Being happy should be one of the simplest things in the world. You do the things you love with people whose company feels like a warm hug, and you savor each moment like it’s your last. Well, easier said than done. Despite spending much of my time studying the psyche of the human mind, IContinue reading “No New Friends, Daily Routines, and Other Barriers to Joy”
Category Archives: Self Help
Studying Abroad: Field Notes on Learning and Living
Traveling is, and always will be, the best gift I have ever received. I see it that way — as a gift — because each new place I visit imparts a secret that only it and I share. Each adventure brings unique experiences, customs, and perspectives I otherwise would never have considered. I come homeContinue reading “Studying Abroad: Field Notes on Learning and Living”
Identity Death
While not a formal diagnostic term, identity death draws on psychological theories of identity disruption and transition (Erikson, 1959; Breakwell, 1986), often describing the internal collapse of a once-stable self-concept in response to significant life changes. Has anyone ever asked you what the meaning of life is? It’s one of those questions we tend toContinue reading “Identity Death”
Will You Be My Valentine?
This semester, I’m taking a course required by my university’s curriculum called What’s Love Got to Do With It? At UF, this class is highly sought after, with students of all ages vying for a spot in discussions about relationships, sex, and, of course, love. During our last class, we gathered around, feeling the tinge of loveContinue reading “Will You Be My Valentine?”
The Birth of Very Berry Pai
During my first week of college, I threw myself into every opportunity to meet new faces and connect with different voices. One, in particular, stood out to me as pivotal in my journey toward self-discovery: “Hey, you’re Very Berry Pai, right?”—a simple phrase that shifted my perspective and, perhaps even more dramatically, the course ofContinue reading “The Birth of Very Berry Pai”
Lifting – What I Wish I Knew
When I first started strength training, I had a feeling it would become a lifelong hobby of mine. Although I was in the minority of women leaving the cardio section behind, I quickly realized that weight lifting was the one type of movement I looked forward to each day and a form of progress IContinue reading “Lifting – What I Wish I Knew”
I Regret to Inform You…
Dear Reader, I regret to inform you that this may not be the last time you read those words. Reflecting on all the times I have faced rejection takes me no more than five minutes. I can count the major rejections I’ve experienced on one hand, and honestly, even those never stung for more thanContinue reading “I Regret to Inform You…”
I’m Changing (and I Love It): Welcome to Season 3
I’ve always seen my life as a succession of seasons, each teaching me something new and bringing the right people into my life at the right time. Typing these posts on my laptop, I feel like Carrie Bradshaw. I love romanticizing my life by turning each minute occurrence into a profound lesson, aiming to giveContinue reading “I’m Changing (and I Love It): Welcome to Season 3”
Learning and Re-Learning: What the Last Year Has Taught Me
Upon entering a new phase of life, I believed I had already learned the majority of lessons I needed to, or at least enough to build a strong moral compass that could guide me through every curveball the next year could throw at me. Growing up with a strong family foundation, I learned early onContinue reading “Learning and Re-Learning: What the Last Year Has Taught Me”
WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD
I wish I could write the way I used to; obsessively, ravenously, writing myself into holes I could only write to get out of. I would write to escape my own reality, but also to face the words I was scared to say aloud. I miss having a space that was only mine, where IContinue reading “WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD”
chocolate and politics 