The Problem with Being the Easy One
“We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others, that in the end we become disguised to ourselves.” ~François de La Rochefoucauld “So, in your relationship, do your partner’s needs…
How a Toxic Workplace Made Me Doubt Myself
I used to think I was just bad at coping with stress. Every Sunday evening, I felt anxious about the week ahead. My chest would tighten when certain emails appeared…
Why I Stopped Expecting People to Love Me Like I Love Them
“Expectation is the root of all heartache.” ~William Shakespeare I turned forty this year. And I am only now figuring out something I wish someone had told me at twenty.…
What Happened When I Stopped Managing Every Reaction
“Peace is not the absence of resistance. It is learning to stop judging yourself for being human.” ~Unknown At the time of writing this, I am on vacation. My wife…
What I Learned from a Lifetime of Feeling Different
“Not until we are lost do we begin to find ourselves.” ~Henry David Thoreau I’ve spent most of my life feeling like I was standing just outside the circle. Not…
How My Need to Clean Was a Childhood Coping Skill
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” ~E.E. Cummings When I was a little girl, I had the smallest bedroom in the house. It was…
Learning How to Live Life to the Fullest with Mental Illness
There is a famous Latin phrase that I absolutely love: Carpe diem. It means “Seize the day.” Younger people might be more familiar with the phrase “You only live once,”…
Why Being Ignored Causes Such Deep Pain and Damage
“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” ~Laurell K. Hamilton My older sister had four years over me.…
How I Reframed Letting Go So I Could Move on from My Painful Past
We are truly free when we let go of the thought that the past could or should have been any different than it was. This is so hard. The challenge…
What Was Really Behind My “Laziness” and What I Know Now
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” ~Carl Rogers I remember sitting on the living room floor one evening while…