Sharp, pinching, burning, shooting, dull, aching, prickly, throbbing. You name the pain, I’ve felt it. I’ve been living with chronic pain of varying degrees for over 20 years, but you can’t tell just from looking at me. From the outside, I look healthy, vibrant, fit and young, but the story on the inside could not be more different. Twenty years of pain has made its mark on me. It has torn through me like a hurricane, destroying me and exhausting me. It has drained me, scarre

Last week I wrote about What to Say to Someone Who is Grieving. Not only have I had a lot of experience with the grieving process, I’ve also had a lot of experience with chronic pain and illness. If it sounds like my life has been one big joyride, fear not, there have been good times too, many good times. Having lived with chronic pain and illness for over 20 years now, I think I’ve pretty much heard it all. Some people’s comment have been helpful and supportive, while others

Grief has played a significant role in my life for a long, long time. Starting at a young age, I've watched numerous family members become ill and die. I’ve lost a lot of people, including both of my parents. I’ve been through the bereavement process many, many times. It’s devastating, soul-crushing, rotten, and at times the losses feels bottomless. What’s gotten me through these difficult times are my friends. I have wonderful friends who are tremendously supportive, who are

Last week I wrote about Reframing Failure, specifically about why you might want to change your thinking and beliefs around failure. In a nutshell: to make your life easier, more enjoyable, and more successful. Now that the "why" is covered, I'm going to address the "how." Without further ado, the following are five key points that will help you reframe and rethink your outlook on failure: 1. Failing Doesn't Mean You're A Failure So you failed at something, so what? Big deal.

How Do You View Failure? Do you see it as a life-stopping, dream-ending catastrophe, or do you see it as a valuable experience that moves you closer to where you want to be? If the first answer reflects your current mindset, then changing how you view and interpret failure could bring major, positive transformations to your life. Imagine a life without failure, without the heavy weight of what it means to you to fail. The reality is that this life is available to you if you a