Freedom Is…
A Powerful Way to Motivate Yourself to Pursue What You Want
“See the positive side, the potential, and make an effort.” ~Dalai Lama
Until fairly recently, I was somewhat afraid of talking to girls.
Well, that’s not exactly true. I was afraid of talking to girls if I had a romantic intent. If it was an innocuous conversation, I could be cool as a cucumber.
As you can imagine, this stifled my romantic life somewhat. If I met someone and things were going well, once I realized that she liked me a little and I could move things forward, I would freeze up. Self-sabotage.
This was very frustrating to me, …
4 Tips to Help You Choose When You Have a Lot of Passions
“Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places.” ~Unknown
When I first quit my office job in 2012, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do with my life. My idea bank was at zero.
But for a full year after leaving my job, I committed myself to exploring and doing the things I’d always been too scared to do.
I took acting classes, traveled, volunteered on farms, started a blog, learned about a more sustainable lifestyle, and was initiated into Reiki.
After a while I realized my problem had spun a complete 360. My idea …
3 Steps To Embrace Your Beauty and Smile More Every Day
“Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Is there anything more beautiful than a person smiling, or better yet, laughing? I don’t think so. It’s almost contagious.
You’ve likely seen the YouTube videos of babies laughing and couldn’t help but smile.
And there’s probably a special person in your life that only needs to smile and you feel your heart lift. Maybe it doesn’t even need to be someone you know. I’ve had this happen to me with a complete stranger.
When you see someone smiling from ear to ear, filled with joy, you can’t …
The Path to Freedom: Facing Painful Thoughts and Feelings
“Life is an endless process of self-discovery.” ~James Gardner
My thoughts lately have been so hurtful.
Things like: I’m not a good writer. I’m ugly. I’m stupid.
I’m not funny. I can’t carry a meaningful conversation. I’ll never be special.
The world is out to get me. People take advantage of me. I’m boring and don’t matter.
Like I said, hurtful. Crippling, demoralizing thoughts. One not-so-nice thing after another, and it makes me want to cry.
Why the pain? Why the negative thoughts? Well, recently I spent two weeks playing a video game. From the time I walked through …
I Like Being 98: An Inspiring Message from a Beautiful Woman
Evelyn may be 98, but she refuses to be seen as useless, and she won’t let that stop her from being there for the people who need her.
Remember This Before Judging Someone Who Annoys You
“We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behavior.” ~Stephen Covey
It happened again! A different place, a different person. But again, I was outraged! How could I let it go this time?
I was driving home from work, excited about the weekend. As I looked in the rear-view mirror, a bulky four-wheel drive gradually came closer. Next minute, it was right behind me. Another tailgater!
I sped up to shake it off. It stayed with me. I tapped the brake to tell the driver to back off. He came closer!
I was beginning to fume. As I …
What Would Your Future Look Like If You Took a Leap of Faith?
“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make. ” ~Unknown
Have you ever thought about making a big change in your life?
Chances are, just that very idea produces a mild sense of anxiety and discomfort. But what if you were to actually go ahead and make that change? What would that look like, what would that feel like?
A rhetorical question, I realize. You only know if you go through with it. If you don’t, you will never know. It’s a …
How to Change Your Habits and Your Life in 5 Steps
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” ~Frederick Douglass
We all experience struggles. Some are seemingly insurmountable. Others, like mine, are comparatively small. Regardless of their scale, it’s what we learn from our struggles that counts.
Mine began while at university in London. Originally from a small town in the Welsh valleys, the move to the big city was a scary one for me.
A mum’s boy at heart, I didn’t deal well with being so far away from home. I’m also an introvert who didn’t embrace the uni lifestyle of drinking to failure, so I didn’t make …
10 Things Happy People Do to Stay Happy
“Here’s a little song I wrote. You might want to sing it note for note. Don’t worry, be happy.” ~Bobby McFerrin
I was one of those people that when asked what they want in life, would say, “I just want to be happy…”
In my past, I suffered from debilitating depression. There was a period when getting the dry-cleaning and buying toilet paper was difficult enough.
So, I made it my mission to study what happy people do to stay happy, then I started doing what they were doing. And my happiness increased until I became one of those …
Giving in Relationships Without Losing Yourself or Sacrificing Your Needs
“Relationships are about two individuals who maintain their own lives and create another one together.” ~Unknown
When I am in relationship, I put all of myself into it and can sometimes neglect my own needs as a result.
I’ve recognized that I’m doing this in my current relationship, and I’ve realized that while it is wonderful to be truly committed, it is important not to lose oneself. This is where healthy boundaries come into play.
A healing practitioner recently reminded me that relationships are excellent opportunities for personal growth.
As someone who was single for almost a decade and has …
When You Love an Addict: Stop Enabling and Help Yourself
“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.” ~Ann Landers
I fell in love for better or worse. First came the better and then the worst.
My prince charming, over time, became a raging alcoholic. I watched an amazing man become, well less amazing.
There are endless books and information you can read about addiction, but I am going to break the rule, skip to the end of those books, and tell you the …
10 Truths About Real Love (It’s Not Always Like the Movies)
“No relationship is all sunshine, but two people can share one umbrella and survive the storm together.” ~Unknown
In a world duped by wild expectations and soaked Ryan Gosslings, my recent engagement to my partner Rob got me thinking: No one writes a letter every day for a year and talks about it in the rain.
So, to anyone out there ready for love, these are the lessons I have to share.
1. You may find love where you least expect it.
We met in a bathroom. At a gay bar. I’m not saying people don’t find love when …
5 Crippling Lies About Forgiveness (and the Truths That Set You Free)
“Forgiveness has nothing to do with absolving a criminal of his crime. It has everything to do with relieving oneself of the burden of being a victim.” ~C.R. Strahan
It’s not fair, is it?
Getting hurt. All over again.
It wasn’t so bad forgiving them the first time. You rose to the occasion. You became the bigger person. You tried to move on.
You thought you had to. After all, they did ask nicely.
You just knew you’d be BFFs again and go right back to, “Let’s go for Jamba Juice!”
But it didn’t go down like that, did it?…
A Guide for Poor Sleepers with Overactive Minds (and a Giveaway!)
Note: The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen:
- Siri Sims
- Monterrey
As a kid, I often played movies in mind when I was trying to fall asleep.
I’d start from the opening scene, as if I’d popped a tape into my VCR (because that’s just how old I am), and I’d mentally watch as much as I could before drifting off into slumber.
As an adult, it amazes me that I was able to relax and focus my mind in this way back then, as I’ve spent much of my older life overthinking and tossing and turning in …
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
“Love yourself—accept yourself—forgive yourself—and be good to yourself, because without you the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things.” ~Leo F. Buscaglia
In 2009 I traveled to Perth, Western Australia, to further my education. Little did I know how much my life would change.
I befriended lots of people and met a tall, gorgeous man from South Asia. He was not the type of guy I normally dated, but I fell for him anyway.
It was our happy fun time in 2010. Then, in early 2011, I sensed a change.
It’s funny when you’re in a …
The Gift Of Unsoothable Pain: Darkness Can Lead to Light
“Blessed are the cracked for they shall let in the light.” ~Groucho Marx
In 2008, after ten years of marriage, my former husband and I decided to divorce.
It came as a shock to those who knew us. We were living what most would consider the American dream: two healthy children, beautiful home, great friends, strong careers, two incomes—the works.
Though my ex-husband and I got along well, the marriage was missing an intimate, heartfelt connection.
Loneliness and longing grew with each passing year until I could no longer ignore them. I knew the kind of intimacy for which I …
Inspiring 8-Year Old Amputee Dances Her Heart Out
Alissa Sizemore has loved dancing since she was four years old, and nothing could take that passion away from her—not even being hit by a UPS truck and losing one of her legs below the knee.
In her first performance since the accident, she danced to “Try” by Colbie Caillat, a song about embracing yourself as you are. I found this video on Hooplaha, and as the writer predicted, it moved me to tears.
5 Questions That Will Help You Focus On What Matters
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ~Mary Oliver
Let’s get things done.
If you’ve ever read any books or articles about productivity, you’ve heard this phrase. It’s one I used and made a part of my life for a long time. More recently, I’ve discovered there’s a better and more disciplined way to work and to live.
It’s called essentialism, and it means getting more of the right things done.
According to Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, an essentialist removes the trivial and focuses …
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