Posts tagged with “wisdom”
Why I No Longer Chase Emotionally Unavailable People, Hoping Theyâll Change
âNever chase love, affection, or attention. If it isnât given freely by another person, it isnât worth having.â ~Unknown
We met at a bar with Skee-Ball and slushy margaritas for our first date.
She was gorgeous. I noticed that as soon as I walked in. I still wasnât sure whether weâd have anything to talk about though. The messages weâd exchanged had been minimal.
It turned out we did.
Conversation flowed from one topic to the nextâmeandering from her passion for biology in college to how I tried to master mountain boarding at summer camp as a kid to …
The Secret to Letting Go (And Why Itâs Okay if You Canât Right Now)
âIt’s not a matter of letting goâyou would if you could. Instead of ‘Let it go,’ we should probably say ‘Let it be.'” ~Jon Kabat-Zinn
When I was in my twenties, I went to see an acupuncturist because Iâd been through a bad breakup and felt uncertain about my life path and purpose. âWentâ is a kind way of saying it; I was dragged. I didn’t want to go, but my family was going and thought it might be supportive with all that I was going through.
I was dealing with a lot of rough emotions and felt like I …
Looking Back: The Silver Linings of the Pandemic and Why Iâm Grateful
“You gotta look for the good in the bad, the happy in the sad, the gain in your pain, and what makes you grateful, not hateful.” ~Karen Salmansohn
The 2010 decade was difficult for me. Hardly a year went by without someone close to me passing away.
When the tragic decade started, I was in the midst of my residency training and free time was a luxury I did not have. When I graduated and became an attending physician, I was too busy caring for patients on my own to take a break.
In 2018, my world was shattered …
My Big Insight from Meeting the Woman Who Received My Daughterâs Heart
âI lay my head upon his chest, and I was with my boy again. I spent so long in darkness I never thought the night would end. But somehow Grace has found meâŠand I had to let him in.â ~From âJust Like That,â Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raittâs surprise Grammy win for 2023 Song of the Year was no surprise to me. In âJust Like Thatâ she tells the story of a woman who is unexpectedly visited by the man who got her late sonâs heart. Itâs a song that can reduce anyone to tears.
I have been that womanâthat Donor …
30 Simple Mindfulness Practices to Help You Focus and Be Present
âThe present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.â ~ThĂch Nháș„t HáșĄnh, Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Do you ever feel like youâre too busy for meditation?
You understand the benefits, and youâd really like to commit to it. But youâre a busy person. You have deadlines to meet, food to prepare, bills to pay, kids to raise, family members to callâand even thatâs barely scratching the surface.
Weâve all been there. I certainly have.
Before I found mindfulness, I struggled with concentration for …
8 Things Not to Say to Someone Whoâs Struggling with Anxiety
“Sometimes just being there is enough.” ~Unknown
It felt like I couldnât breathe. Like someone was holding me by the neck, against a wall, and the floor might drop beneath us at any moment.
Iâm describing a panic attack, but this has actually happened to me beforeâbeing held by the neck against a wall, that is, not the other part. Growing up I experienced many moments like that, moments when I felt unsafe, physically and emotionally.
There were countless experiences that reinforced to me, over the years, that I couldnât let my guard down, because at any moment I …
Nothing You Do Will Be Enough If the Relationship Isnât Right
âRelationships are like glass. Sometimes itâs better to leave them broken than hurt yourself trying to put them back together.â ~Unknown
A couple of months ago my dear friend and I were chatting over coffee.
The subject turned into past relationships and the reasons why they didnât work. My friend shared a story about her ex-fiancĂ©âone of those “this clearly isn’t going to work, but I sure will try my hardest since I don’t give up” ones. Yeah, that kind.
Itâs the kind of story that, telling it now, with hindsight and time on our sides, seems absurd. Itâs the …
How I Stopped Being Everything I Hated About My Parents
âThe beautiful thing about life is that you always change, grow, and get better. You arenât defined by your past. You arenât your mistakes.â ~Unknown
When I was an angsty fourteen-year-old, I remember screaming at my parents that I never (ever!) wanted to become like either of them. And I meant it.
My dad was a workaholic who was never at home. When he was at home, he was emotionally unavailable, arguing with my mother, or heâd escape the stress of our house by going to the betting shop to gamble.
My mother had erratic mood swings, did not allow …
How I Learned the Power of Letting Go After My Father Developed Dementia
âThere is beauty in everything, even in silence and darkness.â ~Helen Keller
When I was eleven years old, I would force myself to stay awake until the wee hours of the morning.
I was severely anorexic at a time when eating disorders were considered an âinconvenienceâ you brought on yourself. Anorexia was dismissed as a rich, white girlâs disease (although we were certainly not rich)âa disease that was easily curable with a prescription for a chocolate cake.
Although my emaciated body was a dead giveaway of my condition, it was school that noticed the change in me first. My once …
Stop Waiting for Perfection and Fall in Love with Your Life Now
I know, so cliché, right? I can practically hear your eyes roll. But hear me out.
In a society driven by results, achievements, and ideals of perfection, there is a huge pitfall that I am becoming increasingly aware ofâthat we can be so focused on trying to achieve our âbest lifeâ that life itself could pass us by and we would have missed it. Missed the beauty of just being here.
Weâve all heard the sayings âSlow down and smell the rosesâ and âLife is a journey, not a destination.â We hear these sayings and pass them off as embroidery …
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 