Posts tagged with “wisdom”
Take Back Your Power: Let Go of Blame and Focus on the Lesson
“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” ~Robert Anthony
Blame is seductive because it makes us right and them wrong. For a moment, it feels good to say, “It was their fault,” but in the long run holding on to blame only hurts us and does absolutely nothing to help our evolution. In fact, it keeps us stuck.
But, I get it. When we feel wronged, upset, and angry, that person is the only one to blame.
I understand that some things are so egregious and so unforgivable that it seems impossible to not default …
The Wounds of Rejection Heal With Self-Love and Self-Awareness
“There is no magic cure, no making it all go away forever. There are only small steps upward; an easier day, an unexpected laugh, a mirror that doesn’t matter anymore.” ~Laurie Halse Anderson
It began in elementary school. I was a chubby immigrant with a thick accent and hand-me-down clothes. I so badly wanted the other kids to like me, and I had no idea why everything I said and did seemed to push them away.
My jokes and comments would trigger awkward silences or ridicule—especially in groups. Those moments were traumatizing, but they were also confusing. How could I …
Think You Should Be Happy? It’s Okay to Feel Bad
“We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb.” ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh
From an early age, most of us get the message that we should be happy—from well-meaning parents, teachers, and even perfect strangers. “Smile!” we are told. “Why the long face?” we are asked. It’s no wonder we grow up with the idea that feeling anything less than sunny 24/7 is somehow wrong.
We’re ashamed to admit, even to ourselves, that sometimes we feel down. It seems …
A Different Kind of More: The Beauty of Living with Less Stuff
She was all that mattered. I was deeper in debt, legal fees, and uncertainty than ever before, but I held on tight to my vow to give her more.
I would give her everything. I’d work harder, make more, buy her more, take her to see more, do more, and prove to her that everything would be okay. I had no idea that this new goal would be just as damaging, and just as hard on my heart.
My desire to give my daughter more wasn’t wrong, just misguided. While I could never have articulated it then, I did want …
How I Stopped Feeling Trapped in a Life I Didn’t Want
“Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.” ~Terry Josephson
When I was in my early twenties I was lucky enough to spend about a year living just a few blocks from the beach in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but you know what I remember most distinctly from that time? Sitting at a red light on the way to work one day thinking: I feel trapped.
To put it simply, I felt stuck in a life I didn’t want.
I had a college degree I wasn’t using. I had a job that I dreaded. I had …
7 Self-Love Practices That Helped Me Heal from a Devastating Divorce
“Unlike self-criticism, which asks if you’re good enough, self-compassion asks what’s good for you?” ~Kristin Neff
My husband and family were my world. Although I’d found joy in my passion of writing, my heart revolved around my marriage. I thought we were happy. Then one day, he dropped the bomb: “I don’t love you anymore.”
Two weeks later, I found out he’d fallen in love with another woman who lived across the world. He didn’t want me anymore.
Sure, I’d known for a while something was wrong—that knowing deep in your gut that you can’t put your finger on, …
What’s Helped Me Get Out of My Head and Do Things That Scare Me
“Don’t let the fear of what could happen make nothing happen.” ~Unknown
I knew it was coming.
But as I sat there on the first day of the seminar, my stomach still did a little turn when the trainer announced the exercise we’d be doing over our lunch break:
The dreaded pizza walk!
I knew this was the trainer’s wry (but equally as unnerving) riposte to Tony Robbins’ famous fire walks. But right then, I would have much rather taken my chances with the coals.
The idea is simple: Go into a shop, restaurant, or other public establishment and make …
Life Is Fragile: Make Time for What Matters and Let Go of What Doesn’t
“Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just be.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
I lost one of my very best friends when we were both just twenty-nine years old. In the time since, I’ve thought about him on most days.
Thinking about him sometimes makes me well up and feel sad. Sometimes it makes me think about the hole him not being here has left. Selfishly, perhaps, I think about how much I miss him.
Sometimes I laugh aloud at the thought of …
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