Stop Giving Advice
A few years ago, I made the decision to stop giving unsolicited advice. It’s been tough to stick with, especially when someone opens up and I think I have the perfect solution. The urge to fix problems is strong. But I’ve come to believe that resisting that impulse makes me a better, kinder person. When […]
What Do I Want
I’ve noticed times when I’m caught in a negative spiral, spending my day focused on what I don’t want. Whether it’s dreading a project, not wanting to talk to someone, or even disliking where I live, these thoughts can weigh me down. It’s not wrong to acknowledge what I don’t want, but it becomes exhausting […]
Get Over It
If I’m feeling annoyed and someone says, “Just think differently. You have so much to be grateful for,” even if that’s true, it can be infuriating. This kind of advice simplifies what’s actually a complicated emotional process. It’s dismissive to expect someone to bulldoze through their pain and reach happiness without acknowledging the middle ground—the […]
Stop Suffering
Every day brings its own set of challenges. Just when I think I’ve found my rhythm for a productive day, that’s when I get a flat tire on my bike. Or I catch a cold that knocks me out. Or a family member calls with bad news. What I’ve learned is that there’s no such […]
Get Unstuck in One Minute
I rolled my eyes the first time someone suggested I make a gratitude list. Meditation seemed like a waste of productive time, and yoga? That was for hippies. It took me a while to realize that I was responding out of ignorance—rejecting things I’d never sincerely tried. Nothing keeps me more locked into ignorance than […]
Make It Manageable
When I start to feel overwhelmed by my day’s tasks, I try to remind myself: if the task feels too big, it’s not the next task. It needs to be broken down into smaller, manageable steps. Any project I need to complete, any goal I want to reach, is really a series of smaller tasks […]
Recovering from a Mistake
The other day, I lost all my work by hitting the wrong button and forgetting to turn on my backup. I hate making mistakes. It feels like such a setback. Trying again after a mistake is frustrating, sometimes even more challenging than the first time. It’s scarier, more draining, and often requires new ideas or […]
Do Scary Things
The scariest moment I’ve ever had on a bike was the first time I tried to ride a two-wheeler. The uncertainty of not knowing what I was doing while trying to figure it out on the move was terrifying. The whole experience felt overwhelming, and I was scared. The second scariest ride came after my […]
It’s Their Fault
How many people can you blame for the issues you’re dealing with today? We’ve all been hurt, pushed down, or betrayed by someone. We’ve all experienced situations where our expectations went sideways due to other people’s actions, whether intentional or not. And we might be right—maybe our lives would have taken a better or easier […]
The Universe is Against Me
Everything seems to be going badly for me recently. My projected costs for life are more than I anticipated, my bike tire has gotten a flat every other week, and the new place I moved into has multiple issues on a regular basis. It feels like every decision I’ve made recently has come with a […]
