So I got back at them. I made new friends. I found a new tribe, a new community. But these were not good people. Okay, so I really wasn't consciously trying to get back at my parents, but I did get myself mixed up in the wrong crowd. It was almost an overnight transformation. I became someone entirely different. 

Consent starts small. Yes, we typically use the word to refer to asking and/or giving a clear response regarding sex, but learning about consent doesn’t start there. It begins with understanding that your body is yours and yours alone. No one should ever do anything to it that you aren’t completely comfortable with. Ever.

On one of our epic adventures, we simultaneously got lost and heard my dad calling. In an instant, we went from sheer joy to terrified. We have to go home now! But we have no idea how to get there. We weren't prepared for this moment. The goal of getting home was clear as day, but we didn't have the knowledge or the tools to adapt to our new and unknown environment and find a way home. 

“I don’t think I can do this,” I murmured out loud.
“What?” My husband asked. My voice went up a hormonal octave.
“How can I possibly be a good mother if I can’t even figure out how to pick the right bottle!?”

There’s a name for what I experienced in the store that day.

Maybe she felt bad about the divorce and that’s what convinced her to let me go, I don’t know, but what I do know is that every minute of my time there was heaven. I literally whistled while mucking out the stalls.

Basically, it can be used to treat all levels of stress: serious recent trauma, well-established stress patterns, unclear psychological issues, and proactive efforts to establish better health.

You don’t have to wait until you feel like you’re going to blow up. Just tap for a few minutes.

One that I can remember happened when I was five years old. It was Halloween, one of my favorite holidays growing up. This particular year however, would be a little different. Because Halloween fell on a Saturday, and my brother's birthday was just three days before, my parents decided to celebrate Halloween and a birthday all in one day. Unfortunately, they didn’t plan on me getting sick.

What do I mean? Let me show you. Let’s say that one of your siblings has taken something of yours without asking. You’ve already talked with them in the past and told them they have to come to you first if they want to borrow something, but here they are wearing one of your favorite shirts again.

We are all my 8-year-old. While we may not drop-kick people in the face and throw temper tantrums (at least I hope you don’t), we all allow our minds to tell us lies, that if we are not careful, we will end up believing. 

That section, the opening passage to “29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life”, always cracks me up. The author is so honest with her feelings about this advice! And yet she agrees to give it a try. As a woman struggling with the daily frustrations of dealing with Multiple Sclerosis, Cami Walker decides to do the crazy thing and stop thinking about all of her problems just long enough to give away one thing every day.

Fixing this broken world may be too tall a task, but we are required to navigate it. We have to figure out a way to not allow the turmoil and brokenness of this world to poison our hearts and minds. Because our hearts are out of balance, our minds become clouded, filled with uncertainty, self-doubt, and lies--basically, chaos ensues. 

Nowadays, I love a good podcast. Some of the first podcasts I listened to had to do with the field I am in - genetics. Because genetics is rapidly changing, podcasts have been a way for me to stay up-to-date on what is new in the field without having to read tons of articles all the time. I also have really enjoyed true crime podcasts. I love shows like Bones, and so finding podcasts that dive into a murder case or serial killer story always interests me. Plus, I learn what situations I should not get myself into where I could get hurt.

So what happens when there is too much sugar in your diet? Well, a lot. Too much sugar can affect your mood, weaken your body’s ability to cope with stress, and increase your risk for developing depression. Cutting back on sugar can trigger withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, irritability, confusion, and fatigue (Lindberg, 2020).

My teammate knew my left-handed skills enough that he expected me to continue the layup instead of passing it off. What was once wholly unnatural and awkward, playing basketball left-handed, was now totally normal. It was something I no longer needed to think about. What about you? It certainly doesn’t have to be basketball. But is there something in your life that was unnatural at one time but is now normal? 

You know what, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the way you feel about nachos is not exactly the same way that you feel about your Mother. And you probably don’t feel the same way toward your favorite shoes as you do your boyfriend or girlfriend. So why on earth do we use one word to describe all these different feelings!? Good question. Welcome to one of the most frustrating things about the English language.

After a back injury, I was experiencing paralyzing muscle spasms, flashes of pain, and sleepless nights. I grew up in a family full of athletes, and I found myself feeling like an outcast and a failure. How could I be myself when the wrong turn of my body sent me into fits of pain? How could I keep up with my siblings when stretching the wrong way sent my muscles into spasms? 

Goals were easier when I was in school because someone else broke them down, held my hand, and told me what to do in what time frame. Out on my own, I was a little lost. I wanted to set and reach goals, but life got distracting. There were extra hours at work, problems to solve, new responsibilities, a Netflix show to binge watch…

Stopping and resting is not something she is accustomed to. Perhaps this is you. The minute you wake up, you start to feel the demands of the day, the to-do list looming, and the need to accomplish taking over your mind. Resting not only seems entirely impossible but unnatural. But I want to remind you of the same thing I remind my wife. Slowing down, relaxing, even just taking small moments throughout the day is critical. 

If you haven’t before, try finding a few books of poetry from your school or public library. Pick a couple different ones because the truth is that there is a huge range of style and voice when it comes to poems. It might take a few tries before you find a poet you resonate with. I’ve certainly read a poem or two and put books right back on the shelf before!

Here’s another perk from the page. When you read an actual book, it lowers your stress levels (one study shows that it might lower stress by as much as 68%) and helps you to sleep better. Using a screen to read late at night, especially right before you go to bed, can mess with your circadian rhythms and make it harder for you to fall asleep or stay asleep (Wise, 2019).