-
So does “everybody have a mental illness now?”
TW: death and suicide “Everybody has a mental illness now.” “Back in my day we didn’t need all this medication. We got kicked outside to work in the yard if we were sad.” “These kids wouldn’t survive back in my day.” And yeah. You’re probably right. They wouldn’t have survived. They would have died. Because that’s what happens when mental illnesses aren’t treated. People die. Or people live miserable lives, passing their pain on and on and on. I would argue that more people seem to suffer from various illnesses of this nature because now we’re actually medicating them and getting them help. They’re living longer and therefore their stories…
-
For the Love of God, Look Out for Parking Signs
This morning, my son thought he’d get away with brushing his teeth without toothpaste, but his sister told on him right before we walked out the door. So I pull him back into the bathroom and make him brush the full 3-minutes in front of me before ushering him to the car. People in the drop-off line act like they have no sense. “Come on people, throw your kids out of the car and let’s go!” I return home and pick up my phone. There’s a PayPal notification that blinks at me, letting me know I was charged $33 for a free trial product I forgot to cancel. I call…
-
Why Face-to-Face Networking is the Best Way to Go
-The moment I stopped trying sell every single day is the moment I started making a greater impact and landing more clients. -A large online following doesn’t mean you have an engaged online following. Meaning: People who listen to you, value what you’re about and want to work with you. -Believe it or not, a good old-fashioned handshake means more for your business than creating daily content. Every client I’ve ever served found me because of some handshake I made in the past. -I’ll talk more about how non-shady networking and actually, I don’t know, CARING about people is the best way to grow your business. It doesn’t matter what…
-
How to Make Potato Soup Out of Your Hard Time
Last year around this time, Jesse and I had a couple of hard months. We cut off our Internet bill and at the worst moment I had to call and get an extension for the electric bill and for the car payment fully knowing that all an extension would do is buy us more time until the inevitable. We ate our cupboards bare and for the last hoorah, I was able to take a couple potatoes, the last remnants of milk, cheese, and make potato soup. Jesse came home from work and the weight of the world just felt heavy that night. We didn’t know what the future held; how we…
-
How to Spot a Creative in The Making
Growing up creative meant having most adults in my life tell me that I would never “make it.” Sure, I was a solid musician, could sing, and possessed a writing talent but I was foolish for thinking it could be anything more than a hobby. I always assumed what they meant was that I would never be an Alicia Keys, Tchaikovsky, Picasso, or the great Charles Dickens… so why waste time? But creating was what I loved to do. How could I change something about myself that was so integral and an intricate part of who I was as a person? There was no separating myself from my creativity. Not…
-
How to See The Value in Setting Goals
Do you have trouble seeing value in setting goals for yourself? So today we’re going to be a little practical. Because if you’re anything like me, you could use a tid-bit of practicality in your life. Naturally, I am not an organized person. I just kinda like to flit through life and discover where it takes me on the way. However, I have to admit that bringing a bit of organization to my dreaminess has been essential to, you know, actually accomplishing something. Before goal setting, I had a ton of ideas swimming around in my head and then they were gone like the last cookie from the cookie jar.…
-
Why we Should Love People the Way They Respond to
I didn’t want a lot of people in my hospital room when I gave birth to my kids. When I’m sick, I want to be left alone. If I’m upset, I want to be left alone to process. If I’m going through some serious change, I want to be left alone to think and adjust. After a while I’ll come out, and I’ll maybe talk to one person about what transpired, or I’ll write about it and make art from pain and change. I extended the same courtesy to my friends and family for a while. I left them alone when big events happened because that’s what I need. I tried…
-
I Will Always Care What People Think
I have no idea how to not care what anyone thinks. I’ve tried to figure that out my entire life. Hateful remarks used to put me in the bed for days, now it’s just an hour. Maybe I can get to where it only stings for a few minutes. The truth is, I will always care what people think of me. I care because I love people, I love humanity. I love our flaws and interesting stories. I love how complicated we all are. I’m interested in all sorts of viewpoints and methods of thought. I care because I’m not a sociopath. I read something once that transformed my life.…
-
28 things I’ve learned in 28 years
1) People will tell you all sorts of ways you should live your life. Eventually you have to decide for yourself and OWN IT. The sooner the better. Embrace your brand of weird. What was once odd in high school, people now will applaud you for doing. 2) Pettiness is a waste of time and energy. You’re probably going be petty sometimes anyway, but remember your energy is limited. Remember your time is finite. 3) Be fiercely kind. Not doormat kind. 4) You can have everything. You can do it all. Just maybe not all at once. And maybe you’ll figure out some things don’t mean so much. 5) If…
-
NEVER Regret Believing That You Have a Future
“Live as if tomorrow isn’t promised” is a really cool concept. It’s true, tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us individually. But I do believe this ideology has become a stumbling block for many people in this modern age. We focus on self-gratification because “we might die tomorrow.” We focus on doing what we want right now because “we might die tomorrow.” We refuse to embrace a little bit of pain for gain that willcome later because, after all, “we might die tomorrow.” It’s turned into the motto to consume whatever you can, while you can. I think this interpretation of the proverb is a trash ideology. You should NEVER…
