had built things I was proud of and a family I love. If you knew me, you would have said I was doing well, and you would probably have been right.
So this isn’t a story about hitting bottom. …
Emotionally Overwhelmed? 5 Simple Practices That Can Help
“Whatever you’re feeling, it will eventually pass. You won’t feel sad forever. At some point, you will feel happy again. You won’t feel anxious forever. In time, you will feel calm again. You don’t have to fight your feelings or feel guilty for having them. You just have to accept them and be good to yourself while you ride this out. Resisting your emotions and shaming yourself will only cause you more pain, and you don’t deserve that. You deserve your own love, acceptance, and compassion.” ~Lori Deschene
One cry a day. I have used this four-word phrase to defend …
When the Old Life Doesn’t Fit but the New One Isn’t Clear Yet
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” ~Maya Angelou
There’s a strange season in life when the old ambitions no longer fit, but the new ones haven’t fully formed yet.
A year ago, I asked myself a simple question. Not a vague one. A very practical one.
Is there something I need to do right now to begin fulfilling my purpose and be happy?
And for the most part… nothing. No inner wisdom. No clear message. No cinematic download from the universe. Just silence.
At one …
When “Protecting Your Peace” Is Really Avoidance
“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.” ~Anonymous
My sister called four times before I picked up.
Not four times in one day—four times over three weeks. Each time, I watched her name light up my phone, felt something tighten in my chest, and set my phone face-down on the counter.
I told myself I was protecting my peace. I’d read that phrase everywhere that year. It was on water bottles, on Instagram infographics, on the lock screens of women I admired who seemed to have figured out something I hadn’t. Protect your
