In a society and world where things can feel so out of balance, and so difficult, where people can seem so unkind and uncaring, it’s important to show up with empathy. Empathy is where change begins. That change begins inside of us and then grows. In that growth we change others; sometimes through something as simple as a smile or a kind word, but that change spreads and touches others.

Intrusive Thoughts - those unsettling thoughts that come out of nowhere that have no good reason to be there. We all have them from time to time, but for some, they can be overwhelming and disturbing, interfering with your daily life in ways that feel isolating.

Mistake + Apology ≠ Forgiveness.

That is a hard pill to swallow. We all want forgiveness.

Apology + Forgiveness ≠ Access

This pill might be harder to swallow!

Each version of yourself should be a better version than the one you were before. You are a work in progress. The goal is simply to be your best today and then, new experiences and opportunities will present themselves and challenge you to grow even more. I would encourage you to to seek opportunities to improve, to take time to enjoy and celebrate your progress, and leave behind the excuse of “this is just the way I am.”

This is the heart and soul of it. We build strength when we practice and fail, and we build confidence when we practice and get it right.

Be kind to yourself. Life is hard. People may not always be kind to you - be kind to yourself and talk to yourself like you’re someone that you love!

We have all known someone who feels disrespected by others but blows through the clear and well-defined boundaries of others as if they are the Kool-Aid man pushing through the brick wall…

We understand what we know. We can normalize even the worst behaviors because as children our abusers are often trusted individuals, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, babysitters, teachers, preachers. police officers, etc. We are taught to love them, and often there are moments of goodness and kindness that we’ve felt before the abuse starts. It creates conflict in the child so that the child begins to blame themselves for the abuse that occurs.

Game shows have lifelines; we need them too!

Kintsugi, the Japanese Art of fixing broken things with gold. The picture is from my first go at it. It was done at a retreat I attended for female survivors of childhood sexual abuse. It was at this retreat that I first heard of this art. Fixing something broken and creating something beautiful and functional again. What an interesting concept.

Sometimes you have to take the leap – jumping blindly without assurance that everything will be okay!