“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas Edison
There are a lot of times when life simply sucks.
Whether it’s something unexpected happening or some ongoing issue that’s keeping you down, life tends to put us on the outs now and again.
Many of us don’t feel like doing anything when life puts us in a slump.
It’s difficult not to think about whatever is wrong and to focus on being productive and motivated.
But here’s the thing: you can be productive, even when life seems like it’s getting the better of you.
Immediately before I left home for college, I started dating someone very special to me.
We had known each other for several years, but I had lost touch with him. Through a long and complicated string of events, we wound up reconnecting and discovered that we both had very strong feelings for one another.
Our timing was terrible, but we wanted to be together. So we began our relationship as a couple during a time when we lived over four hours away from one another. While the start of our relationship was wonderful and exciting, the huge chunks of time we spent apart was not. We both had very little money and couldn’t afford to travel to each other, except for maybe once a month (and even that wasn’t always possible).
I spent tons of time sulking around my college campus, dragging myself out of bed with every pitiful amount of motivation I could muster up. I felt depressed. Not exactly the most uplifting way to manage your first year at college.
I knew that I needed to focus on school and study to get good grades. If I let my emotions get the better of me and failed a class, or decided to drop out altogether (which crossed my mind just about every day), I’d be ruining the best chance I had for my boyfriend and I to have a happy future together.
So I pressed on.
I didn’t always feel like it – in fact I hardly ever felt like it – but I made myself stay productive in school. It was a very difficult year for me, and so was the next year. But I learned some very valuable lessons because of these hardships, and I think they bear repeating.
Life is hard, but it’s also beautiful and wonderful. Terrible things may happen, but you can only know that they’re terrible because of the great things that have already happened to you.
If life has you feeling depressed, out of control, miserable, or just fed up, you should know that it’s okay to feel that way. However, it’s not okay to idly sit by and let your negative feelings rule your life.
The best way to get out of your slump is to stay productive, even during the times when you don’t feel like being productive.
Here are some lessons I learned about how to stay productive when life has you in a slump:
1. Exercise for better sleep and to boost endorphins
Exercise is a greatly underutilized antidepressant. I know that some days it feels like you can barely get out of bed, let alone go for a jog, but exercising is a naturally proven way to increase your body’s feel-good endorphins.
Exercising for at least two and a half hours a week has been shown to significantly improve the quality of sleep you get at night, which positively impacts your overall mental wellness and your energy during the day.
In my personal experience, I’ve also found exercising to be a good way to relieve stress and frustration.
If you go for long jog, chances are that you’ll feel so tired when you get done you won’t even have the energy to be bummed out.
That and endorphin boost can do wonders for your mood and productivity.
2. Remind yourself that being productive now will improve your happiness later
I certainly didn’t always feel like going to class or studying for finals when I was in my slump, but I did it anyway because I knew it would be best for me in the end.
I know it’s hard, but you have to try to look beyond your feelings in the present moment and do what will be most beneficial to your happiness later. If you just sit back and wallow in self-pity, you likely aren’t going to feel better for a very, very long time.
You don’t have to be thrilled about whatever you’re doing, but at least do it so you can keep yourself moving forward, if only ever so slightly.
3. If you can, be productive on your own terms
Depending on what kind of job or daily responsibilities you have, this tip might be harder for you to put into action. What I mean by “be productive on your own terms,” though, is that you should do whatever will help you be most productive, even if it doesn’t seem like something a productive person would do.
There were some days in college when I knew I’d get more done if I spread out my books in bed and stayed in my pajamas all day, rather than going to the library. So I stayed in bed and let myself be motivated by the fact that I got to choose how I was going to be productive that day.
I didn’t go anywhere because I didn’t want to, but I also didn’t sulk in my room. I got things done…but on my own terms.
If it’s possible for you to control some of the terms of your productivity, do so.
It’s okay if they seem less productive to other people; all that matters is that you feel most productive working that way.
4. Be motivated by others in the same situation
Anytime I feel myself falling into negativity, I try to remember that there are definitely hundreds – if not thousands – of other people in the world going through the same thing. And, it seems, many of them don’t get nearly as down or stressed out as I do sometimes.
So, I figure, if they can face the same thing and carry on with their daily lives, so can I.
It’s also helpful to view yourself as part of a group working toward a common goal, rather than as an individual trying to reach a goal or achieve something alone.
5. Find something that you enjoy and do it every day
Another helpful tip for getting out of your funk is to find something that you enjoy and do it every day, even if you only do it for 15 minutes or so.
When I was in college, I discovered that I really liked playing video games on my handheld, so I invested in a Nintendo DS and started gaming on there for an hour or so a day. Even with all my schoolwork, it was perfectly manageable for me to set aside some time to play each day.
When you do something that you enjoy, you start to focus on that activity, rather than on whatever has you feeling down. This is a good way to start to wean yourself off of your negative emotions and feel something positive again.
If you aren’t into gaming, try reading a book, creating some kind of art, writing, or cooking.
6. Get out of your comfort zone
In addition to doing something you enjoy every day, it’s also important to take small steps outside of your comfort zone. This will help you get out of your slump by boosting your chances of discovering new interests, opportunities and new people.
As you begin to try new things, you’ll likely find new friends who can provide a healthy social support system.
It’s helpful to do things outside of what you’re used to, even if it means doing something as little as going to a different restaurant or sitting outside in the sun for an hour.
7. Engage in emotional or spiritual practices daily
By engaging in spiritual or emotional activities each day, you learn to become more connected with yourself and your feelings.
For me, yoga is an emotionally cathartic practice that makes me feel less stressed, more relaxed, and more in-tune with myself.
Whether you engage in yoga, prayer, meditation or other spiritual practices, know that these are all good stepping stones for fighting off negative thoughts and emotions.
8. Don’t judge yourself
In addition to feeling down because of whatever put you in a slump, you also tend to feel negatively about how you’re feeling.
When you know that you should be productive but feel depressed and sluggish, you’re likely to judge yourself and criticize your emotions. Needless to say, this does very little to help you feel better.
Don’t judge yourself for feeling down. You can’t help the way you feel.
You can, however, feel poorly and still do things that will help you be productive.
You can be miserable and still do homework. Sure, it won’t be fun, but you can make it happen.
Don’t be too hard on yourself when it comes to how you feel. Rather, try to accept your feelings and find ways to cope with them in your daily life.
9. Read or watch something motivational to get you going
If you find that the hardest part of the day is just getting out of bed, you might find it helpful to read or watch something inspiring. This can help you get motivated and get going in the morning and can fuel your actions throughout the rest of the day.
Read some more inspiringarticles on Vishnu’s site, follow motivational social accounts, or watch some inspiring YouTube videos. These are all easy things you can do from your smartphone while you’re still in bed in the morning, so you can get inspired and start your day when you are ready.
It can be so easy to let your anger, worries, depression or fear get the better of you in life. But if you don’t do anything to pick yourself up and actively fight against your slump, you’re not even living – are you?
I hope that some of the things I’ve talked about today will resonate with you and inspire you to bounce back and live a productive life in 2015.
You can’t change how you feel, but you can take some of these actions I mentioned above to be productive and get things done.
Start today.
Kayla Matthews is a productivity blogger with a passion for positive thinking and self-improvement. To read more of her latest posts, follow her on Google+ and Twitter, or at ProductivityTheory.com.
“The prerequisite to true freedom is to decide that you do not want to suffer anymore.” – Michael Singer
Imagine some of the most painful moments in your life.
Do you think about them often? Does your mind plague you with internal chatter about what happened in the past?
Do you continue to question, replay and rethink what has happened to you?
Do your thoughts (or your “inner roommate,” as Michael Singer calls them) preoccupy your mind and your life?
In The Untethered Soul, Singer shows you how to become more aware of your thoughts, acknowledge your inner being and free yourself from the trappings of your inner turmoil.
You can tone down the internal chitter-chatter and “neurotic bursts of conflicting dialogue” in your mind.
In this book, Singer offers the gift of a peaceful mind and an uncaged soul.
1. Become aware.
“You are behind everything, just watching. That is your true home,” Singer writes.
The Untethered Soul reminds you of two points: that there’s you and then there’s the sensitive person inside you. Every day, observe this internal being.
“Simply watch that sensitive part of you feel disturbance. See it feel jealousy, need, and fear…If you pay attention, you will see that they are not you; they are just something you’re feeling and experiencing,” writes Singer.
Singer reminds you that you are a different person internally than you are externally. Internally, you observe what is going on in your life. When you’re at your center or core, you can witness and even appreciate the difficult experiences you’re encountering.
You sit in a seat of awareness and watch these disturbances and emotions pass you by. You become aware of the drama taking place in the movie of your life.
“Once you learn that it’s okay to feel inner disturbances, you will be free. You will begin to be sustained by the inner energy flow that comes from behind you,” writes Singer.
By being in this state of centeredness, “you can walk in the world and the world will never touch you. That’s how you become a free being – you transcend.”
2. Decide that you do not want to suffer anymore.
You’re constantly shaken up on the inside.
External events take hold of your mind, your soul and your psyche. You regularly think about life’s disturbances.
First your thoughts bother you, continually hammering away at your peace.
Then your emotions bother you, leading your heart and soul to continuous discomfort.
Singer says that you don’t have to be a prisoner of your psyche.
You do not have to engage with your mind.
Disengage. Sit quietly and observe yourself. Become aware of your anxious psyche and thinking mind. Stop looking for solutions and stop expecting that your mind will fix your internal problems.
When someone cuts you off in traffic, is rude to you or doesn’t talk to you, free yourself by disengaging.
Do not get involved with the mechanical, droning thoughts your mind repeats.
The only action you should consciously take is to relax and release.
Singer encourages you to refrain from playing mind games.
“Just be there, noticing that you notice. It’s like taking inventory. Just check what’s going on – heart, mind, shoulders, etc.,” he writes.
“You’re just there, aware that thoughts and emotions are being created around you, while the world unfolds before your senses.”
By consciously choosing not to play mind games, you become more aware of the inner drama your mind creates. By refusing to engage, you set the stage for soul freedom.
No more engagement with your mind and psyche.
Only observance and awareness.
Your external life is a play. A movie, even.
Learn that the way you process and deal with external circumstances is also a movie – something you should watch. You’re not the actor and you don’t have a part to play.
“Right in the midst of your daily life, by untethering yourself from the bondage of your psyche, you actually have the ability to steal freedom for your soul. This freedom is so great it has been given a special name – liberation.”
3. Learn to accept.
You may have had emotional problems, childhood situations and past pain that scarred you on the inside.
Emotional damage has caused you to struggle with the events you currently face.
You won’t open yourself to the present because you fear previous circumstances.
When you live like this – clinging to the past and resisting the present – you are wasting your life.
If you learn to accept events as they develop, you won’t see them as problems.
“If you don’t have fear or desire about an event, there’s really nothing to deal with. You simply allow life to unfold and interact with it in a natural and rational manner,” Singer says.
If you refuse to compare past circumstances and relationships to current circumstances and relationships, you will have a newfound appreciation for your present experience.
It is what it is. You’re not resisting the present; instead, you’re surrendering to it.
“Learn to stop resisting reality, and what used to look like stressful problems will begin to look like the stepping-stones of your spiritual journey.”
4. Be willing to be open.
You want to protect yourself from pain.
Yet Singer reminds you that once you close your heart to pain and emotional disturbances, you spend a lot of time and energy protecting the safe place you’ve created.
Instead of holding onto things and closing off your heart, be willing to experience the disturbances. Sit fully in the pain’s depth.
If past or present hurts have annoyed or upset you, be open and become aware of them.
“A thought or emotion emerges, you notice it, and it passes by because you allow it to,” Singer says. “This technique of freeing yourself is done with the understanding that thoughts and emotions are just objects of consciousness.”
Further, Singer says that when you experience these things you won’t continue to harp on them. You won’t become preoccupied and focused on them, repeatedly experiencing them.
“You just let go. It’s simply a matter of taking the risk that you’re better off letting go than going with the energy. When you’re free from the hold the energy has on you, you will be free to experience the joy and expansiveness that exists within you.”
In Singer’s eyes, the way to attain freedom for your soul is to let go of yourself. Whenever you experience strong negative energy because of everyday annoyances and irritations, simply relax and release.
“If you don’t hold these issues inside, you can go about your life without getting psychologically damaged. No matter what events take place in life, it is always better to let go than to close.”
5. Let go.
“The law is very straightforward: When your stuff gets hit, let go right then because it will be harder later. It won’t be easier if you explore it or play with it, hoping to take the edge off,” Singer says.
“No matter what goes on below you, open your heart and let it go. Your heart will become purified, and you will never know another fall.”
Singer encourages you to release the sensitivity and pain you’re clinging to. If you open up internally and let go of the negativity you’re experiencing, you will release the blocked energy within you.
“When it’s released and allowed to follow up, it becomes purified and merges back into your center of consciousness. This energy then strengthens you instead of weakening you.”
Regardless of what you experience or how heavy, pained or irritated something makes you feel, choose to let go. It’s the only way to grow spiritually, as it will prevent the disturbance or offense from hampering you for the rest of your life.
6. Do not fear inner pain and disturbance.
Do you try to avoid pain? Do you run away from it at all costs?
I know I do. I have tried to create boundaries so I don’t have to experience discomfort or pain.
Singer says there’s no reason to fear internal pain.
He asks you to think of pain as something temporary, simply passing through your system.
If you don’t get comfortable with pain in your life, “you will react by closing in order to protect yourself. Once you close, your mind will build an entire psychological structure around the closure.”
An alternative is to experience the pain momentarily, then release it.
View pain as energy flowing through your body. “Stay open and receptive so you can be present right where the tension is. You must be willing to be present right at the place of tightness and pain, and then relax and go even deeper. This is very deep growth and transformation.”
If you resist pain, it will haunt you even more.
Simply experience, face and release the pain you store in your heart. On the other side of that pain are beauty, love, joy and peace. So are, Singer says, ecstasy, freedom and true greatness.
When you open yourself to the pain traveling through you, you become free and pain will never again bother you. It won’t remain, but will disappear as the energy of its fire goes up in smoke.
Once you transform pain into deep love and experience – the beauty on the other side of pain – you will find soul freedom.
When you are willing to pay this price for soul freedom, you will experience great spiritual growth.
Anyone who tells you that confidence is an innate quality isn’t telling you the truth.
Confidence isn’t a trait that some people have and others don’t.
I am not a naturally confident person.
I used to worry about what people thought of me. I feared being awkward or saying the wrong thing. Many times, I was unsure of myself.
The good news is that I grew out of this.
I did so by building my confidence muscle, being around confident people and taking notes on effective confidence-boosting strategies.
In my previous life, I helped run campaigns for candidates seeking public office. I worked closely with some of the most confident people you can imagine.
I began to notice similarities among the political candidates I worked with. I also came to realize that not all of these people had been confident their entire lives. Sure, a couple had been, but many political candidates are continually building their confidence.
The secret about confidence is out. Anyone can be confident if they shift their mindset and constantly work at it.
You can be confident too.
As your confidence soars, you’ll stand out at work, easily carry on conversations at social events, meet more people and live a richer life.
Here are 6 ways you can boost your confidence to become the person you’ve always wanted to be:
1) Accept yourself for who you are.
The reason you’re not confident in yourself is that you don’t love and accept yourself.
It’s not your fault. Since your early days, you received conditioning from your parents and other adults who put you down and discouraged you.
You listened to negativity in the form of doubt and criticism.
You can’t go back and change the past, but you can avoid becoming a victim of it.
You can work on loving yourself. You can use positive affirmations that confirm all the wonderful things about yourself. You can remove negative people from your life.
You can treat yourself more kindly by finding work that suits you. You can find more inner peace by practicing gratitude and forgiveness daily.
You can feel your feelings and your pain more. You can embrace your vulnerabilities and manage the inner voice that halts your progress.
You can also live a more authentic life.
Live in line with your values and with what’s important to you as a person.
When you’re living your truth and not hiding behind a mask, you feel comfortable with yourself and present your true face to the world.
2) Delete the disempowering stories that you tell yourself.
In your mind, do you replay past mistakes, screw-ups and failures?
Do you unwittingly tell yourself that you are your past? And do you let past events create the belief system you hold today?
Consider past circumstances that you believe indicate you aren’t good enough, smart enough or competent enough.
Do you see how they were isolated situations? You’re not a failure just because you failed one time.
You’re not a reject if you faced rejection one time.
Acknowledge the stories you’ve created about yourself.
Know that the stories you tell about your lack of confidence are simply NOT TRUE.
You created the stories. You took individual situations, linked them together and created powerfully strong beliefs about yourself.
Once you realize it’s a story, you can change it. You can write the story of how, over time, you learned to be confident.
3) Change the script that goes through your mind.
Growing up, did you listen to parents and loved ones who put you down, doubted you and undermined you?
Or to teachers, authority figures and neighbors who thought they were mentoring you when they were actually destroying your self-worth?
People think they’re providing sound advice when they’re actually hurting you and creating an unhelpful script in your mind.
However, you can change this script.
Try a mindfulness practice that catches the various thoughts bouncing around your brain.
Try affirmations and neuro-linguistic programming to reprogram your subconscious mind.
Listen to positive, confidence-building words and statements to help you flip your internal script.
4) Get into a confidence zone.
Did you know you can enter a state of confidence?
Imagine that you’re in a drama class, and your instructor asks you to act like a confident person for a couple of minutes. Could you do it? How would you act? What would your confident behaviors be?
Would you change your body language? Your posture? Your stance? Would you stick out your chest a little more?
You know what confidence looks like.
You’ve met confident people and at different points in your life have been confident yourself. You’ve seen what confidence looks like in your favorite television characters and movie heroes.
Stand up straight. Take up more room around you. Walk with a beat in your step. Before you enter an interview or networking event, practice Amy Cuddy’s tips concerning power poses.
Channel and become the confident person you visualize yourself to be.
5) Take small steps of confidence.
You don’t change from a shy person to Mindy Kaling overnight.
The best way to build your confidence is to challenge yourself and take small steps of confidence.
Talk to someone you normally wouldn’t. Introduce yourself to a stranger at the next office party.
Raise your hand and your voice. Speak up at the meeting.
Attend that social event with a friend.
Take the smallest step you can think of to move toward confidence. One confident action builds upon another.
Chatting with someone new gives you the courage to talk to a small group of people. And speaking to a small group of people gives you the courage to get on a stage and deliver a speech to a larger audience.
6) Develop a healthy relationship with rejection and failure.
Often, we experience one rejection and think that we are permanent failures.
We to talk to one person and don’t have a positive experience.
We try to sell someone on our idea, and that person shoots it down.
A rejection here and a rejection there and before you know it, you’ve formed deep-rooted beliefs about yourself.
You start thinking you’re not worthy enough or good enough.
You believe other people don’t like or accept you.
You let a handful of negative opinions stifle your mind and your life.
No one likes rejection and no one likes to fail, but did you know that rejection is a normal part of life? And the fact that someone says “no” to you or turns down your request has nothing to do with you—it has to do with that person.
The most successful and confident people have taken rejection and brushed it aside. They see rejection simply as a part of life.
Instead of letting rejection paralyze you and undermine your self-worth, know that you win some and you lose some.
Sometimes you get what you want and sometimes you don’t. This is perfectly normal. Confident people are those who face rejection and failure over and over again.
The only difference between you and them is that they don’t let their confidence lapses and failures define them or slow them down. They use rejection and failure to keep growing.
A failure is not a failure if you learn from it. A failure can be a lesson.
Remember, confidence isn’t a trait only television stars or popular people have. It’s not a natural or innate quality that some people receive at birth.
Anyone can become confident if he or she is willing to work on it.
You can become confident by accepting yourself and changing your mind’s script. Take small confidence-boosting steps and work on confidence behaviors to become the confident person you’re capable of being.
The Zander duo consists of Ben, who is conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and Roz, a family therapist. The Zanders point out that if we draw a different frame around the same circumstances in our lives, we will see new possibilities and options.
“Find the right framework and extraordinary accomplishment becomes an everyday experience.”
The book offers 12 practices to help you shift your perspective and open new possibilities for your life. You may not be able to change the circumstances you’re facing but you can change how you deal with those situations.
When you’re looking at a problem, all the assumptions you make about it are in your mind. The Zanders remind us that a problem is not simply a half-story you tell yourself, but rather something you make up entirely.
“The frames our minds create define – and confine – what we perceive to be possible. Every problem, every dilemma, every dead end we find ourselves facing in life, only appears unsolvable inside a particular frame or point of view.
Enlarge the box, or create another frame around the data, and problems vanish, while new opportunities appear.”
2. Stepping into a universe of possibility.
Imagine no limitations exist; the universe is abundant, open and infinite.
If you have an attitude of abundance instead of a mentality of scarcity, you’re more likely to find new business, new opportunities and new possibilities.
If you participate joyfully in tasks and projects, you’re more likely to be successful.
If you are inclusive and passionate in your life, you’re likely to see greater abundance.
The Zanders encourage you to step away from the world of measurements and scarcity. “In the measurement world,” they write, “you set a goal and strive for it. In the universe of possibility, you set the context and let life unfold.”
3. Giving an A.
“You can give an A to anyone in any walk of life – to a waitress, to your employer, to your mother-in-law, to the members of the opposite team and to the drivers in traffic,” the Zanders write.
For example, Ben Zander, as a conductor, found many of his students in a state of anxiety and stress over their performances. They wouldn’t take risks and feared failure. To combat this kind of energy and thinking, Ben gave every student in his class an A at the beginning of the course.
To retain this grade, each student had only to write a letter telling Mr. Zander, in as much detail as possible, what he or she had done to earn the A, and how the student had changed and grown by the end of the year. The student also had to describe to Mr. Zander the kind of person he or she had become.
An automatic and advance-graded A breaks barriers and enlivens a person’s actions. It lets him or her speak freely about his or her thoughts and feelings, and support others in their own dreams.
“The practice of giving an A transports your relationships from the world of measurement into the universe of possibilities,” the Zanders write.
“This A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into.”
4. Being a contribution.
In this practice, you wake up every morning with the idea that you are a gift to others.
Contribution actually involves two practices: “1) declare yourself to be a contribution and 2) throw yourself into life as someone who makes a difference, accepting that you may not understand how or why.”
When you contribute, you forget about scarcity and dwell in the pond of abundance. You go from self-concern to making a difference for others.
Notice how the things you do help others. See and imagine how everything you do sends out ripples beyond the horizon.
5. Leading from any chair.
The conductor is not the only leader of an orchestra.
You can lead from any chair you’re sitting in. The act of leadership is not limited to people in leadership positions.
Anyone can lead – “the player who energizes the orchestra by communicating his newfound appreciation for the tasks of the conductor, or a parent who fashions in her own mind that her children desire to contribute, is exercising leadership of the most profound kind.”
How do you know if you’re fulfilling your role as a leader? You can look into the eyes of the players you’re leading in the orchestra or on the work team and ask yourself, “Who am I being that their eyes are not shining?”
As a leader, you “can invite information and expression. [You] can speak to their passion. [You] can look for an opportunity to hand them the baton.”
It doesn’t matter who you are and where you sit; you can inspire and lead others from anywhere – even without a title or position.
6. Rule Number 6.
The Zanders relate a joke in which two prime ministers converse about Rule Number 6. When one prime minister hears the continued reference to “Rule Number 6,” he turns and asks the other, “Would you be willing to share with me the secret of Rule Number 6?” The other responds, “Rule Number 6 is ‘Don’t take yourself so goddamn seriously.’”
Rule Number 6 is a reminder to lighten up and not take yourself so seriously!
When you lighten up, you release yourself from egoistic and self-limiting beliefs.
“When we follow Rule number 6 and lighten up over our childish demands and entitlements, we are instantly transported into a remarkable universe. The new universe is cooperative in nature, and pulls for the realization of all our cooperative desires.”
7. The way things are.
This involves acceptance of what is, as well as presence and making the best of any situation.
When you’re present and not resisting the current situation, you are free to turn to the question, “What do we want to do from here?”
“…the capacity to be present to everything that is happening, without resistance, creates possibility. It creates possibility in the same way that, if you are far-sighted, finding your glasses revives your ability to read or remove a splinter from a child’s finger. At last you can see. You can leave behind the struggle to come to terms with what is in front of you, and move on.”
When you accept that things are the way they are, instead of complaining and resisting, you’re in a position to make the best of the situation. You’re allowed visions, dreams and appreciation for your current place. You’re more open to finding solutions or to making the best of the situation in your mind.
Being present with the present lets options and dreams come alive.
You’ll live in a place of freedom and possibilities when you’re comfortable with this moment.
8. Giving way to passion.
To give way to passion, “participate wholly. Allow yourself to be a channel to shape the stream of passion into a new expression for the world.”
Life has made many of us conformers, and has given us structure and limitations. Urban life highlights our rigidness and lack of vitality.
Your life will change when you “transcend the barriers of personal survival and become a unique conduit for its vital energy.”
Access the electric socket of passion, energy and possibility in your life.
Participate, engage and immerse yourself in your passions.
9. Lighting a spark.
This practice talks about inspiring others to pursue passion. It’s about spreading passion and lighting possibilities in the eyes and lives of others.
Imagine that others want to feel the same spark and electric sense of possibility that you feel. Be available and invite others who are ready to catch their spark and live their dreams.
The Zanders describe this idea as playing together in a field of light. The steps include being ready to participate, being willing to be moved and inspired and offering that which lights you up. Also, know that others are willing and eager to catch the spark.
When others say “no” to your idea or passion, they might be saying simply that they don’t see the same possibility you do.
Inspire others and share with them the very things that light you up.
Encourage and motivate others who are ready to join you.
10. Being the board.
Declare, “I am the framework for everything that happens in my life.”
As Roz mentions to Ben in a particular situation in this chapter, “You can always grace yourself with responsibility for anything that happens in your life. You can always find within yourself the source of any problem you have.”
This practice isn’t about blaming yourself or feeling at fault for your circumstances. It is about exploring the assumptions you make about what’s happening in your life and, ultimately, taking responsibility for them.
When you’re “being the board,” so to speak, you question your assumptions, determine how your perspective or outlook led to the situation at hand and take responsibility for how you got there.
You’re not looking to place blame elsewhere or on others. You are doing the constructive work of understanding how you got to where you are – and without blaming yourself, either.
“Gracing yourself with responsibility for everything that happens in your life leaves your spirit whole, and leaves you free to choose again.”
11. Creating frameworks for possibility.
The practice in this chapter involves creating frameworks that cultivate possibility.
The Zanders suggest the following: “Make a new distinction in the realm of possibility: one that is a powerful substitute for the current framework of meaning that is generating the downward spiral.”
Don’t go with the flow toward an idea or concept that’s spiraling downward to the abyss.
Come up with bold, visionary missions and ideas that stand confidently in the world.
Find the courage and boldness to stand with your ideas and to face the direction where you’d like to lead people.
Look at the magical powers you have. Become more conscious of the way you use words, and define new frameworks of possibilities. Stand out and advocate for your bold ideas. Bring out the part in your audience that is the most contributory, most free and most open to participation.
12. Telling the “we” story.
Can you move on from the story of “you and me” and “us and them,” and get to “we”?
Can you go from a place of division, conflict and hostility to a place of enthusiasm and togetherness? A place of friendship and cooperation?
The Zanders write, “The WE appears when, for the moment, we set aside the story of fear, competition, and struggle, and tell its story.”
Ask: “‘What do WE want to have happen here?’
‘What’s best for US?’ – all of each of us, and all of all of us.
What’s OUR next step?”
Permit the barriers that separate us to dissolve and act from a place where all of us benefit, together.
All of us can find solutions that work for everyone. This involves taking the individual “I’s” and meshing them into a powerful, collective “we.” This is something we can practice from any chair, on any day, in any room or any environment.
“The practice of the WE draws on all the other practices. And if you attune your ear, you will hear the voice of the We singing through each one of them in harmony.”
While I’ve tried to explain the many practices the book outlines, pick up a copy of The Art of Possibility to understand the examples and the reasoning behind each of the practices I’ve described.
If you’re ready to open your mind to new ways of thinking and to an abundance of possibilities that make all your dreams come true, this transformational book is a must read.
“Breakdowns create breakthroughs. Things fall apart so things can fall together.”—Unknown
You may think your life is over right now.
You want to hide or drown or fall into the ground. Slip away. Move to the forests far away and never to be seen again.
The tears have dried up because you’ve cried them all out of you.
You’re silent because you have no more to say.
And you’re experiencing a state of mindfulness NOT because you’ve become more mindful, but because you’re too numb to replay your thoughts in your mind.
You may be facing your life’s most horrific and tragic breakdown – your absolute worst point.
You f***d up at work and got fired.
You cheated and are now dealing with the breakup and impending divorce.
Your ex is trying to take your kids away from you.
You got caught in a business deal gone bad and are now facing a lawsuit.
The company you’ve poured your heart and soul into is going under and you can’t seem to stop the situation.
You lost all your money.
The love of your life dumped you. Your heart’s destroyed.
Your former business partner is suing you.
You can’t make the mortgage payment and might lose the house.
Your life savings has gone down the drain.
You got arrested and the local news is reporting all of your dirty laundry. You see yourself on television.
It’s over. Literally over.
There’s no hope. There’s no tomorrow. There are no better days ahead.
Why live another day?
I can’t say that I’ve been on your journey or know what you’re going through, but I’ve been in similar places in life.
Several times when I wanted to throw in the towel and felt that the tranquility of a coffin would surely beat the madness of the world I’m living in.
When I turned 17 and my entire immediate family left the country as I was finishing high school, I felt alone and abandoned. It wasn’t their fault, but I still felt like the world I had known no longer existed. A few months later I was in a new university and a new city where I didn’t know anyone. Add the stress of college and exams, plus the responsibilities of adulthood, and I was pretty much done.
It was one of the lowest points of my life.
Fast forward 10 years and I realized that what I had thought was my lowest point was anything but.
Divorce was 100 times worse. It shook my entire life to the core. It made me question my existence and wonder whether life was worth living at all.
The pain of breakup, my inability to deal with a traumatic change and the deep grief and sorrow that followed were too much to bear.
Yet I’m still here. And you’re still here.
And that’s why I feel like I need to tell you something. It’s not over. It’s never over.
You’re going to make it through this point in your life.
Your absolute worst point in life is not the end, but rather the beginning.
You’re going to survive this place and, let me tell you from personal experience, you’re going to come back stronger than ever.
When you’re down and out and feel like checking out, hold on.
Here are a few things to think about that will give you perspective on your situation:
1) The benefits of rock bottom – it can’t get any worse.
The best part about being at your life’s worst point is that it cannot, let me repeat, it cannot get any worse.
If you’re in the dumps, be happy in knowing that you cannot fall further back. You have no more back to go. Your money, finances, love, relationships may all seem in the pits. Can it get any worse?
No.
If you’re going to jail (and as a criminal defense lawyer, I had clients who did), the only option left is to come back out. You can’t go to jail again. (Well, you can, but hopefully you won’t.)
Moving on from jails, what if the press smears you, or your former business partner sues you? Can it get worse?
Most likely, no.
Your reputation is at rock bottom. It can only improve.
You’re dealing with the stress and burnout of a lawsuit – it can only get better. A settlement or verdict will arrive soon and you can start over.
When you’re at your worst, take some satisfaction in knowing that it can’t get worse.
(P.S. – Don’t make things any worse by asking yourself, “How can this get worse?” !?!)
2) You’ve done it before.
I’m not saying that you’ve been here before.
You may not have encountered a situation this deadly, but you’ve confronted setbacks, heartaches and disappointments in your life.
You were in bad places, but you came through. You made it out. You survived.
You’ve met every challenge the past presented.
You came out of darkness. You woke up from failure. You found a way.
You got another job. Started another career. Built a new business.
You found the courage to love again.
You forgave and let go.
You’ve been there; you’ve done it. You have the experience to overcome.
It wasn’t the end of the world before and it’s not the end of the world now.
3)Pressure will bring out your “A” game.
No better time exists than now to find out what you’re really made of.
Like the woman in the YouTube video at the beginning of this article, who came back from falling down to WIN the race, you’re going to do the same thing in your life.
This face-punching circumstance you’re going through will help you seek the answers, find the tools and develop the inner strength you need.
You will take your game up a notch.
You will do things you couldn’t do before.
When you’re sitting in a sinking boat, you’ll find a way to swim, to get a life vest or to call for help.
Moments of survival push us to get more creative, resourceful and effective.
You’ll stop procrastinating and lamenting, and instead become active.
Your greatest life challenge is your greatest invitation to take action.
The climactic scene in this movie is awaiting its hero: you.
4) Setting yourself up for success.
You may have trouble seeing this now, but meeting your current challenge will bring out better things in you throughout the days ahead.
To become successful or achieve your dreams or live your greatest life, you must get through the challenge at hand.
You must pass the test that life has given you.
Stay strong in this moment and take one step a day toward improving the situation. Sometimes the situation is so dire, all you can do is change your perspective for that day.
Viktor Frankl did so while surviving the Auschwitz concentration camp. He got through his time there by believing that those worst days of his life would pass, that when he came out he would recount his experiences to help others and that he would spread the message about how a person can find meaning under any condition, any circumstance.
Frankl spent the rest of his life sharing his message though his book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” through his writings and through his lectures.
A better day exists for you, too, and mastering today will help you prepare for that day when things are better.
The gift of struggle and surviving will one day positively affect your life.
Through the violent storms of losing a loved one or having your most prized things snatched away, you will realize how life has, in fact, handed you a gift.
Your challenging situation is only perfecting your mind, your heart and your perspective so that you can welcome better days with open arms. You’re preparing for a breakthrough in your life.
Life might be calling you toward a new line of work.
Life might be calling you to prepare for a new relationship.
Life might be preparing you for more responsibilities.
Life might be preparing you to share your story, write your book and be a guiding light to others in their places of struggle.
Your failures are setting you up for your success.
Your heartsong is setting you up for your greatest hit yet.
Your song does not end on a sad note.
5) Follow the light.
I’m not asking you to compare yourself to others. Instead, realize that others have flourished and succeeded from even worse places than where you currently sit.
Use their stories for inspiration.
Jim Carrey’s family was living out of a van as he drove around Canada performing standup comedy at clubs.
The singer Jewel was homeless and living out of her car before she wrote such hits as “Foolish Games” and “You Were Meant for Me.”
Steven Spielberg was rejected from the University of Southern California twice. Yes, twice. The last time I went to USC, I noticed that the school had named a building after him. He’s also one of the school’s trustees.
As you know, publishers rejected Stephen King’s first book 30 times. And Michael Jordan’s high school basketball coach cut him from the team.
J.K. Rowling was an unemployed single mother on welfare benefits before she wrote the Harry Potter series.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s divorce was what led her on a journey around the world and resulted in her bestseller, “Eat, Pray, Love.”
Barack Obama grew up in a single-parent household. Bill Clinton lost elections in Arkansas before ever running for president. Abraham Lincoln lost eight elections.
These are the stories of famous people you hear about all the time. Look around in your own life. What do you find?
Stories of struggle and challenge.
How your grandfather started from nothing and built a name for himself.
How your great-grandparents fled the old country to find success in America.
How people you know made comebacks from childhood problems, poverty, diseases, business failures and divorces.
They did it. You can do it.
They didn’t know that success lay ahead of them. They just believed in themselves. They took one day at a time, one step at a time.
As you go through your life’s critical hours, you’ll discover that things turn around.
You may not realize it and you may not feel it, but I’m asking you to believe it.
I’m asking you to remain hopeful that a turnaround is close by.
As Desmond Tutu has said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
You just have to stay the course and go through your journey: rebuilding, strategizing and taking things step by step.
Take it one day at a time. Stay encouraged that better days are ahead.
Stay faithful for a better tomorrow.
“If patience is worth anything, it must endure to the end of time. And a living faith will last in the midst of the blackest storm.”—Mahatma Gandhi.
Stay faithful that your situation will improve.
Stay positive and encouraged that your troubles will set with the sun and that your greatest days are about to rise.
The darkest hour, they say, is just before the dawn.
When pain, tears and the storms of life engulf you – that’s when you will see the way.
You will see that glimmer of hope.
You will see the shadows of possibilities and the promises of a new day.
Thank you for reading. Did you know that I now offer relationship and career coaching? If you’re interested in either, please check out my coaching pages here and here.
Can you start your day without a cup of Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino or Malaysian Boh tea?
Or make your vacation plans without talking to your personal psychic?
Exactly. Me neither.
If you can’t drink your favorite morning beverage or know what your astrological outlook is, how can you live your life?
Similarly, if you’re a blogger, how can you go it alone?
You can’t.
Fifty percent of blogging involves creating content that helps people. The other 50 percent involves relationships.
So who do I turn to when I need a morale boost, a dash of motivation, or a burst of creativity? Whose blogs helped me turn things around, rebuild my life, and become a better version of myself? Whose blogs do I read for career, coaching and living advice?
These 30 women.
Let me introduce you to 30 powerful voices online that are lanterns of hope, strength, and resilience. I am grateful to every one of them.
Inspirational Bloggers and Coaches
1. Amita Patel—If you’re ready to change your life from the inside out, you should check out Amita’s blog. There’s no better person from whom to learn about changing your life than someone who has done so herself. Do you have a high-pressure family? Check. Have you sought external sources of happiness? Check. Diagnosis? Check. Medication? Check. If you’re curious about how Amita went from being a victim to the hero of her own life, read her blog! Her straightforward, no-nonsense approach will help you change your life.
2. Angel Chernoff—Angel is one half of the Marc and Angel Hack Life blog, which provides practical advice to help others live up to their potential. Her blog is bursting with energy, inspiration, and useful tips on an almost daily basis. When not churning out blog posts that can literally change your life, Angel tweets, shares Facebook posts, and offers Instagram updates that boost the spirit. Her (and husband Mark’s) greatest inspiration and newest addition, baby Mac, makes their updates even more adorable. How long before “Marc and Angel and Mac dot com” comes into existence?
3. Balroop Singh writes the blog Emotional Shadows, and has a very unique voice on the blogosphere. She writes about emotional resilience, happiness, contentment, and more. Her blog is an instant pick-me-up and will always leave you feeling inspired. She offers not only inspiration, but also thought-provoking life questions that make one think. Are contentment and happiness the same thing? What shapes our personalities? What are the meanings behind words like “spirituality” and “happiness”?
4. Bhavana Nissima writes the socially conscious blog Earthwoman. An Indian blogger and writer, Bhavana offers wisdom and advocacy that shines through even her short tweets and Facebook posts. She regularly blogs about women’s empowerment, religion, sexual identity and freedom, relationships, the caste system, and more. Bhavana uses the written word to be a champion not only for women in India, but for women everywhere. Her writings will be discovered around the world before long, and her voice will become a roaring call for women’s equality in India.
5. Caroline Leon transformed her life. Now she chronicles her journey and provides information about how you, as well, can live a limitless life. Via her blog, she writes and coaches about such issues as overcoming fear, loving oneself more, and going after one’s dreams. Caroline’s blog is raw, honest, and vulnerable. Reading her blog will encourage you to go within, to become more aware of the life that you’re living, and to start making improvements.
6. Celestine Chua—I met Celes recently in Singapore and found her to be as inspiring in person as she is online. She’s the founder of the Personal Excellence Blog, and is also a coach, speaker, and media personality. The advice on her blog about relationships, productivity, and purpose is both practical and helpful. Celes openly shares her life experiences and struggles; in so doing, she inspires a global audience to pursue personal excellence. Whenever I read her blog, I feel motivated to do more and to achieve my dreams.
7. Corrine Rodriguez is a Mumbai-based blogger, writer, and motivator who helms the Everyday Gyaan blog. She regularly takes her readers through journeys of gratitude, happiness, and creativity. Corinne uses her life as an example of how to live, how to improve, and how to become a better person. One of her blog’s highlights is the fact that it’s socially conscious and regularly takes on difficult subjects so that they’re brought to light.
8. Debbie Hampton is a survivor of life. Despite decades of depression, a suicide attempt, and an ensuing brain injury, Debbie kept going and stayed strong. At her absolute lowest point in life, after losing her brother and facing the end of her marriage, Debbie found herself in a coma after swallowing 90 pills. From this low point, Debbie decided that she would no longer live in such a manner. Slowly, she recovered and started making radical changes. With the help of various therapies, yoga, meditation, and a keen desire to understand the brain, Debbie made a remarkable comeback. She now dedicates her writing and her blog, The Best Brain Possible, to helping others understand and improve their own brains, focusing on behaviors, emotions, and thoughts.
9. Elle Sommers writes a blog called Reflecting a Life, where she dishes out actionable tips for abundant living. Whatever your dream is, and even if you don’t have one yet, Elle’s blog will help you discover and pursue it, enhancing your life in the process. Whether you are dealing with change, need some encouragement, or are trying to get motivated, you’ll enjoy reading Elle’s blog. It radiates with love, positivity, and abundance.
10. Lilou Mace—Lilou inspired me to quit my job, co-create, start my blog, and live a more conscious life. I’m so grateful for her web-interview series, through which she’s introduced me to leading spiritual thinkers and modern-day philosophers. This series, seen by millions of people, not only motivates viewers, but also teaches them to be better people. Lilou is a reminder that you can do anything you want and that you should go after your dreams. We are watching her online now, but she’ll be hosting the Lilou Mace Television Show before we know it.
11. Lori Gosselin is the blogger behind Life, for Instance. Think of her blog as a porch where you gather to discuss life. How do we deal with failure, overwhelm, despair, and fear? How do we laugh, stay inspired and hopeful, and find happiness in our lives? Lori shows up for coffee in the morning and is usually available throughout the day to check in with her regular customers. A couple years back, Lori lost her 23-year-old son in an accident. Despite this unimaginable life event, Lori got back to writing and blogging. She openly speaks about the loss of her son. Behind every word she writes, I see the soul of one of the most resilient people I know.
12. Luminita Saviuc is the creator of the lighthouse of the Internet, Purpose Fairy. A survivor of life and of a turbulent childhood, Luminita has taken all of her struggles and turned them into one of the Internet’s most illuminating places. If you’re dealing with trauma, pain, heartbreak, or life-crippling circumstances, find your way home by reading Luminita’s writings. Her personal examples and words of wisdom can be both healing and transformational. Her talk at the Mindvalley Awesomenessfest offered one of the most courageous personal stories I’ve ever heard. Look for Luminita on her blog, but also look for her sitting next to Oprah before too long.
13. Swapna Raghu Sanand writes and blogs via Petals from the Heart, where she is extremely honest and open about her personal struggles and challenges. She blogs about how to be a better person, as well as a more resilient and spiritual one. A talented wordsmith, she uses a toolbox of words to tell stories, make us think, make us cry and inspire us. Swapna mixes up her inspirational posts with posts containing book reviews, movie reviews, and tales of motherhood. While she writes book reviews for a global audience, I can’t wait for the day when she shares with us excerpts from the book that she’s going to write herself.
14. Varonica Frye teaches people to hug their fears and go after their dreams. Instead of trying to become fearless, Varonica shows you, through her appropriately titled blog, Hug Your Fear, to live with fear, work through fear, and take action despite your fear. Her courageous blog offers personal examples: how she quit her job, reconnected with her father, reached out to people around the world, and more. I enjoy reading her blog because she regularly introduces us to folks around the world who are facing their fears and taking big actions in pursuit of their dreams. After reading Varonica, you’ll start feeling braver and, eventually, unstoppable.
15. Vidya Sury is a freelance writer, blogger, and author. She shares how-to advice, health tips, inspiring daily reflections about her family, and photos from around Bangalore, where she lives. Vidya is the epitome of inspiration. Each of her posts will bring a smile to your face. If you’re going to a coffee shop, there is no better companion to pull up on your iPad than Vidya. No matter what’s going on in her life, Vidya shows us how she gets through it. In the process, she helps us face our own struggles and life challenges.
16. Zeenat Merchant Syal is a psychological counselor, holistic healer, and writer at Positive Provocations. She’s a spiritual soul who fosters kindness, compassion, and love with every utterance on her blog. If you’re healing from past hurts and pain, and feeling hopeless, visit this online oasis of positivity. When you read Zeenat or follow her on social media, you’ll feel the love! If you’re feeling stuck in life and need a transformation, this is the blog for you.
Career
17. Barrie Davenport—Barrie is a certified life passion coach who helps people find their passions so that they can live their best lives. If you don’t believe you have a life passion, or you’re not sure what yours is, check out Barrie’s blog. In addition to helping people find their way in life, Barrie teaches them to build up their confidence and create good habits that stick.
18. Farnoosh Brock—Since I’m writing only briefly about each woman here, I’ll have to try to limit all the good things that I can say about Farnoosh Brock of Prolific Living. I had the pleasure of meeting Farnoosh in Southern California at (where else?) a green juice café. 🙂 Farnoosh left her corporate job to write and coach others to live their truth. In addition to providing information about living a prolific life, Farnoosh can help you get ahead in your job, quit your job, or determine which job is right for you. Farnoosh is one of the most down-to-earth, friendly, and helpful people you’ll ever meet.
19. Jenny Foss—Jenny Foss is the best friend and coach you need when you’re looking for work, updating your resume, or learning the ins and outs of LinkedIn. She has a true gift for taking job hunting principles and serving them up, through her blog, Job Jenny, in the form of practical, lively, and often funny nuggets of wisdom. So many boring and unhelpful career advice blogs are out there; this is not one of them. If career advice puts you to sleep and you had resigned yourself to staying in your job for the next 50 years, you need Job Jenny on your side. You can either hate your boss, or work with Job Jenny and navigate your career like a boss. Her resume and cover letter kits, like her, are ridiculously awesome!
Business
20. Janet Brent—Janet Brent is a friend; I really do need to meet her, since we chat just about every day, and we’re not that far away from each other geographically. (Of course, she’s never in the U.S., but globe hopping most of the time.) Janet decided to quit the life that she had and live a bigger life, which includes world travel and her own freelancing business. She read all those blogs about becoming a suitcase entrepreneur and actually did it. A graphic artist and freelance designer, Janet helps people create visually appealing e-book layouts and market their e-books. She’s a designer with plenty of heart, wisdom, and courage.
21. Razwana Wahid—Razwana Wahid is a bartender of words and wisdom. That’s a funny way to describe a friend who I turn to for most blogging, coaching, and life questions. If you have an online business and need to stand out, read Razwana’s blog for tagline advice, copywriting tips, and branding help. She doesn’t do “same old” or clichéd; everything she writes is unique and persuasive, and just might make you fall on the floor laughing. It’s also filled with practicality and truth. If you need your online business to reflect how awesome you are and, more importantly, to deliver results, you need Razwana on your writing team.
Wisdom
22. Julie Barrett—Julie reminds you that you’re an intuitive with your own spiritual team. Her spiritual blog offers glimpses into her life story. If you want to better understand yourself and the intuitive voices that guide you, check out Julie’s blog. It’s a great place for self-reflection, learning, and wisdom about how to contact your spirit-guides to live your soul’s purpose. Julie is a great story-teller and has the funniest anecdotes on life (based on her own life)!
23. Lori Deschene—I love Tiny Buddha; I also love Lori Deschene, who runs Tiny Buddha! Lori has created a global community of people who share with and learn from each other. Experience is the best teacher, and every day, on Tiny Buddha, regular people from around the world share their life experiences. Lori is proof that one person can affect and change so many people’s lives. The community that she’s created is a light of hope for many. I’ve acquired so much life wisdom from the Tiny Buddha community, and immeasurably more from Lori, about how to be a compassionate, caring, and generous person.
24. Martha Orlando is a blogger and author of the Glade series of books. She is a prolific writer who simultaneously churns out regular blog posts and novels. Her devotional blog is one of my favorites. She weaves in her observations, personal life events, and devotional stories to inspire each of us to seek the truth. She packs a church sermon and prayer into every one of her posts. If you’re looking for more peace or grace in your life, get your weekly blessings at Martha’s blog.
25. Melissa Tandoc is a former Catholic nun who returned to her worldly life after a decade or so in the order. She’s a friend who inspires in her own quiet and unassuming way via the Ahuv Sheli blog. Steeped in faith, her writings urge us to seek the divine within. Sometimes she writes in parables, and sometimes she writes with poetry, but she always speaks with divine truth. She’s motivated me to live a more purpose-driven and inward-seeking life.
26. Sandra Pawula is a wise teacher who invites her audience to go within, to be more mindful, and to find personal happiness. A visit to her blog will inspire you to slow down and live a softer, gentler life. She makes us think about what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and how to be more mindful about it. In a world that embraces a fast-paced lifestyle and mindless living, Sandra’s blog is for anyone who wants to go against that norm. If happiness, peace, and inner fulfillment matter to you, sit on Sandra’s porch and take notes. (I don’t mean show up at her house and literally sit on her porch; I mean, visit her blog, Always Well Within.)
Parenting and Home
27. Alex Simpson—Alex is the creative, better (lol), and blogger half of the Rolex couple. She (Alex) and her then-fiancé (Rod) created the celebrity nickname “Ro Lex” or “Rolex” and turned it into a blog after the two met and fell in love. They married and their story became sweeter with the introduction of baby Henry. For plenty of northern California travel photos, how-to tips on raising kids, and ADORABLE baby pics, check out Alex’s blog. Alex (and Rod) are two of the handful of people in the blogosphere whom I’ve met in person. We were friends before our blogs began. I was at their wedding and personally met baby Henry. This blog is one of my favorites.
28. Cathy Taughinbaugh is the writer and coach behind Treatment Talk. Her blog is the go-to place for parents dealing with children who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. She regularly blogs about how to cope with having an addicted child and how to support the child without experiencing the guilt and shame that typically accompanies such a situation. This blog is an essential resource for any parent dealing with the unimaginable. Cathy provides resources, encouragement, guidance, and coaching. I read her blog religiously because it helps people start over and deal with life’s serious problems. It also teaches us how to experience more joy in our lives.
29. Jody Lamb—Imagine that you’re a kid with a parent addicted to drugs or alcohol. To whom would you turn for solace and guidance? Jody Lamb. Jody’s mission in life is to be there for these kids, through her blog, her bookEaster Ann Peters, Operation Cool, her talks at schools, and her advocacy. Jody grew up as a child surrounded by alcoholism; however, she has taken that challenging experience and used it as the basis of her efforts to help children cope with similar situations. She not only survived a childhood with alcoholic parents, but has faced other adversity as well. Somehow, she’s been able to roll with it, write fiction about it, and be the voice for countless kids who might not have anywhere else to turn.
30. Wendy Irene—Wendy blogs at Give Love Create Happiness. If Oprah, Martha Stewart, Giada De Laurentiis, and Ina Garten started a blog together, it would look a lot like Wendy’s. In addition to offering delicious vegan recipes and seasonal creative projects, Wendy shares guided meditations that she’s filmed and placed on YouTube to help moms (and all of us) find inner peace. Her gift is to transform healthy eating, meditation, and even household creative projects into things that anyone can do. I can’t wait for Wendy’s blog to become a magazine or television show. 🙂
Check these blogs out and change your life. If you could do me a quick favor and share this with the people you love via Twitter or Facebook, I’d appreciate it!
I help people overcome their devastating breakups and divorces and find love again. Instead of visiting the Himalayas, sign up below and join me. I am taking a writing break but will be back soon.
This guide is free. A ticket to the Himalayas is $2000. Your move.
