• Adulting - Diva Mindset - Healthy Habits - lifestyle - Self-Love - Thoughts on Life

    Hot Girl Walks and the Tyranny of Self-Improvement

    June 15, 2025 - By 

    There’s a new lifestyle trend every month. Cold plunges. Moon journaling. ‘Hot girl walks.’ All promising transcendence through discipline. Translation: if I just walk four miles in matching athleisure while listening to podcasts on boundary-setting, I will become a higher being. Spoiler: I remain very much myself. Don’t get me wrong—walking is good. Boundaries are good. But at some point, every self-care trend starts sounding like a wellness version of homework. “Glow up or shut up” seems to be the subtext. I used to think my resistance was laziness. Now I think it’s grief. Grief over a version of myself…

  • Adulting - Career - Leadership - Legacy - Thoughts on Life

    When Love Sounds Like Doubt — Recognizing Fear in the Voices That Care About You

    June 15, 2025 - By 

    We’re told to watch out for “haters.” The loud critics. The ones who scoff, roll their eyes, or outright insult your ambitions. But the truth is, those voices are easy to ignore. The harder voices to deal with are softer — the ones that come from people who love you. You finally take that bold step — launch your small business, write your book, start teaching online, go full-time on a creative project. And instead of applause, what you hear is: “Are you sure this will work?” “What if it doesn’t go as planned?” “Maybe it’s better to have a…

  • lifestyle - Peace of Mind - Soul Searching - Thoughts on Life

    Happiness Is Not a Hobby (But You Should Practice It Anyway)

    June 12, 2025 - By 

    Happiness isn’t something you stumble upon while scrolling Instagram. It’s not a vacation or a surprise text from someone who finally figured out your worth. It’s far less dramatic and far more routine. In fact, happiness behaves a lot like hygiene. It’s daily. It’s maintenance. It’s brushing your mental teeth even when you don’t feel like smiling. The problem is, we treat happiness like it’s a reward. Work hard, suffer a bit, then maybe—maybe—you’ll get a glimpse of it on the weekend. But what if it’s not a reward? What if it’s a skill? Try this: build small rituals that…

  • Peace Looks Good on Me
    Peace of Mind - Reflection - Toxic Patterns - Trauma Recovery

    Rebuilding Trust When You No Longer Know Who or What to Believe

    June 2, 2025 - By 

    When betrayal crashes into your life, it leaves you standing on shaky ground. The people you once trusted now seem suspicious. Conversations feel loaded. Promises ring hollow. It’s not just about what was done to you—it’s the unsettling realization that you no longer know who or what to believe. This is the part no one warns you about… After betrayal, even basic interactions can feel like walking through a minefield. And it doesn’t matter whether it was a cheating partner, a backstabbing friend, or a relative who let you down. The fallout is the same: trust becomes a foreign language.…

  • Adulting - Affirmations - budgeting - Frugality - Thoughts on Life

    Spending as Self-Respect: Choosing Time Over Temporary Highs

    May 30, 2025 - By 

    Every time we swipe a card or click “Buy Now,” we’re not just exchanging money—we’re spending life hours. And life hours are sacred. They’re our one-way ticket, slowly being used up, breath by breath. Money can be replenished. That’s its charm. You lose some, you earn more. But the hours you spent earning that money? You don’t get those back. They’re gone. That was your time, your energy, your aging knees, your missed lunch breaks, your slowly fraying nerves. So the next time a sale banner screams 50% off, take a breath. Ask yourself: Do I want to trade a…

  • Adulting - Affirmations - budgeting - Frugality - Thoughts on Life

    I Gave Up Retail Therapy—And Gained Something Better

    May 27, 2025 - By 

    For years, I thought buying things was the same as self-care. A new bag after a hard week. Designer shoes because “I deserved them.” But beneath the glossy shopping bags and momentary highs, there was something else: stress. Credit card guilt. A creeping sense that I was working just to keep up with people whose lives weren’t even mine to live. Then one day, while standing in front of a mirror holding yet another “must-have” handbag, I asked myself: Who am I trying to impress? That single question unraveled a lot. What I learned was simple but not easy: being…

  • budgeting - Frugality - Thoughts on Life

    The True Cost of $20 Shirt: Spending with Your Life, Not Just Your Wallet

    May 23, 2025 - By 

    Money comes and goes. That’s what it does best. But time? Time only goes. It doesn’t loop back. It doesn’t restock. When you lose time, it’s gone. We often talk about prices as if they’re just numbers—$20 for a shirt, $4.99 for a latte, $250 for a new phone. But what if we asked a better question: how many hours of my life did this cost me? Let’s say you earn $25 an hour. That shirt didn’t just cost you $20. It cost you nearly an hour of your life. Not your money—your energy, your presence, your stress, your one…

  • Diva Mindset - Empathy - Reflection - Thoughts on Life

    Exploring Personal Growth Through Dances with Wolves: A Reflection on Empathy, Identity, and Cultural Understanding

    May 6, 2025 - By 

    In the 1990 film Dances with Wolves, adapted from Michael Blake’s novel, Lieutenant John Dunbar embarks on a transformative journey from a disillusioned soldier to a member of the Lakota Sioux tribe. His story isn’t just a tale of survival or adventure; it is an exploration of personal growth, empathy, and the complexities of identity—important lessons for anyone looking to understand their own path toward self-awareness and connection with others. The Power of Empathy: Understanding Beyond the Surface Dunbar’s initial experience with the Sioux tribe is rooted in misunderstanding and fear. The clash of cultures between him, a soldier of…

  • Adulting - Passion - Thoughts on Life

    How I’ve Been Handling Life Thus Far

    April 18, 2025 - By 

    If there is one thread that ties together everything I do, it is curiosity. I’ve always been drawn to questions—about people, about places, about how things work, and most especially, about how we grow. I consider myself a multipassionate individual. I have explored many paths—writing, librarianship, teaching, editing, and creating digital content. Each one has taught me something different, and each one continues to shape who I am. I don’t believe we have to choose just one direction in life. I believe we grow in many directions, sometimes all at once. Learning has always been a constant in my life.…