Religious

“It’s very easy to judge. It’s much more difficult to understand. Understanding requires compassion, patience and a willingness to believe that good hearts sometimes choose poor methods.” ~Doe Zantamata In the past, judgments kept me safe. They reassured me that I had worth. That I was right. That I was good. I believed I knew […]

“Ease is the sign of grace in everything.” ~Marty Rubin Work harder. Never give up. Believe in yourself. Get out of bed earlier. Shout self-affirmations in the mirror. Adapt the habits of “highly successful” people… How many times have we heard those things? In award speeches, articles, self-help books… All those who have made it

“Don’t believe everything you think.” ~Unknown I am a self-confessed overthinker. I could spend hours thinking and going down the rabbit hole in my mind trying to find answers to all sorts of situations. About ten years ago, I struggled with burnout. I was a nurse for about twenty-two years. All I knew was nursing,

“Sometimes what you’re most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free.” ~Robert Tew Everyone has fears. It is not an emotion that is only for a chosen few. One’s fear may seem irrational to the outside world, but I guarantee to that person it is debilitating. So much so, that

“The master leads by weakening their ambition and toughening their resolve.” ~Tao Te Ching How much of productivity advice is ableist? Sure, there are lots of good ideas and concepts in there, but most of it is healthy body focused. Advice like: “Be sure to exercise in the morning.” “Get up early before anyone else.”

“If I had the chance I’d ask the world to dance, but I’d be dancing with myself.” ~Billy idol Spending long periods of time alone—as I’ve done while traveling solo over the past year—is an eye-opening experience. Without the distractions of my normal routine and relationships, I’ve been able to take a good look around

“Overthinking ruins you. It ruins the situation. And it twists things around. It makes you worry. Plus, it just makes everything worse than it actually is.” ~Karen Salmansohn I grew up with parents who believed a kid shouldn’t have friends and should be indoors always. Because of that, I never had real friends in my

Dear pain-in-my-feet: I’m sorry we ever met. Remind me where I made your acquaintance? Oh, yes—on my February trip to Death Valley, where I assumed long days of hiking had caused a rock bruise. Instead of healing, you got worse and jumped to the other foot, too. Thanks for the reminder. It helps. Because I

Over the last thirteen years of running this site, I’ve read comments and emails from thousands of people with varied wants and struggles, but it seems to me it all boils down to the following two things: We all want to feel good and avoid feeling bad, and we all need to connect with other

“Love is loving things that sometimes you don’t like.” ~Ajahn Brahm You’ve probably heard the saying “You can’t find love until you learn to love yourself.” What this really means is that when you love yourself, you’re also fully able to accept another’s love for you because you know that you deserve it. Unfortunately, some