We have access to so much information today, yet there is a seemingly endless list of things to urgently learn and unlearn and a depth to histories that have been ignored or purposefully misrepresented.
We can know things, like the sun is the center of our solar system and cats don’t like to swim, but we don’t always “know” things until we have a firsthand experience or hear a personal account.
How to move from “Oh yeah, I knew that,” to true understanding.
Read MoreGuest Post by Andee Scarantino: “I knew he was abusive, but I begged him to allow me to stay. I fought to make that horrible reality work.
And for that, the gnawing, terrible feeling inside of me was not because of him, but rather because of me. I was disgusted with myself for not having the self-esteem to leave him. This doesn't just have to be romantic relationships. My old job was also horribly abusive.
When I reflect on it, I'm not mad at one solitary person except myself. I'm mad at myself for staying. I had the education and skills for leaving at any time, but I didn't know how. After so many years of that, I actually believed I had no worth or value.”
Read MoreBoundary setting is hard on its own, but it can be even more difficult when you and your loved ones set boundaries differently.
Even when confronted with the same problem, different people may choose differently.
Read MoreHave you ever found that in times of stress, anxiety, or overwhelm that you can’t find the words to describe how you’re feeling or maybe why you’re feeling that way?
When I feel stressed or scattered, words simply don’t come out. It even feels hard to generate a thought that could make its way into a fully formed sentence.
That’s why I love writing and that’s why I created the Write it to Right it guided journal - to get the words on paper and find your way back to yourself.
Read MoreWe’ve all said, “That’s okay, we don’t really need to make it a thing” when something good happens or we hit a milestone in our lives.
Yet, it’s commonplace to make things a thing when it surrounds something sad or challenging.
If we want more joy in our lives, we need to get comfy making good things a thing too.
Read MoreEmpathy is the foundation of real human connection, but there is a big asterisk here.
Some of us who identify as empaths or “feelers” might have a hard time not taking the full weight of the heavy thing and putting it on our own shoulders.
We try to help others by absorbing their trauma and in a way, making it our own. This is evidence of great love and good intentions for our friends, as well as flimsy boundaries that reveal our own wobbling self love.
Read MoreI do not want the majority of my life to be lived in a dust cloud of hastily done things just because I “had the time” to do “this one thing just real quick” on a loop forever.
Your brain can only learn to pause if you train it to pause.
Read MoreWe all do it - We all say, “Once I ____, then everything will be fine.” Or “I will finally feel like me when ___.” Or maybe “If only I could get/do/be/feel ____, then things would be better.”
One word: Nope.
Read MoreWe don't have to wait. We can know and accept and like and love ourselves this very minute. Even if it's one small step forward through vulnerability - the world's most treacherous and worthy mountain range.
Read MoreThe things that are not in need of change may feel hard to accept at first - because it can be hard to accept ourselves. Our differences, our preferences, what we require to thrive.
But learning what makes you you is the key to living and working in a space of joy, rather than a space of frustration or guilt for why you aren't doing the thing like "everyone else."
Read MoreNot only might your current self care strategies not be enough, there might be more sneaky reasons why your self care feels like it isn't making a dent for you - reasons that we are most definitely going to talk about.
Read MoreTo make sense of the seemingly chaotic interactions and intentions of people in the world today, I find that going back to basics for universal truths is the best route to understanding.
It just so happens that one of the top tenets of yoga is to protect your peace, and dismiss anything that is not truth - because entertaining nonsense or people who yell their opinions is a dangerous route to losing your peace of mind.
Read MoreNo, vulnerability does not mean oversharing. It also doesn't mean telling your tightly held life experiences to someone and allowing them to dismiss you.
It means hearing the question, "How are you?" And hesitating before answering with, "I'm fine."
In a world where consumption is being recognized for the burden that it is - in our homes, on our wallets, and on the environment we live in - taking the time to give thoughtful and sentimental gifts is more meaningful than ever.
What do I mean by gift giving from the heart, or giving for connection? I mean focusing on spending more time, and thought, than money.
Read MoreAs you likely know from experience, designing boundaries is not an easy task. It comes with second-guessing yourself, a lot. "Am I being dramatic?" "What if I tell this person I can no longer have them in my life, and they come back in a few weeks or months healed?" "Will I feel stupid for drawing a boundary?"
This second guessing can be frustrating, but I'm here to tell you it's actually a good thing. If you're working on setting boundaries and second-guessing yourself, it means you are thinking through all of your potential options and outcomes - which effectively means you are not being dramatic or impulsive in your choices.
Read MoreSo you've tried a few therapists, but haven't felt like you're getting much out of therapy yet and you aren't really "clicking" with them.
Let me tell you from experience, this totally sucks. Check out these tips for ways to find a therapist you actually like to talk to!
Read More
