My Chaotic Mess When I first began exploring mindfulness, I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. Life had become a series of unfortunate events, each one piling on top of the last, creating an unmanageable weight. From the trauma of an assault that led to a forced abortion to the heartbreak of a four-year relationship that never led to marriage, I felt like I was constantly spiraling. The weight of a marriage that ultimately fell apart, losing custody of my children, struggling with mental health, and battling through health and work-related endurance issues—everything felt overwhelming. During these times, I found myself in need of tools—tools to help me manage, to cope, and to regain some control back. Mindfulness became one of the most invaluable practices I embraced. And through my journey, I discovered several resources that provided tangible relief: therapy, self-help groups, psychotherapy, counseling, and, yes, mindfulness tools. A Personal Journey Through Pain and Healing My pat...
You Are Not Your Past: Reclaiming Identity Through Present Choices We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all lived through things we didn’t choose. Maybe it was trauma. Maybe it was failure. Maybe it was simply a string of bad decisions that spiraled. And now, those experiences feel like they’ve shaped who you are—like they’ve cemented your identity. But here’s something powerful that needs to be said more often: You are not your past. Your past may explain you, but it does not define you. It may have left its mark, but it doesn't get the final word. Identity isn’t something set in stone by yesterday’s version of you—it’s something you reclaim, redefine, and rebuild, one choice at a time, starting now. The False Identity of Experience When people say, “This is just who I am,” what they often mean is, “This is who I’ve become because of what’s happened to me.” But who you became as a result of pain, disappointment, or survival isn’t always who you’re meant to be. Sometimes, it's just w...