Feeling stuck

Everything is hard in some way. It’s hard to be in the wrong relationship. It’s hard to be in the right one. It’s hard to be broke and miserable, it’s hard to achieve your dreams. It’s hard to be stuck in the middle, not really feeling anything at all. Everything is hard, but you choose your hard. You choose what’s worth it. You don’t choose whethe... See more

I call these experiences our dark teachers. The lessons that hurt, scare, scar, wound, and almost destroy us are very often the things that make us who we are because they require us to muster what we thought we could not muster—courage, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, love, resilience, strength, generosity of spirit, ferocity of heart. The time... See more

Happy Anniversary to This

Students come to my office with problems I can’t begin to unpack. No, I can’t tell you why you have dreams about murdering people. No, I can’t explain why your dad told you it’s your mom’s fault you slice your arms up like deli meat. No, I don’t know why the doctor screwed up your prescription and you are out of your meds or why your sister won’t d

Emily Kingsley • You Are Not Okay and Tomorrow Will Come

We are uncomfortable because everything in our life keeps changing -- our inner moods, our bodies, our work, the people we love, the world we live in. We can't hold on to anything -- a beautiful sunset, a sweet taste, an intimate moment with a lover, our very existence as the body/mind we call self -- because all things come and go. Lacking any per... See more

Tara Brach • Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of R.A.I.N.

There can be no growth if we do not remain open and vulnerable to what is new and different. I have never seen anyone take a risk for growth that was not rewarded a thousand times over.

Maria Popova • A Spell Against Stagnation: John O’Donohue on Beginnings

When we say to ourselves, “This feels bad. I need a way to fix this!” that’s the very moment when the most growth and promise lies at our fingertips. But in order to access it, we have to do the opposite of what we want to do. We have to resist the urge to analyze or find a solution or protect ourselves from our emotions.

We have to stop and feel mo... See more

Heather Havrilesky • Tolerating Unknowns Will Make You Stronger

HOW TO (actually) CHANGE YOUR LIFE THIS YEAR

People want to change their lives. They want to change their relationships, their bodies, their income, their brokerage accounts, their statuses, their homes. It’s so easy to identify what’s wrong on the outside and blame it for the feelings on the inside. Never is this so painfully clear as when the cale