Broken, But Still Beautiful
Recently a beautiful piece of pottery I own broke. I was so upset at first and thought, “Shoot, I’m going to have to throw this away” because that’s what we usually do with broken things. But then I remembered the ancient Japanese philosophy of Kintsugi, which is the art of putting broken pottery pieces back […]
The Truth About The Relationship Between Happiness And Success
What comes first, the chicken or the egg? It’s a riddle that seems impossible to solve. Same goes for success and happiness… which comes first, happiness or success? Not having “success” is a reason some people give for not being happy but the truth is a lot more nuanced. When we look at the data […]
Why Happiness is the Cause Not the Effect
So often we think, “when X happens, then I will be happy.” We wait for our ship to come in to celebrate. We treat happiness as a destination when the truth is that happiness isn’t the place we are going to arrive eventually, it’s the gas in the tank we need to get there. Positive […]
What’s the difference between burnout and stress?
Burnout is more than just stress. There’s a difference between the two. Like stress, it causes physical damage, and over time, it leads to anxiety disorders and job burnout. Stress is a normal part of life, and it’s something we deal with on a day-to-day basis. Burnout is what happens when it’s all too much. […]
What Does Burnout Feel Like?
I’m by nature a giver and an overachiever. I give, achieve, and do because it feels good. I love to pump energy, light, and encouragement towards people who need them, and it makes me happy to see people find their joy again. And, I get the reward of gratitude and a job well done, and […]
How To Know When You Are Burnt Out
Burnout is a bone-tired, soul-tired, heart-tired kind of exhaustion. Burnout is real, and even though I teach schools, businesses, and organizations all across the country how to overcome it, I can tell you that I, too, have been experiencing it lately. For me, it looks like this. The inability to shut work off An incessant […]
Royal Self Care: Being Mental Health Aware
When I think about princesses, I think about Cinderella. She worked so hard to do what was expected of her, she went to the party everyone wanted her to attend, and she left when a Prince thought she should stay. I have found my sneakers are much better to run in than glass slippers, and […]
It’s okay to put yourself first
Recently, Oakwood Nursing Home (where my gram lives) had a door contest. Every resident decorated their door, and the nursing home staff thought it would be fun to turn it into a light-hearted competition. They posted this picture of the winning door, and I noticed it was Gram’s door. Mary Cayte Blocker, Director of the […]
If you feel burnout, you are not alone.
I know my purpose is to inspire you, but I also feel like it is important to be real and vulnerable, something we don’t feel like we are allowed to do much. That’s why, as I propped my feet up on my desk just now and felt myself get emotional, I decided to stop while […]
It’s Okay to Not Feel Okay
Anyone else have random days where you just feel down? Where you just don’t feel like yourself? You ask yourself a million questions: Who am I? What am I supposed to be doing? Should I do this or that? Why do I feel sad for no reason? Is this the beginning of depression? You wonder […]