Daylight: Fun Music Video To Start the Morning with a Smile
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched this video. It’s impossible to watch this and not smile!
5 Tiny Steps to Move Away from Unnecessary Busyness
“It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?” ~Henry David Thoreau
I’m sitting on my porch watching the line of ants trail up the wall until the black line above me starts to fade into the roof. I wonder what they think about.
Do they question the busyness of their tiny lives? Are they determined to get somewhere, or do they just focus on each tiny step forward? Do they fear the long road ahead?
I remembered learning from my mother—when my sister and I were homeschooled in …
How to Be Kind to Yourself in a Busy World
“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” ~Sydney J. Harris
A few weeks ago, I had a panic attack. It was the first time in my life that I had experienced such unfamiliar feelings of intense fear and debilitating terror. As each prolonged minute painfully elapsed, I honestly thought that I was dying.
At the time, of course, I had no idea what was happening to my body.
I did not know why my heart was racing, why my face was numb, or why my tongue felt like it was choking me. Why my …
A 6-Step Daily Ritual to Create the Future and Enjoy the Present
“What you do today is important, because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.” ~Unknown
I have always loved to-do lists. It gives me joy to plan my day in advance. Lists give me an overview, focus, and I simply love crossing things off.
Things changed when I became self-employed. My to-do list behavior turned from a supportive tool into an instrument of self-imposed pressure.
I felt that being self-employed meant that I had to work very hard to make things happen. The lists became longer and longer, at least fifteen big items per day.
As …
Stay Motivated To Make Lasting Changes With These 5 Simple Steps
“The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.” ~Ralph Blum
We all face obstacles. Maybe you’re unhappy in your career, but don’t know what else you’d like to do with your life. Maybe you’re unfulfilled in your relationship, but don’t know how to communicate this to your partner. Or maybe you’re struggling to make ends meet financially, and don’t know how to get out of debt.
A few years ago, my life was in complete shambles. My marriage had fallen apart, I was unfulfilled at work, I felt disconnected and misunderstood by family and …
Recovering from the Pain of Bullying and Finding Confidence as an Adult
“If your number one goal is to make sure that everyone likes and approves of you, then you risk sacrificing your uniqueness, and therefore, your excellence.” ~Unknown
I envied the clusters of kids at recess, playing games from which I was always excluded, not just because I couldn’t play them, but also because I was the class outcast. I envied them, the ease with which they moved; their grace, speed, and precision as they ran, kicked, danced, dove. Things I could hardly hope to do.
But it wasn’t just my Cerebral Palsy. It was something that wasn’t really about my …
3 Small Steps Toward Rebuilding Your Confidence
“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” ~Benjamin Spock
My confidence is a delicate thing. I’ve had more disturbances in my life than I’ve had reassurances, a handful of betrayals, and enough playground cruelty to last me until the day I die.
I am still living with some difficult health conditions that I wake up and go to bed with every day, with no respite. I’m an introvert to the core, no matter how eloquent I am with the written word, or articulate with the spoken word.
Some of us are more fragile than others, but that’s …
An Inspiring Message from Wounded Veterans to Boston Marathon Survivors
As someone who’s from Boston and has been visiting this past month, I’m proud. I’m proud of the way the community has come together, offering their hearts, homes, and hospitality to others in need.
I’m proud of the way survivors are channeling gratitude for living through the tragedy, even while they begin the process of healing physically and emotionally.
And I’m proud of the many efforts people are taking around the country to help those directly affected as they adjust to their new realities and learn how to not just survive, but thrive.
“We stand with you.” That’s the message …
Let Go and Experience Life: 8 Ways to Stop Living in Crisis Mode
“I vow to let go of all worries and anxiety in order to be light and free.” ~Thich Nhat Han
My dad had been ill, in and out of the hospital for a couple of weeks, when my mother called with news that he had been airlifted from their local hospital to a larger regional medical center. My dad suffered from Crohn’s Disease for nearly fifty years at that point and was experiencing severe abdominal pain believed to be from a perforation of his bowel.
We would learn over the next few hours that even surgery to remove a malignant …
How to Bounce Back from a Hard Time and Come Out Stronger
“How we remember, what we remember, and why we remember, form the most personal map of our individuality.” ~Christina Baldwin
Look in the mirror. Who returns your gaze?
Is the face looking back at you a fulfilled being, or a mere shell of longing for something better?
If you would’ve asked me these questions a year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you.
Fresh out of college and on a mission to convince my ego of its importance, I began down a path that, unbeknownst to me at the time, would teach me more about myself than I’d …
Why You Aren’t Living Your Dreams and What to Do About It
“Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results, but first you have to believe.” ~Mark Victor Hansen
Screech!
The car engine’s loud revving got quiet. The tires came to a screeching halt.
This towering, slender, intimidating man, with a beard like the skin of a shaved porcupine, shut the driver side door behind him and approached me with thunder.
“Is this what you’re doing?!” he demanded. “On the corner—with a girl?”
It wasn’t her fault, but his expression almost made me turn around and look at her with utter disgust.
Instead, I was too busy quieting the …
4 Crucial Steps to Make Your Dream Come True
“Don’t be pushed by your problems; be led by your dreams.” ~Unknown
A little over forty-eight hours from now, I’ll be on a plane to Europe where I plan to spend three months traveling (and working) with my boyfriend.
Saturday is the first day of a dream I’ve held for well over a decade.
It was my second year in college when I did my semester abroad, staying in a castle my school owns in The Netherlands.
I was one of less than seventy students there, part of an intimate group that traveled together on three weekend trips to Paris, …
Signs: A Simple Short Film on Communication
Signs is a simple short film about reaching out, connecting, and feeling less alone. We are never alone.
Embracing Pain: Life’s Gifts Often Come Wrapped in Sandpaper
“The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow.” ~Unknown
“How did you get so wise?” My friend’s voice on the other end of the telephone line was genuinely curious.
I took a moment to think, wanting to be just as sincere in my response as she was in her inquiry. I felt the words climb up from the depths of my heart and ride a breath of truth as they passed through my lips.
“I cry a lot,” I finally responded.
Believe me, I wish there was another way. On my personal journey—and there are …
Use Your Heart as a Wall: Make It Stronger Instead of Shutting Down
“The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow.” ~Unknown
“I’m done here. It’s time for me to move on,” she spoke softly as if unsure herself. For a moment, I swore she said “I’m not done here,” but she didn’t. She was leaving me.
The poison in the words numbed my body and my soul. All of a sudden, there seemed to be a big hole where my heart used to be.
Survival mode kicked in and I started protecting that “empty” space. For me, it was isolating myself from social situations, even work. I sunk …
3 Ways to Feel Good When Things Seem Bad
“It isn’t what happens to us that causes us to suffer; it’s what we say to ourselves about what happens.” ~Pema Chodron
Have you ever had something happen in your life that completely changed everything?
Wham. Suddenly you haven’t left your bedroom in days, you can’t remember what it feels like to shower, and it’s clear the only friend you can really count on is your cat.
And whether it’s a major life-suck event or a minor one, the question is: How can I feel contented and calm when things don’t go to plan?
That is what this post is …
Validation: A Short Film About Being Great
Some people look for the best in people, and in doing so bring it out. Validation is a short film about what it means to see light and acknowledge it. Watch it and remember: You are awesome!
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