sustainable systems & storytelling
My biggest fear is to disappoint people--to get a B, to give up halfway through the race, and to not fill the mold someone else has laid out for me. Frankly, it's a recipe for disaster. And yet, it is such a difficult habit to break. I'm a people-pleaser by nature, so saying "no" does... Continue Reading →
The year is 2018, and it's been a rough one. The last 300-some-odd days have been filled with debilitating illness, medications that exacerbate the existing symptoms, false allegations that could have landed me in federal prison, no action being taken against the true criminal in my workplace, the lost of my best friend over behaviors... Continue Reading →
Last week, I was browsing research articles on NCBI and NIH using the key terms dropped at my most recent medical appointments. I began by searching for "mitochondrial dysfunction" and "maximal oxygen consumption deficit," and then quickly descended ever-deeper into the rabbit hole. I ended my search on a book excerpt that has stuck with... Continue Reading →
During my undergrad junior year, I took a class on Positive Psychology. Nearly a decade ago, I sat around an elongated table with other students discussing our reading assignments from Flow, Authentic Happiness, and The How of Happiness. Though I was shy and insecure, I was excited enough about the topic to raise my hand and... Continue Reading →
There is a Buddhist parable known as the "second arrow." If your are struck by an arrow, acknowledge and treat it, but do no allow yourself to be struck by a second arrow--the troubling thoughts and options about your pain--as this only causes further unnecessary pain. I keep looking forward to my future self. What... Continue Reading →
I have a question for you. What is the one thing you need to hear most? What piece of advice would you go back and tell your younger self? Which adage do you wish you could share with everyone else? I personally always return to the same sentiment: It's okay to feel things deeply, but... Continue Reading →
Lately, I've been thinking quite a bit about blame and about responsibility. What does it mean to take full responsibility for your life? How can I let go of past mistakes and focus solely on moving forward? The last several years have been filled with guilt, shame, and self-blame. The monthly visits to my family... Continue Reading →
For as long as I can remember, I've been drawn to words. Strung together and paired with pictures, words introduced me to new worlds. The stories taught me to exercise my own imagination and ask, "what if?" in response to the mundane and the absurd. As a young child, I sat in my parents' laps... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, my parents gave my a copy of Ryan Holiday's The Daily Stoic for the holidays. During 2017, I read the 365 daily musings religiously, and lately I've been picking the book up again. The stoic philosophies of Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus have been hitting home especially hard this year, as everything I thought... Continue Reading →
