I loved getting that phone call where he would sing just for me. As soon as I said ‘hello,’ he'd launch into the melody. Then he'd ask about my day, talk about the weather, and wish me a happy birthday.

From her bed, Alexandra stared at the boxes her grandmother had left stacked in the corner of her room. No, stared wouldn’t be the right word for it. She glared. If she could have lit them all on fire with the loathing in her gaze, she would have.

The above is an example of a Monday and Tuesday in February 2021, my last (and lightest) semester of undergrad. Everything I did went on the calendar. Anything where I was expected to be somewhere, I logged it in my iCal, syncing across all devices.

If you want to start caring less about what others may think of you, here are a couple things you can do to begin that process. First figure out who your tribe is, who your safe people are, and then start to focus more on their feedback and less on others.

I think most people fall into one of two categories in life: those who like to camp and those who don’t. It’s funny but true! Most individuals I’ve spoken with side strongly one way or the other. Either it’s, “Camping?! You mean out with the bugs and the raccoons and stuff?

The top two sources of stress in the U.S. right now are money and work. Big surprise, I know. So when someone is dealing with chronic stress, it may be due to an over demanding job, long-term illness, paying the bills that never stop coming, etc.

Myths are powerful because they provide potential answers to timeless questions (PBS). Questions like, what is vengeance? What responsibility do I have toward other people?

No offense to those of you who love these kinds of movies, in fact, I feel like I might even understand why they are so appealing. We as people have always longed for romance and connection and happy endings, especially when things in real life get tough.

Let me be clear, to get up doesn’t mean you don’t take the time to grieve. It doesn’t mean that you can’t spend an entire day or two hiding in your room. It just means that however it looks for you, don’t give up on yourself. That last part is key.

It’s a valuable lesson that could apply to each of us as well. Of course it’s easy in life for us to pursue things that bring us glory or that show off our talents, but how are we at taking one for the team?

That’s the word for the feeling when you hit your limit. Know what I’m talking about? That feeling when you can’t take one more thing, when you feel like you’re about to explode. We might know it more commonly as being overwhelmed.

Thinking it would be the perfect opportunity to connect more with the book, we bought our tickets and attended the show. We were blown away by the acting, the energy, and excitement of the story.

Here’s the problem. The study didn’t actually include people who experienced trauma. It simulated trauma with 52 healthy college students by having them watch a 12-minute film and then tested them on their memory of the film with and without having played Tetris.

This isn’t easy for me! I’m usually dreaming, scheming, and working towards the future. I look for challenges to meet and mountains to climb! If I look to the past, it’s usually for hints about how to navigate the future or for memories to connect better with people in my life.

Competition is great for us. It teaches us perseverance, resilience, and tenacity. It also teaches us how to win and lose with grace. We need to keep this in mind whenever we challenge our siblings or our friends to a competition.

Gift giving doesn't just have to happen at Christmas, anytime of the year is a great time to experience the delight of giving. Many times we think that the one who benefits the most in a gift exchange is the one who gets the gift, but I think the best part is actually saved for the giver.

Relational goals are just as important as our task goals, even more important in many cases. So, as you start a new year, new month, or new week, think about those in your life that you want or need to invest in more. What can you do to build that relationship?

My family vacations are interesting. Vacation implies that rest will be had. Family vacation implies that we will be spending a whole week, just the six of us, doing everything together. When we were younger, by the end of the week, we were ready to not see each other for at least a few days.

Eventually, I came up with a list of things that would make us smile and give us some exercise. Here are a few of the hobbies we decided to pursue either as a family or individually that check both the fun and good for you boxes!

If you haven’t already, you will experience grief (likely several times) during your lifetime. Grief comes as a result of many experiences. The most common one is due to losing someone who we care about, but we can also grieve breakups, divorces, etc.