“Most of your suffering isn’t pain. Most of your suffering is the demand that the pain shouldn’t be there. We have pain, and then we have the extra layer of outrage that pain exists, as if life has violated its terms of service.” –Eric Barker For the past decade, my injuries have kept me in some kind of physical pain for most of my waking hours. But am I always… Read More »Suffering = Pain x Resistance
“Avoidance feels like relief in the moment, but will only strengthen the feeling you’re trying to escape.”1 –Mark Manson At 30 years old, I was severely depressed. I was also a marijuana addict. You might think that one problem caused the other, but it’s more complicated than that. My depression was not caused by my addiction: I was depressed because I’d suffered a string of injuries that left me in… Read More »Why Sobriety Cured My Depression
“The goal of adulthood is to let go of the other possible existences and to make the best of the one. A successful adult is one who understands that it doesn’t matter which life you ultimately pick, only that you live it well.” –Chris Ballas1 We live in a time of abundant choice. There are thousands of careers to choose from. There are millions of people you could theoretically meet,… Read More »What Does it Mean to be a “Successful” Adult?
“In a world that profits off your self-doubt, to love yourself is a rebellious act.” –Bliss n Eso The media landscape is filled with artificial perfection. People you see on TV and in movies. Airbrushed photos on magazine covers. Carefully curated social media profiles. All there make you feel inadequate. Most of it there because it benefits advertisers and the companies whose products they sell. Ironically, the same advertisers who… Read More »Rejecting a Culture of Shame and Self-Doubt