Posts tagged with “wisdom”

How My Old Dog Taught Me New Tricks
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~Lao Tzu
With two rambunctious kids, a stressful job, and a house to maintain, life was hectic. For many years, my children begged for a dog, and I would always say, “When you are older and life slows down a bit.”
Time was ticking by, but life was no less chaotic when my then preteens made yet another pitch. With more than a little trepidation, we brought home a little ball of Golden Doodle fluff who we called Murphy. How much trouble could he be?
In a short time, our cute puppy …

Feeling Depleted? How to Overcome Your Internal Barriers to Resting
“Rest is not necessarily a cessation of all activity but a means of going inward, going deeper. Rest is what allows us to go beneath the surface, if we make the time for it. Rest gives us the gift of perspective, and rest invites us into new ways of being and showing up in the world.” ~Ashely Neese
I was probably about sixteen when my dad and I were driving down Main Street in our small town at about 1 or 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
As my dad looked out the passenger seat window, he noticed a man out …

How I’m Navigating My Grief Since Losing My Father
“Grief is the price we pay for love.” ~Queen Elizabeth II
Losing a loved one is never easy, and when that loved one is a parent, the pain can feel insurmountable.
Last August, I faced one of the most challenging moments of my life: My father, my rock and my confidant, passed away after a brave battle with cancer.
As immigrants, my father and I shared a bond that was uniquely deep; we relied on each other for support, trust, and guidance in a new world. His wisdom shaped my life, and his strength inspired me daily. This is my …

The Subtle (Yet Huge) Perspective Shift That Changed My Life
“Dear self: Don’t get so worked up over things you can’t change or people you can’t change. It’s not worth the anger buildup or the heartache. Control only what you can. Let go. Love me.” ~Unknown
When I was furloughed from work back in the early months of 2020, I suddenly found myself with more time on my hands than I knew what to do with. I realized it was the freest time I’d had since I was a child on my summer holidays.
But that Covid-related break was much longer than six weeks; it was three long months. The …

Feeling Lost or Miserable? Your Heart Knows the Way Through
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” ~Rumi
My tear-stained face stared back at me in the mirror. Every Sunday evening was the same. I was overcome with the dread of having to get up the next morning and go to a job that, while good on paper, was slowly sucking my soul. I was twenty-seven years old, and I was completely lost, spending my days doing work that didn’t light me up in any way or form.
Until I was twenty-five, I had mostly followed my …

Breaking Free from the Shadow of a Narcissistic Parent
“One of the greatest awakenings comes when you realize that not everybody changes. Some people never change. And that’s their journey. It’s not yours to try to fix for them.” ~Unknown
In the journey of life, we often encounter pivotal moments that force us to confront harsh truths about ourselves and the world around us. For me, one of these moments came with the profound realization that not everybody changes, especially not those who wield the toxic traits of narcissism.
Raised by a father whose larger-than-life persona concealed a darker reality, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery marked by …

Choosing Yourself: How to Prioritize Your Personal Well-Being
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” ~Oscar Wilde
“Choose me!” I heard the voice clearly as I sat across from my therapist one day in her office.
It was my fourth visit, and we were working through this feeling I had, like I was crying on the inside but nothing was coming out on the outside. I was explaining how this feeling had been recurring quite frequently lately and how my response was to ignore it and push through it.
In response to this, my therapist asked me, “What would happen if you attended to this …