When I accept painful realities, I open the door to healing. — Up until two years ago, I didn’t realize how intensely my childhood influenced my adult life. The quality of our relationships with our parents is crucial. I learned how to cope in dysfunctional environments. That mostly meant prioritizing other peoples’ feelings and needs, while suppressing my own. Discovering emotionally immature…

And I’m taking a break from publishing this month. — Dear reader — I feel compelled to share my processing with you because you deserve to be in the loop. You signed up to receive notifications about my writing, and now I’m taking a pause from publishing to check in with myself. (I highly encourage regular pauses.) Sharing my immense…

As a freed American woman, here’s what I know about body love. — So last week, I got pretty physical with this guy I’d been crushing on. It felt sweet, safe, and honest, and… my legs were clearly hairy: long, dark hairs up my thighs. Somehow I still felt like a beautiful sex goddess. I even gave him ongoing directions about what I…

Expand what excites you while releasing unhelpful social conditioning. — Two years ago, I said my final goodbyes to coworkers at Facebook. I was burning out and began questioning my entire career with technology. My boss had wanted to promote me, and my friends and family would probably never understand my decision to leave. But I’ve made a habit of…

As a creative person, removing distractions feels essential. — Before owning a smartphone, I discovered and dove headfirst into a minimalism journey. In a small college dorm, I got overwhelmed by all my clothes and physical possessions and began the process of letting go. As I became intentional with my things, I realized I could apply minimalism concepts to…

I’m trading patriarchal conditioning for self-acceptance. — At 11 years old, I started shaving my legs and armpits. Though I noticed grown women had smooth legs, I grew determined to start shaving when my adult uncle said: “Eww, women don’t have hairy legs. That’s gross. When are you going to start shaving?” I’ve received and witnessed body…

The pros of deleting my accounts seem to outweigh the cons. — I started using social media early on. At 14 years old, my best friend and I sat in my parent’s basement setting up Myspace accounts. I absorbed various social rules, like how to select your “top friends”: boyfriend first, then your best girlfriend — right? At 28 years old, I’m…

In our “attention economy,” we need a plan for using tech tools –without them using us. — Growing up, I got my first flip phone at 15 years old. My smartphone and laptop weren’t part of my life until after college. Since then, these two devices have opened up a world of possibilities to create, connect, and find entertainment. In the last few years, I’ve experienced urgency…

Over an eight-year simplicity journey, here are my favorite finance approaches. — In the past ten years, I’ve had financial roller coasters: earning well over six figures and also a waitress salary. Along the way, I’m proud of walking away from jobs and relationships that weren’t supporting me. Making choices based on inner fulfillment continues to bring greater freedom. Being curious and…