My anxiety and depression diagnoses serve a valuable purpose. — In 2014, I was in a dark place in my life. I blamed my anxiety and depression on the “quarter-life crisis.” But really, that was just my attempt to wish away my mood disorders. …

When hope dims, affirmations rekindle the flame. Here are my six favorite affirmations. Exerting effort at anything and not seeing positive results can be discouraging, I learned this after job rejections, friendship losses, breakups, poor grades, and failure to meet personal goals. Perhaps you’ve had some of these experiences, too. …

Although mental health stigma has declined over the last year, it is still a major issue. Here are some ideas on how to recognize and reduce it. Mental health stigma affects how we perceive psychiatric disorders. It also affects self-esteem and progress in mental health treatment. …

Last week, Diana C. posted several writing prompts. One of her prompts was for writers to write a pep talk to themselves. In this article, I am going to share pep talks specifically for my readers in various situations. A Pep Talk Before an Interview I know that interviews can be scary. It can be easy…

A personal story about dreams, passions, plans, and life’s journey — As children, we are told that we can be whatever we want to be. Children’s shows and movies send the message to “Go for your dreams! You can do anything if you just believe in yourself!” As a young child, I watched Sesame Street and Barney every day. So I…

A Writing Prompt Response — Every week, Ravyne Hawke posts writing prompts for the publication called Promptly Written. This week, one of her prompt ideas was to write about mundanity. Here is my response. Sometimes clouds in the sky reveal interesting shapes, like rubies, dragons, unicorns, and magical beings from your dreams. Some days, ocean…

If you read my recent poetry, you’ll notice that the double-etheree is my favorite format! I’m trying to write poems more quickly while conveying clear messages. This poem was written in about ten minutes. Dwell Regress Ruminate Stuck in the past Scared of the future Hopelessness and sadness breed anger and resentment. Wounds swell and become infected. Gasoline…

A double-etheree poem to help you wake up — Waking up early in the morning is difficult to do. I feel like the winter makes it even harder. Luckily, writing has been a huge motivator for me. Here is a poem I was inspired to write this morning. Dawn Morning 8 a.m. After sunrise Embrace the silence before a hectic day. Then drink coffee or…

Song lyrics by some of my favorite Christian artists — Early this morning, I felt like I wasted my time writing a story for a scammer. There I was, praising God for this opportunity that turned out to be fake. What a disappointment. For a few minutes, it was easy to blame God for opening a door that seemed to…