discomfort

Finding Little Joys: Flow in Uncertain Moments

Finding Little Joys: Flow in Uncertain Moments

The meeting is just a few hours away, and I’m the one who has to lead it. 

My heart is racing. What if I mess up? What if I’m not good enough? My mind is filled with endless thoughts. I have so much to do, yet I can’t seem to get anything done.  

I’ve experienced moments like this countless times. Whenever an important event approaches, I become increasingly anxious. The meeting itself might last only an hour, but I spent hours beforehand worrying about something that hasn’t even happened yet. But what if I can’t change the meeting, yet I can change how I spend the hours leading up to it?  

The Life Cycle of a Leaf

The Life Cycle of a Leaf

Recently, as I sat under the marvelous tree behind my apartment, I thought about its full, summer emerald leaves, now matured into vibrant crimson reds. These leaves were once buds in spring, working as self-sufficient producers in summer and quietly shifting into vibrant arrays of ruby in autumn. I pondered the seasons of my own life as the tree behind my house entered its own preparation for change, with those beautiful leaves preparing for winter by falling to the ground. What might the life cycle of a leaf help us notice about our own relationship with change? 

From Dropout to Doctorate

From Dropout to Doctorate

To say my freshman year of college was rough is an understatement. A mix of—too many things to share in a blog post—made adapting to daily living and completing assignments difficult. I was so exhausted following that first year, that I only lasted three days of sophomore year before dropping out. So, I left college. And, it was arguably one of the best things to ever happen to me.