If You Don’t Love Yourself
ASMR: The Powerful Practice That Helped Me Let People In
“For the person that needs to see this today: Your heart will heal, your tears will dry, your season will change. Rest tonight, knowing the storm will end.” ~Unknown
Like many people, I didn’t have the easiest time growing up. Between having a toxic family upbringing and being bullied, I learned to trust nobody and keep to myself. Being naturally bold and self-sufficient enabled me to move through the world independently, relying on as few people as possible. Living this way was the closest experience to safety I could reference.
Over the years, my lifestyle of hyper-independence increased, and I …
Daring to Fail: Uncovering the Hidden Strengths in Our Struggles
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” ~Robert F. Kennedy
How do you define failure?
When something doesn’t go as planned?
When someone tells you they don’t like what you’ve made?
When an outcome doesn’t match your expectations?
I find it increasingly important to define failure. Which seems like a weird thing to do because we’re all trying to avoid it. Even talking about failure feels like it has the power to bring about failure.
No one wants to be labelled a failure. And it’s because of that underlying fear that we end up stuck, miserable, …
Finding Home: The Magic of Feeling Seen and Heard
“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place to go where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” ~Maya Angelou
In 2019, I found myself in a psychiatric institution sitting across from a psychologist who was grilling me about why I was there. She seemed angry.
I told her how heartbroken I was that no one “believed” the physical symptoms I was dealing with, caused by chronic illness and benzodiazepine withdrawal. I told her how my nervous system had been hijacked, and I could not control the terror I felt daily. I told …
The Closure in Accepting That They May Never Change
“One of the hardest things I’ve had to understand is that closure comes from within. Especially difficult if you’ve been betrayed by someone you love because you feel like you gotta let them know the pain they caused, but the peace you seek can only be given to you by you.” ~Bruna Nessif
Many years ago, I wrote a very personal post for Tiny Buddha titled Get Past It Instead of Getting Even: Revenge Isn’t Winning.
The post described the challenges I experienced with my parents as an adult and, ultimately, my decision to cease all relations with them.
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 