When Nothing Feels Right
When Your Kindness Flows Easily to Others but Not to Yourself
“Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” ~Louise L. Hay
There it was—glaringly obvious on the page. An embarrassing typo stared back at me from the backside of a brochure I’d received from the printer. A brochure I wrote, laid out, and yes, gave the final sign-off to produce.
My stomach tightened as tears welled up in my eyes.
“You idiot,” I screamed silently at myself.
In an instant, flashes of similar mistakes I’d made over the course of a long career in communications rushed in, piling …
Moral Injury: When the People Meant to Protect You Fail
“Trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.” ~Dr. Gabor Maté
Most people think trauma comes from what frightened us.
But not all trauma is rooted in fear. Some wounds come from betrayal—when something violates our sense of right and wrong, and we’re left to carry the cost alone.
This kind of injury doesn’t happen simply because something bad occurred. It happens because a moral line was crossed—by a person, an authority, or a system we believed would protect us. What follows isn’t just pain but a lasting …
How I Found Focus and Presence When Meditation Didn’t Work
“Meditation is a way of being, not a technique.” ~Jon Kabat-Zinn
I didn’t think I was someone who “couldn’t meditate.”
I had read the books. I understood the benefits. I knew, intellectually, that sitting with my breath was supposed to help me feel calmer, more present, more myself.
And yet every time I tried, something inside me tightened.
My mind raced. My body felt exposed. Stillness didn’t feel peaceful—it felt like being left alone with something that didn’t know how to hold me.
So I stopped trying.
For a long time, I assumed this meant there was something wrong …
I Stopped Trying to Be Chosen and Finally Found Love
“You can’t perform your way into being loved. You can only reveal yourself and trust that the right person will love what they find.”
Finding the unmarked door, I stepped into a dimly lit room pulsing with that “Love Jones” energy. Neo-soul played low, red lighting cast shadows across faces, and the bass line vibrated through my chest. This was the kind of place where real conversations happened.
I was nursing a cocktail when he appeared beside me. Dark eyes, easy smile, the kind of presence that makes you sit up straighter. “What are you drinking?”
Within minutes, we’d moved …
Need a Break from Everything?
I think it’s probably fair to say that most of us are feeling overwhelmed right now. We’re all dealing with a lot. Work stress. Family responsibilities. Relationship struggles. Health challenges. The pressure to keep going even when we’re absolutely exhausted.
Lately my own life has been ridiculously full. Between running the site, homeschooling my older son, and navigating some stressful family situations, I’ve often felt like I’m in survival mode. I’m sure a lot of you know what that’s like.
And it’s not just busyness that makes it all feel so draining. It’s also the constant noise. Even if you’re
What I Ask Myself Now Instead of “What’s Wrong with Me?”
“With self-compassion, we give ourselves the same kindness and care we’d give to a good friend.” ~Kristin Neff
For a long time, I carried a question with me that I rarely said out loud.
It wasn’t dramatic. It didn’t sound cruel. It felt reasonable—even responsible.
What’s wrong with me?
The question surfaced whenever I felt stuck. When motivation disappeared. When I couldn’t seem to do the things I thought I should be able to do with ease. It appeared quietly in moments of overwhelm, in the pause before self-judgment set in.
I asked it sincerely. I believed it was the …
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