Making Adjustments

Life has a way of throwing curveballs—sometimes they’re just unexpected, and sometimes, they feel like catastrophic meteor strikes. These are the moments that stop us in our tracks: the sudden job loss, the shocking diagnosis, the natural disaster. They are moments of trauma, of deep disruption where we have no control  over the event itself. It’s human nature to look back at these awful events and try to find a silver lining. But what if the "silver lining" isn't some grand

My 29th birthday arrived in December 2001, right after the world had irrevocably changed. My husband and I were visiting my brother in Marrakesh, Morocco , and as a special gift—a combined effort from my brother and husband—I was given a spa package at a beautiful local retreat. The timing felt significant: I was newly pregnant  with my first child, a little off-balance, and still navigating a world that felt scary and uncertain right after 9/11. I desperately needed a dose o

In a world saturated with highlight reels and carefully curated successes, the pressure to be perfect is more insidious than ever. From social media to the boardroom, we're bombarded with the message that anything less than flawless is a failure. "Get it right the first time." "Don't make mistakes." "Be the best." These mantras, while seemingly innocuous, often fuel a dangerous beast: perfectionism. Perfectionism isn't just about striving for excellence; it's a relentless, of

I recently heard a Christian comedian  share a joke that really stopped me in my tracks. They talked about seeing a homeless man wearing a pair of Hoka tennis shoes —you know, those super expensive, cushiony ones—and the immediate, almost involuntary thought that popped into their head was, "Well, he must not be that bad off, then." That joke is so telling because it exposes one of the biggest, most awkward flaws we all have: We make massive, life-altering assumptions about p

We all stand on a trapeze. It might be the comfortable familiarity of our current job, the security of a long-held belief, or the well-worn path of our daily routine. This first trapeze feels safe, predictable, and within our grasp. But across the vast, open space, another trapeze swings, beckoning us. It represents a new goal, a desired transformation, a more fulfilling version of ourselves. And to reach it, we must do the unthinkable: let go. The gap between the two trapeze

Oluanpi The memory is as vivid as the salt on my lips. It smells of sun-warmed sand and tastes of the familiar, salty tang of a beach in Oluanpi, located on the southernmost part of the island of Taiwan. Oluanpi, in many ways, was my backyard growing up on the island. Every chance I got, I’d make the trip to the coast, drawn by the vibrant blue that stretched to the horizon. There was one particular swimming spot I loved—a stretch of water where the waves seemed to hug the sh

Introduction: The Weight of Disagreement Take a moment to reflect on your daily interactions, online and off. Do you feel a heightened sense of tension in the air? It’s a question many of us are asking, whether we’re scrolling through social media, watching the news, or even gathering with family. The United States, it seems, is currently a crucible of strong opinions – on politics, religion, social issues and even the everyday choices we make. This isn’t just background nois

We’ve all heard the wisdom of the anchor: the idea that to be stable, you must be held firmly in place. We're told to "drop anchor" in a job, a relationship, or a rigid plan. The anchor promises security  and steadfastness . But what if the very thing meant to secure us is actually the thing that's weighing us down? It’s time to trade the heavy, restricting anchor for something much more vital and buoyant: the life flotation device . The Weight of the Anchor Imagine trying to