My bank account is the least of my problems
I just finished reading Jen Sincero’s book, You Are a Badass at Making Money.
And no, Jen, I was not brave enough to read this in public. Ever. I was barely even brave enough to be seen expressing interest in it at the bookstore, let alone actually bringing it up to the checkout counter and having to face the cashier. Whenever someone walked by me standing at the bookshelf checking it out, I practically hid.
But since buying it a couple of years ago, I have continued to come back to it because of how many golden nuggets are contained…
And why it may help you too
Have you ever felt completely disconnected from yourself, like you don’t really know who you are?
Almost as if your body — the thing constantly running around, scurrying from place to place and striving to accomplish one task after another — wasn’t really you?
For many years now, I’ve noticed feelings like these operating in my life.
At one point, the feelings of disconnect and meaninglessness became too great to ignore any longer. The questions I was really longing for an answer to began to surface, demanding my attention.
I reached a point where I could no longer just go…
I want one every day
Valentine’s Day is a funny thing.
I’ve never really loved it, because I believe love is something that should be celebrated every day—not just on one day of the year.
Lucky for me, I’ve found my everyday Valentine.
I also know that not everyone will find theirs in this lifetime, and knowing that makes me even more grateful to share my life with the perfect partner for me.
So, to the man who makes our house feel like a home, I want to say a few things.
In calendar years, we haven’t been together that long. Our first date was…
You just have to trust it and follow the simple instructions
I’ve always found words fascinating.
They’ve always held some mystical power for me. The ability of letters to morph into words and sentences, which then create an image in my head has always seemed like magic.
How could it be that a movie formed in my mind’s eye as I made my way down a page?
It all seemed like a miracle.
Words have always had the ability to move me, to make me dream, and to make me feel something. Whether they lifted me up, motivated me, or broke my heart open, they’ve always made me feel alive.
But…
What my world-travelling grandma knew about education
Before I ever travelled outside my home country, I thought there was no need to.
Until 19, I’d never been further from home than the U.S., and I hadn’t really given travel all that much thought. But why would I? Everything I needed was right here in Canada: my family, friends, language, culture, traditions (basically, my comfort zone).
And that, in hindsight, is exactly why I needed travel so desperately.
As I entered my twenties and finished university, that opinion started to change — and then changed drastically.
I became curious, and then almost insatiably so. …
Nothing happens if all you do is sit on the dock and occasionally dip your toes in
The other day I published my 160th story online.
It felt like a huge landmark in some ways, but at the same time, it felt like just the beginning in many more ways.
I’ve been publishing online sporadically since November of 2015, which now feels like forever ago. Some months, when I set myself a challenge, I wrote a lot and published almost every day, and others I didn’t even publish one piece.
Admittedly, I’ve really just been dipping my toes into the water to see what it’s like, curious about the potential online writing holds, but never really wanting…
It makes you human — and you’re not alone
For far too long, our culture has viewed mental health issues as “fake news”—not something to be taken seriously.
Mental illness has been associated with weakness, and those who suffer from it are stigmatized as crazy and seen by society as less than. People who can’t seem to just “get a handle” on their thoughts and feelings are viewed as pathetic, fragile, and too emotional.
Therefore, those who are struggling with thoughts and feelings that make them want to disappear rather than get up and face another day often feel completely alone, outcast, and ashamed of themselves. …
Your thoughts and feelings don’t have to run the show forever
Most of us have days where we just really don’t want to do the things we know we should do.
We’d give anything, do anything, to avoid whatever that thing is. Maybe it’s meditating, writing, exercising, or making a healthy meal.
Not only do we know we should do them, but deep down, we also want to do them, because we’ve noticed how they make us feel. Eating nutritious food gives us energy. Meditating helps ground us and calm our anxious minds. Going for a run gets our heart rate up and makes us feel alive.
Even just going for…
Exploring some less common effects of a well-known practice
“Sitting in purposeful silence is food for your heart and soul.” — Jen Sincero
While a lot of things about meditation become noticeable almost immediately, like how much calmer and more relaxed you feel after only a few minutes, there are many more benefits of meditation that are a bit more subtle.
Some of these may take months or years to notice because they require a deeper sense of connection and openness that may not be available to you when first starting your practice.
Most of us don’t have profound insights or realizations after sitting down to meditate once or…
Do something each day purely for the fun of it
Remember fun?
No? I don’t blame you.
After all, once we reach adulthood, there is nothing telling us to relax more, or to play more. No one is telling us to just go and have some fun.
Instead, all signs point to working longer, doing “more,” achieving great heights, and pushing ourselves harder.
The older we get, the more responsibilities we tend to tack on, and there becomes more and more to “handle” on a daily basis. …
Allison Burney
Writer & dreamer with a passion for personal growth, travel and self-discovery. I write about my journey through life and its many adventures and lessons.
