It's okay. It's going to be okay. I'm here to tell you: it might not be okay. While I appreciate so many people in my life telling me it's okay after the death of my grandma, I must say sometimes hearing this made me a bit angry. Let's be honest, not everything in life is … Continue reading I’m not okay…and that’s okay
Here are the words I spoke at grandma's funeral. She was such a loving and special person to me. Adorable. Sweet. Stubborn. These are among the words I have heard most often to describe my grandma. Or nanny, as I often called her. Grandma didn’t just talk about love. She lived love. It takes that … Continue reading Goodbye, for now
I think everyone has brick walls that get in the way, maybe even most to every day. It's not that a brick wall appears that matters, it's the next step.
While I tell myself frequently I want to be happy, there is risk involved. With a known situation, even if it's miserable, there is at least some comfort in the familiarity of it.
"People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar."
I saw this quote the other day and it felt almost like something I could have written or said myself. I think I do have a hard time of letting go of something, even if it brings some kind of pain, for fear of what is not known.
I am trying to use this month to make an even bigger push to let people know that it is okay to talk about depression and suicide. The sad truth is that silence is dangerous and deadly when it comes to serious mental health struggles.
I saw an article recently about "job shaming" and it made me think about what some of us with depression deal with on sometimes a regular basis.
Maybe my number one problem at work is numbers.
I was able to finally watch "The Greatest Showman." I am not a big fan of musicals, particularly ones with music that either is full of adult themes or nonsense. This was not the case with this film.
When I first started exploring mindfulness, it reminded me of the Jambi genie character from Pee-Wee's Playhouse.
Do you allow this loss of your child to destroy you or do you try and find something in which you can move on in the wreckage? That was the powerful question an Illinois man asked after his young son passed away from cancer.
Fear will steal your joy. That's one of the great messages from a song called "Fear is a Liar" by Zach Williams.
A few nights ago I took myself to the hospital because I was having chest pains and some shortness of breath. As you might imagine, they tend to take those things seriously when you arrive.
It's one of those places where I go and I feel happier being there. It's a combination of several things, including the memories and the atmosphere.
What's the real key to happiness? A new report from Ladders says the answer is relationships.
I think the "trade balance" in some of my relationships may be off. Sometimes I feel like give way more to the relationship than the other person; sometimes I feel like I could never possibly give as much as they give to me.
Sometimes, when I'm feeling majorly depressed, I can't seem to find an energy source at all. I'd rather just lay in bed or on the couch and chill out with TV.
In my last post, I talked about staying close to shore because I'm afraid of water and cannot swim. The experience reminded me of Britt Nicole's song "Walk on the Water," in which she talks about the power of fear. A power we can all relate to at least at some points of life.
I like to have a backup plan in case there's a failure and I tend not to venture out from the safe shore. It then can lead to an internal conflict where I want to try something new, but the change seems scary and I don't want to fail or leave the comfort.
While we focus on the outward appearance and exercise to become fit, perhaps we should do a "heart check" on the inside.
When you feel like you really don't matter to yourself, to anyone else, or even to God, it can be a devastating feeling. So what's the answer to feeling like this?
Don't you sometimes just wish someone would tell you what to do?
I don't like to be bossed around, but there are times when all the options seem about the same and I just wish someone else would make the choice for me and tell me what to do.
I have many blessings in my life for which to be thankful. One of the most profound blessings is my grandma.
I am thankful to have partnered with my local television station, WLFI, to share part of my own story about dealing with mental health issues.
Losing a best friend sucks. For all intents and purposes, the man I called my best friend and I are done. While it is mostly a mutual decision, I still wish it weren't happening. The pain of loss is hard - whether it's from separating from someone you deeply care about or losing someone in … Continue reading Letting Go Is Hard
Feeling overwhelmed and like your worst critic? It might be trash day.
Why do we stay in situations that seem to be self-torture, where we continue to be hurt by our own or someone else’s actions?
It was not unexpected. Those are the words from the sister of Kate Spade after her tragic death. While there’s some controversy surrounding her comments, the words hit home for me. With my own situation, quite long before I sought help for myself, those close to me tried to help me see that things could … Continue reading ‘Was Not Unexpected’
Your mess is your message. This was the inspiring quote from a sexual assault survivor who was being interviewed on a newsmagazine show. She had taken the painful experience and turned it into a platform for helping other people. With her deeply painful and personal story, she was traveling around the United States and talking … Continue reading Your Mess is Your Message
What are people like me supposed to do, when being our own best friend feels like a painful chore that doesn’t bring success?
Suicide doesn't take away the pain, it just transfers it.
It's no surprise that I like music. I especially like songs with meaningful lyrics. In her song "Waiting for Tomorrow," Mandisa poses the following to herself (and listeners): "I don't wanna look back and wonder if good enough could have been better."
