“Stop shoulding on yourself.” ~Albert Ellis I was buried under a pile of shoulds for the first thirty-two years of my life. Some of those shoulds were put on me by the adults in my life, some were heaped on because I am a middle child, but most were self-imposed thanks to cultural and peer influence. […]
“And here you are, living despite it all.” ~Rupi Kaur “I surrender!” I said this mantra out loud as my life was spiraling out of control. I had spent a summer in college as a camp counselor separated from my fiancé. He sent me no letters and did not keep in touch. Still, I held […]
“Presence is far more intricate and rewarding an art than productivity. Ours is a culture that measures our worth as human beings by our efficiency, our earnings, our ability to perform this or that. The cult of productivity has its place, but worshipping at its altar daily robs us of the very capacity for joy […]
“You become what you believe, not what you think or what you want.” ~Oprah Winfrey What do you believe? During the forced stillness of the pandemic environment we’re all living in, this is a question I’ve been faced with more intensely than ever. In particular, I’ve come to question what I believe about myself, and […]
“You know how every once in a while you do something and the little voice inside says, ‘There. That’s it. That’s why you’re here’ …and you get a warm glow in your heart because you know it’s true? Do more of that.” ~Jacob Nordby Mornings running the busy roads with the echo of what this […]
“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.” ~Brene Brown “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “It’s so nice to meet you. […]
“I don’t always make the best choices, but today I choose compassion over intolerance, sympathy over hatred, and love over fear.” ~LJ Vanier It’s crazy to me now, to look back and realize how freaking hard I was on myself for decades. Had I ever talked to anyone else the way I talked to myself, it […]
“A meaningful life is not being rich, being popular, or being perfect. It’s about being real, being humble, being able to share ourselves and touch the lives of others.” ~Unknown Hello, I’m Kortney, and I’m a recovering perfectionist. Like so many of us, I spent the greater part of my life believing that unless something […]
“You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” ~Louise L. Hay I dreamed of starting my own business for years. Ten years, exactly. While there are a few reasons it took so long to take the plunge, procrastination is at the top of the list. […]
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” ~Roy T. Bennett When I was a college senior, God, or the voice of God (aka Morgan Freeman) came to my campus to give a talk. At the end of the talk, I beelined toward the mic […]
