“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” ~ Roy Disney “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” ~Nelson Mandela Oh, man. Life takes some unexpected turns sometimes, doesn’t it? You make all sorts of grand plans for your life …
Sad Days, Deep Breaths, and Hot Baths: On The Relationship Between Loneliness and Self-Love
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~ Gautama Buddha I have already discussed the many benefits of surrounding yourself with a team of supportive, compassionate, non-judgmental, loyal, and loving individuals with whom you can band together in the event of an apocalyptic disaster. I neglected to mention, however, the most important …
On First Anniversaries, Break-ups, and Why I’m Actually Grateful I Got the Flu
“Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.”~ Erich Fromm Last week marked the one year anniversary of opening my own acupuncture practice and being in business for myself. I wanted to quietly celebrate this milestone with close friends over a glass of wine (or two), expressing gratitude for year one and setting clear …
On Getting Older and Going (Prematurely) Gray: 13 Lessons From My First 31 Years
“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.” ~ Gabriel García Márquez Two weeks ago, I celebrated my 31st birthday. And although my birthday was on Saturday, I actually allowed the celebrating to begin on Friday evening and extend through Monday afternoon because, hey, why the eff …
The Myth of Perfection, Gluten-full Cupcakes, and an Unfortunate Spelling Error
I spent my 20s chasing perfection, believing such a thing actually existed, never stopping to ask myself if what I sought was even possible or desirable, heading instead toward my idea of what someone else might deem ideal. I thought a perfect body, perfect relationship, perfect friendships, perfect diet, perfect wardrobe, perfect home, perfect grades would add up to happiness …
On Time, Abundance, and Being Here Now
“Time is a gift, given to you, given to give you the time you need, the time you need to have the time of your life. ” ― Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth If there is one theme that has been coming up for me most strongly over the past few weeks, it is time. The passing of time, the …
Loss, Gratitude, and the Vulnerability of Fierce Love
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” ~ Thornton Wilder This past Saturday, there was a devastating house fire two doors down from my apartment, causing $100,000 in damage to my neighbors’ beautiful home in northwest Portland. As I biked past the wreckage on Monday and saw my …
The Personal Impact of Angelina Jolie’s Public Announcement
A few years ago, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. I still remember receiving the devastating phone call, hearing in her voice the fear she felt even as she attempted to conceal it for my benefit, and the way the news hit me in a tangible, physical way as she told me about the lump she’d discovered during a …
A Penny For Your Thoughts: How Journaling Can Help You Heal
Buried in a closet somewhere in my apartment is a ridiculously large box of old journals, some of which date back to the late 1980s and recount the goings-on of my 1st grade self – navigating friendships, playing soccer, riding my bike, starting to discover that boys were maybe kind of cute. There are journals from my high school, college, …