Holidays

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” ~Marcus Aurelius Gratitude. It used to be a very triggering concept for me, and sometimes it still is. It’s been a process to unravel what it means to me and to

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” ~Viktor Frankl For a while, I forgot about that space. When conflict entered my life—first with my employer, then with my insurance company—I didn’t react explosively. I didn’t fire off reckless emails. I did something that felt

“True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” ~Brené Brown This past year, during a season of transition in my life, I started working part-time as a bridal stylist at a wedding dress store. It was something I had quietly dreamed about for years. I’ve

“You are not stuck with the brain you have. You can make it better.” ~Dr. Daniel Amen  At the beginning of the year, I had this whole list in my head about the benefits of dry January: drop a few pounds, sleep better, get those bright white eyes everyone raves about. The standard results you think you would get

“I used to tolerate a lot because I didn’t want to lose people. Now I set boundaries because I don’t want to lose myself.” ~Anonymous I used to feel stretched and depleted in my own life, drained by obligations, and confused about why I felt overwhelmed even when everything looked ‘fine.’ At the time, I

“Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” ~Louise L. Hay There it was—glaringly obvious on the page. An embarrassing typo stared back at me from the backside of a brochure I’d received from the printer. A brochure I wrote, laid out, and

“Sometimes growth doesn’t look like becoming more—it looks like leaving behind what no longer fits.” For a long time, I believed that outgrowing a friendship meant I had failed at it. That belief took root early, at boarding school, where friendships weren’t just social—they were survival. We didn’t see each other for a few hours

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” ~Viktor Frankl  For a long time, my first response to difficulty was a single, aching question: “Why me?” It surfaced whenever life took an unexpected turn—when plans collapsed, when effort didn’t materialize, when circumstances felt unfair and