Never Discredit How Far You Have Come
If It Brings You Joy, It’s Not “Wasting Time”
“At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an Olympic figure skater. Or an artist for Disney. Or maybe a musician.
I wanted to be a songwriter and choreographer.
I made up roller skating routines in the driveway to Tiffany and Paula Abdul. (It was most excellent.)
I filled notebooks upon notebooks with illustrations.
And if you were to ask me to describe myself, I might have said, “happy.” Or I would have chattered on about …
One Question I Ask Myself Monthly Since Coming to Terms with Death
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we live.” ~Norman Cousins
On September 23, 2015, Loukas Angelo was walking to his after-school strength and conditioning class just a few hundred yards from Archbishop Mitty High School.
He was approaching the outdoor basketball courts when he ran out into the street and was struck by a car traveling around thirty miles per hour. The impact sent Loukas flying down the street, and he was immediately transported to the closest hospital where he remained in critical condition.
I remember sitting on …
Living Without a Grand Purpose: Why I Find Meaning in the Little Things
“Ironically enough, when you make peace with the fact that the purpose of life is not happiness, but rather experience and growth, happiness comes as a natural byproduct. When you are not seeking it as the objective, it will find its way to you.” ~Unknown
I have always enjoyed helping others. Ever since I can remember, my empathic nature has led me to feel what others are feeling and to try and assist them to the best of my ability. Serving others has always been a point of pride for me.
I have built my entire life around the …
Why Your Anger Is the Key to Maintaining Your Boundaries
“Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom.” ~Henry Cloud
Late last night, I once again found myself unable to sleep, and boy was I angry. So, in order not to disturb my other half, who is always asleep the moment his head touches the pillow, I dragged myself off to the sofa. Once there, sat seething in the dark, I listened to my …
When Life Gets Hard: 4 Lessons That Eased My Suffering
“In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.” ~Viktor Frankl
When life goes sideways, it can be hard to take one more breath, let alone find meaning.
Trust me. I know.
In the same year, I had breast cancer, chemo, radiation, and a divorce I didn’t want. There’s more to the story (there always is), but in essence, I lost everything—my health, my love, my home.
During all of this, I lost sight of myself, quit trusting myself. I was sure I was to blame for everything.
At the same time, within twenty-four …
When You’re Becoming a New You: 3 Lessons to Help You on Your Journey
“There is no place so awake and alive as the edge of becoming.” ~Sue Monk Kidd
From a small café overlooking the boat harbor in Seward, Alaska, I looked out the window at the enormous mountain peak of Mount Alice that protruded from the earth behind rows of tour boats, sailboats, and a cruise ship large enough to carry several thousand passengers. The last few days of my summer there were coming to an end, and I reflected with gratitude on my time there.
Located directly off the Gulf of Alaska and within Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward is a …
Measuring the Quality of Your Day with a To-Be List (Not Just a To-Do List)
“Don’t equate your self-worth with how well you do in life. You aren’t what you do. If you are what you do, then when you don’t…you aren’t.” ~Wayne Dyer
As you crawl into bed, thump your pillow to make the perfect little cave for your head to rest in, pull the covers up tight under your chin, and let go of that big sigh that indicates the day is finished, how do you look back on the waking hours you just experienced? How do you measure the quality of your day?
Measuring Your Day by What You Do
Most of …
Forbidden Emotions: The Feelings We Suppress and Why They’re Not Bad
“The truth is that there is no such thing as a negative emotion. Emotions only become ‘bad’ and have a negative effect on us when they are suppressed, denied, or unexpressed.” ~Colin Tipping
Emotions are constantly and powerfully guiding our lives, even when we are not aware of them, even when we do not feel them or are convinced that we can exclude them from our experiences.
Emotions give us precious, sometimes indispensable information about what is best for us, about the best choices we can make, about how to behave. They give us information that we often do not …
Why I Couldn’t Find Love and What Helped Me (That Might Help You Too)
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start from where you are and change the end.” ~C.S. Lewis
It was a dark January day in 2008 when my auntie called with the news “He did it.”
I felt so confused. “Did he try? Or did he succeed?” I asked as my body moved into shock.
“He succeeded,” she said. And in that moment my whole life changed.
This was a moment I often wished for—my dad was gone.
Dad had taken his life on January 8th, 2008, two days after my twenty-sixth birthday. He …
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