A Simple Way to Be Happy
Two Words That Can Motivate You to Keep Going: What If?
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” ~Mary Anne Radmacher
Carefully, I wrote my New Year’s Resolutions neatly in my purple leather bound journal, which chronicled the ups and downs of the past year of my life.
Resolutions, whether they’re made on the first of January or any day of the year, are refreshing. It’s a chance to start again—the closest you can get to a “redo” of the past.
In prior years, I made resolutions that were destined to fail. Read one book per …
Eliminate These 5 Words to Create the Life of Your Dreams
“Don’t be pushed by your problems; be led by your dreams.” ~Unknown
For years I felt nothing.
Nothing, that is, except bored at work, trapped in my marriage, uninspired in my educational pursuits, misunderstood by friends and family, and stuck in my hometown. I’d lay awake at night wondering what was wrong with me.
How did I manage to manifest the exact scenario I’d been trying so desperately to avoid?
As I reflected upon all the major decisions I’d made up until that point, it didn’t take long to realize what had happened: I’d spent so much time focusing on …
The Gift of Kindness: A Simple Reason to Give What We Can
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” ~Dalai Lama
“Look at that guy,” I said to my wife.
We were circling the block looking for parking when I spotted him on the sidewalk in front of the bank. For some reason he stood out from the other people in the area.
“Seems off,” I thought to myself.
As I passed by, I kept an eye on him. He didn’t seem to be going anywhere, just walking back and forth along the sidewalk in front of the bank.
He was looking around and moving around like …
6 Lessons from a Brave Little Girl About Living a Love-Filled Life
“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love.” ~Sophocles
I can’t believe it was almost four years ago that I met *Holly. Her story is still deeply embedded into my heart. Who would have thought that one can learn so much from a ten-year-old child?
At the time, I was working in Kenya as a children’s rights researcher. Knowing about my psychology background, the principal of a primary school I was working at asked me if I could talk to one of their students. Since I would only be able to meet …
Mystic Coffee: A Magical Barista with the Gift of Insight
What happens when a stressed our coffee barista finds a magical ring in her tip jar? That’s the premise of “Mystic Coffee,” a short film by screenwriter and producer Jeff Leisawita. It’s a fun, whimsical short with some powerful messages to help us step out of our usual “line” of thinking and see things from a different angle.
If you enjoy this one, check out Jeff’s Kickstarter campaign for the sequel!
Taking Big Chances and Knowing If It’s Worth the Risk
“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.” ~Denis Waitley
Taking risks isn’t the secret to life, but taking risks does mean we are never at risk of doing nothing.
Nine months ago, almost to the day, I stepped off a plane onto German soil. I left behind everything I knew, and almost everyone I knew. I moved to a place where I couldn’t understand anyone to live with someone I had never lived with before.
But let’s back up. What exactly made me …
Breaking the Rust: 7 Tips to Move Forward When You Feel Stuck
“Change is inevitable. Growth is intentional.” ~Glenda Cloud
The squeak emanating from my office chair had finally become unbearable. Like a slow drip of acid on the surface of my psyche, it had finally burned its way into my head.
I stopped working on the article I was writing and strode into the garage to retrieve my toolbox. Time to replace that rusted out wheel with the shiny new one that I’d bought months ago.
I leapt into action purposefully. Today, things would change.
Three of the four bolts holding the wheel in place were out when things ground to …
Stop Resisting: Surrender to Your Body to Transform It and Your Life
“Whatever you fight, you strengthen, and what you resist, persists.” ~Eckhart Tolle
Most people don’t realize that your relationship with your body affects your entire life. Why? Because if you are fighting with your body, you are fighting with yourself. And if you are fighting with yourself, you are resisting what you truly desire in life.
I know too well what it feels like to fight with your body. I had the same fear as most people…
If I love my body as it is today, it will get worse. I will gain more weight. If I keep my constant …
How to Use Your Flaws as Creative Inspiration
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ~Maya Angelou
I love my skin because not only does it protect and make me human, it also inspires me to make art.
Being an artist, I’m always finding inspiration in my day-to-day life. Well, ten years ago that came in the form of irritating and weird looking welts that appear on my skin when I barely scratch. It was so embarrassing when people would see the itchy welts and ask, “What’s wrong with you?”
I have dermatographia. It’s a skin condition in …
Coping with the Pain of Loneliness After a Breakup
“Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it’s better to leave them broken than hurt yourself trying to put it back together.” ~Unknown
I am at a phase in my life right now where I’m struggling with loneliness.
Most of the time, I feel a deep sense of disconnection from the world around me and the people I share it with.
The mere fact that I am writing this in the small hours of the morning, deafened by the ear-splitting silence of an empty flat, unable to sleep, simply emphasizes this point to me even harder.
The empty flat in question is …
5 Steps to Deal with Emotional Baggage So It Doesn’t Define You
“Sometimes the past should be abandoned, yes. Life is a journey and you can’t carry everything with you. Only the usable baggage.” ~Ha Jin
You’ve probably heard of the fear of missing out but what about the fear of letting go?
My father was volatile and mentally unstable. Criticism was his preferred method of communication. As a child and teenager, I learned to keep my thoughts and feelings locked away and became an expert at deflecting personal questions.
Without realizing it, I carried this habit into adulthood, avoiding any talk about my feelings or turning them into a joke. …
Ellen Page’s Inspiring Coming Out Speech
Ellen Page is my new hero. Her honesty, her vulnerability, her courage, her compassion, her message of hope. Five amazing reasons to dedicate nine minutes to this video. If you’re anything like me, you’ll get to the end with goosebumps and gratitude for the powerful reminder to shine your light.
Why Love Addiction Deprives Us of Love, and How to Let It In
“What we seek in love is finding someone with whom we feel safe to reveal our true self.” ~Karen Salmansohn
I wasn’t always in a relationship, but I was almost always in love.
I even had crushes in kindergarten. I hated school because my grade school teacher didn’t like me. Maybe my crushes helped me avoid feeling the void, the loneliness, and the sense that I was not of this world, an outcast.
Being in love let me ignore those uncomfortable feelings. Of course, I did not understand any of this at age six. Now I do.
As an …
How to Fall Back in Love With Your Life
“If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.” ~Daisaku Ikeda
Ever found yourself in a rut, just waiting for some force of the Universe to pull you out?
When ennui sets in, it can be hard to find a way back into the light, but it typically takes a series of events and choices for us to be living a life out of sync with our personal goals, values, and passions.
Last year, I found myself in one of these ruts. After spinning my wheels for quite some time, …
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