Fearing both Success and Failure (hint: it’s exhausting)

The past two weeks have been eventful.  I am proud to say that I have been recognized as my school's Teacher of the Year, which is a great distinction in my community.   This honor came as a complete surprise and I have to say that I felt (and still feel) very unworthy of the title. ...

A Few of My Favorite Things

 Audio books This gem is something that I resisted for sooo long.  I mean, what real lover of books merely listens when the beauty of reading involves the feel and smell and look of the written word on the page?  But with an increasingly busy schedule, audio books allow me to escape into other worlds.  I...

Making Space

Like most people, the end of the calendar year is a time for me reflect on the last twelve months and consider how I handled the life gifted to me.  For so many people, 2018 has been a tough one, and like them, I’ve had some amazing highs and some abysmal lows. It was a...

Wanderlust–A Call Home to Myself

A few weeks ago, I came across a post titled "Travel Won't Fix You" in which the author shared that travel in and of itself does not heal.  Using travel to escape or to provide a permanent solution to the curveballs and painful lessons that life places in our path.  The author specifically mentioned the...

Trusting My Instinct Once Again

  This isn't right. Take this opportunity.  It's okay to let your guard down.  Stay away from that person.  It's time to rest your body. These are some of the messages we hear in our spirit.  That small, quiet voice whispers truths and admonitions if we are still and attuned enough to hear it.  Trauma,...

On Feeling Held Back

I had just left my parents' house.  It was around 8:15pm and dusk had settled quietly onto the evening. The day had been hectic, but ended on a nice note--dinner and drinks with coworkers, a brief stop to see my grandparents and then my parents, and finally, home.  My couch and my tv were calling...

A little light dispels a lot of darkness. --Rabbi Schneur Zalman

My Decision to Choose Faith

Faith was embedded in the fabric of my childhood, specifically faith in Jesus Christ, but admittedly, it is an idea that I've struggled to make sense of. The verse that pops up in my head whenever I think of it is "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not...

Embracing Vulnerability

One night during a group session at my counseling internship, one of the members shared that he abused drugs because without them, he felt awkward and isolated. But when he used, he became the life of the party--sociable, engaged, and most importantly, he felt a sense of belonging.  This young man appeared nervous to say...

Uncovering My Hidden Beliefs

I like to consider myself a pretty reflective person.  Someone who spends time thinking about what I do, why I do things, how I feel about the things I do…you know, I'm pretty self-aware.  I was raised in a family where we were expected to know how to articulate our thoughts and feelings on a...