This Is My Life
Source: Simple Reminders
Set Yourself Free: 5 Things You Gain When You Forgive
“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” ~Catherine Ponder
Somewhere in the middle of my freshman year of college, my best friend from high school broke up with me. Out of nowhere, she just stopped talking to me. I tried relentlessly to reconnect, but she stopped responding and never gave me an answer why.
For years it was the most painful heartbreak I had going in my life. It’s still what I …
How to Respond to a Verbal Assault Without Losing Your Cool
“Often those that criticize others reveal what he himself lacks.” ~Shannon L. Adler
I answer the phone.
And then the yelling starts. The woman on the other end lets fly a barrage of abuse.
She’s angry and upset and she’s taking it out on me. Because I haven’t sent her a text message for two days.
She wants to know why I haven’t responded and what is wrong with me. She wants to know how I can be so mean.
I don’t understand. I thought I was giving her space during a difficult time. I was also dealing with events …
Healing Is a Journey, Not a Destination (and You’re Not Broken)
“Healing requires from us to stop struggling, but to enjoy life more and endure it less.” ~Darina Stoyanova
At the age of twenty-seven I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, chronic inflammation of the bladder that causes UTI like symptoms. I am now twenty-nine and still experiencing symptoms, but I have improved greatly.
I have spent that time searching for the answers to this medical enigma, for which doctors claim there is no cure. At first my research led me on a path of frustration and hopelessness, until I realized that my mindset was what was holding me back from healing.…
The Upside of Adversity: 6 Lessons from Thriving with Chronic Illness
“If you’re not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you’re determined to learn, no one can stop you.” ~Unknown
I vividly remember the day that I realized something was seriously wrong inside my body.
It was a Friday night. I was out with some friends after work when I suddenly started slurring my speech.
I’d been drinking soda water all evening.
I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I remember trying to stem the rising feeling of panic, to convince myself that everything was okay.
As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, noticing a …
The Power of “No”: Better Boundaries Lead to a Better Life
“’No’ is a complete sentence.” ~Anne Lamott
When I went to counseling for the first time, my therapist told me I needed better boundaries. I had no idea what he was talking about, and although the book he lent me on the subject helped a little, I still didn’t really get it.
I tried here and there to integrate the few concepts I’d picked up from the book into my life, but mostly I stayed away from anything that could be considered boundary setting, as I still couldn’t quite figure out what it meant.
A decade after my first introduction …
You Don’t Need a Guru; Life is Your Greatest Teacher
“Forget what hurt you, but never forget what taught you.” ~Unknown
I read a tribute Elizabeth Gilbert wrote for Richard from Texas who features in her book Eat, Pray, Love. It got me thinking that our teachers in life can take many forms and not always an obvious ‘traditional’ teacher.
In Eat, Pray, Love Liz went looking for a guru in India but learned a whole host of lessons from Richard, who was probably there seeking out the same guru for his own answers.
We can go through life looking for gurus, trying to learn from the experts, and …
How to Stop Beating Yourself Up Over the Little Things
“You are perfect just as you are and you could use a little improvement.” ~Shunryu Suzuki-roshi
A few weeks ago, I had a day that I felt like an utter failure.
I had eaten junk food even though I was trying to get healthy. I’d skipped out on going to the gym for no good reason. I forgot to call my parents even though I promised them I would. I didn’t meet my daily writing goals and ended up watching two movies I’d already seen.
In other words, I slid into a lot of bad habits all at once.
I …
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