I dislike restrictions. NO is not something a free spirit wants to hear. If I had my way, fifty trees would fill the front yard and chickens and goats would be penned out back. A Pekingnese would snuffle through the house at my feet. My closet would be packed with […]

Do you dream about an ideal version of yourself? The person you hope to be ten years from now? I do. Today I am less assertive, less selfless and more materialistic than I’d like to be. Ideal Me exists in my mind… but how do I get from This Me […]

I want something. I want it bad. It distracts me. It maddens me. It is an obsession. Being without it makes me gloomy, disappointed and angry.  There is a question that scares me – a question I prefer not to ask myself, but one that I force myself to think […]

I am drawn to the image of the lone ranger woman. Courageous. Independent. Confident. Fulfilled. She wears whatever she likes, does what she enjoys and needs approval from no one. The reality, though, is that often I fixate on pleasing others. I obsess over it.  Leah, a woman whose story […]

Have you ever felt unseen, unwanted and unloved?  I’m learning a lot about control these days and one aspect of control that’s new to me is the idea of defensive control. Feelings like the ones I just mentioned often spring from how others treat us, and these feelings cause pain. […]

Sometimes I feel as though the girl I was and the woman I am are two completely unrelated people. There are similarities, of course. But life is so full of bumps and turns and chances to change… each year molds me into a person who is a little different from […]

I have a problem. Worried about those I love, I often strategize ways to make everything in their lives (and my own) turn out well. If I identify potential pitfalls, prevent mistakes and generally arrange matters in life, I can shape the future. My happiness (and theirs) is safe with […]

Most of us start life full of energy and enthusiasm. We’re young, able-bodied and eager. Then comes a shift that many of us go through, from invincible to fearful. What moved you along this path? It could be something as seemingly insignificant as bullies at school or as huge as […]

Although practical challenges are tough – fixing something that is broken, tidying something that’s a mess, walking a long distance –  I think, for all of us, mental and emotional challenges are tougher. You know what I mean. All of us deal with fear, anger, pride, resentment, unfulfilled longing, rejection… […]

I found peace in the desert. I found peace in the raging waves. I found peace in what you say… and I can finally breathe again. I found peace in the chaos. I found peace in suffering. I found peace in confusion. I found peace inside of me… and I […]