Posts tagged with “wisdom”
How to Gently Coax Yourself Out of Your Comfort Zone
“Everything you ever wanted is one step outside your comfort zone.” ~Unknown
We’ve all seen this quote or similar ones. All the magic, growth, and transformation seem to happen there. Not everything that happens outside the comfort zone is magical, though. So, when we go wandering, leaving the safe shores, we also need to be realistic and aware that mixed in with the good, there’s also potential pain and discomfort waiting for us.
Being aware of this, how can we still motivate ourselves to try something new and to step outside our comfort zone?
On the one hand, I …
For People Who Look in the Mirror and Cringe
“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” ~Brené Brown
When I was fourteen years old, I vividly remember the first time I put my fingers down my throat and made myself puke.
I remember feeling fat, ugly, unworthy, and like I was not good enough. I felt as if I had no control and I was unable to effectively process the strong emotions I was feeling. Binging and purging allowed me to temporarily release these feelings, to numb them out, and created a fallacy of control …
How I Survived Suicidal Thoughts When I Really Wanted to Die
**If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts now, please consider speaking with a trained professional through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 1-800-273-TALK.
“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca
When I was twenty-four my best friend died suddenly in a car accident. She was like a sister to me, so this plunged me into a deep depression. I had struggled with depression since I was about fourteen, but it became much worse after she passed away.
At times suicide honestly seemed like the best possible solution to what I felt like I knew …
What You Need to Know Before You Start or Quit Meditating
“Many paths lead from the foot of the mountain, but at the peak we all gaze at the single bright moon.” ~Ikkyu
I was the kid who didn’t like to sleep. In nursery school, I would pretend to be asleep at nap time, while the other kids were sleeping. I’ve always thought life was full of exciting things to explore and learn, and I didn’t want to sleep through it.
So, it shouldn’t surprise you that traditional meditation didn’t sit well with me (pun intended). I remember my Buddhist grandmother chanting and meditating twice a day. Yet I never had …
Why I Appreciate Simple Things in Life After The Coronavirus
“It’s not a bad idea to occasionally spend a little time thinking about things you take for granted. Plain everyday things.” ~Evan Davis
Let me go back in time. Not too long, but only six months ago when the virus outbreak hadn’t occurred yet. I was cursing the traffic, complaining the beer in a bar was not chilled enough, and hating that the supermarket next to my house did not have my favorite deodorant.
Soon after, due to the global pandemic, my country was under lockdown like many others. When I was indoors, I realized how beautiful and blessed …
How to Avoid a Soul-Crushing Life Crisis
“Sometimes it takes an overwhelming breakdown to have an unbelievable breakthrough.” ~Unknown
I had hit rock bottom.
Now that means different things to different people, so let me explain what my rock bottom meant.
I’ll start with my physical health. I was underweight, about twenty-five pounds. My face looked gaunt and scrawny.
I was hypertensive, even though I was eating a healthy diet. I also had severe eczema. The itching was so bad that I woke up in the middle of the night with my legs covered in blood from the scratching.
The only thing that helped make the …
Why Joy Is Important for Healing Developmental Trauma
“We all have everything we need within us to create our fullest potential.” ~Abraham Maslow
Did you grow up with a critical, distant, or ignorant mother?
She probably made sure that your physical needs were covered, but she never noticed or understood your emotional needs. If she was anything like my mum, she may even have shamed you for having them!
You’re an adult now, and you have everything you need to be happy. So why aren’t you? Instead, you feel unworthy, disconnected, and lonely even when you’re with people you love. There’s this constant emptiness inside that makes …
What I’ve Learned Since My Years Feeling Stuck and Unlovable
This writing is in memory of my father, who—without knowing it—helped make me the man I am today.
When I was a young boy, my father seemed bigger than life, like most fathers seem to young sons. I looked at him in the same way that I imagine my son Jeremiah looked at me at that age—like a superhero, a towering giant who could fix anything, do anything, and make anything seem better than it was. We see what we want to see, until we don’t.
Life took him away from me very early in my life, so we never …
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