The Unexpected Way Jiu-Jitsu Brought Me Back to Myself
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are.” ~Maya Angelou There was a time in my life when everything felt heavy, like I was constantly carrying around a weight that no one else could see. […]
What Does an Emotionally Regulated Adult Look Like?
What is your relationship with your emotions on a daily basis? Some of us might deny that we’re influenced by our feelings at all. Others might try to leave our emotions behind when we move into certain environments, like work or school. We may believe that particular emotions are “bad” or “negative”—and so aim to […]
My Daughter Needed Me to Choose Better, So I Did
“Children learn more from what you are than what you teach.” ~W.E.B. Du Bois I was standing at the service bar, waiting for my drink order to be ready. The scent of steak fat clinging to my apron and infusing itself into my bra, while twenty-something servers around me whined about working on Mother’s Day… […]
Why Baby Sleep Books Can Harm Maternal Mental Health
When I was seven months pregnant, someone handed me a copy of Twelve Hours by Twelve Weeks, a bestselling baby sleep manual. I devoured it like scripture. Everyone had warned me that the sleep deprivation would be brutal. This book promised salvation, if I just followed the rules: stretch feedings, track ounces, ignore midnight cries. […]
Four Signs That Indicate a Group Is Harmful
Whether it is the parents on your child’s sports team, a group of people who live in the same cul-de-sac, or your team at work, people in a group can turn toxic quickly. Four signs may signify that it is not a healthy situation, and knowing how to deal with it may protect you. Four […]
How Parents Can Help Kids Ask the Big Questions
“I can do it myself!” That’s a phrase we typically associate with young children when they learn to get dressed and eat breakfast. Later, they might use it as they start riding a bike or reading a chapter book. But what does the question have to do with their spiritual development? A lot, it turns […]
Lonely? 3 Effective Coping Strategies Could Help
Council on Substance Abuse. The loneliness epidemic persists: A post-pandemic look at the state of loneliness among U.S. adults. cosancadd.org/the-loneliness-epidemic-persists-a-post-pandemic-look-at-the-state-of-loneliness-among-u-s-adults/ Cox, D. (2021). The state of American friendship: Change, challenges, and loss. Survey Center on American Life. Floyd, K., Ray, C. D., & Hesse, C. (2025). Theoretic principles of rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) and […]
How Couples Overcome Issues in Relationships
Solving Relationship Communication Problems: How Couples Overcome Issues in Relationships We all know that feeling when communication in our relationship seems more like a battleground than a bonding experience. It can be tough, but you’re not alone. Many couples face communication issues that leave them feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and stuck in frustrating patterns. Gottman research […]
How Understanding Complex Trauma Deepened My Ability to Love Myself
“Being present for your own life is the most radical act of Self-compassion you can offer yourself.” ~Sylvia Boorstein In 2004, I experienced a powerful breakthrough in understanding what it meant to love myself. I could finally understand that self-love is about the relationship that you have with yourself, and that relationship is expressed in […]
How to Bring More Joy Into Your Classroom
When fifth-grade teacher Sharri Conklin first invited her students to lead a daily mindfulness moment, she didn’t expect it to spark a quiet revolution. What began as a single child asking to read a meditation script grew into a classroom tradition of student-led calm and joyful clapping after lessons—not because it was required, but because […]