Being able to share a difficult personal story can be an incredibly freeing experience. The question is: What setting is best—one-on-one with a professional counselor or with a group of peers experiencing a comparable struggle? Sharing a personal story in a counseling setting is seldom easy. In fact, the act of sharing can feel anywhere from uncomfortable to unbearable. When presented with the...
As a lover of productivity, I can be lured by the siren song of self-help books written to solve my every problem. Their promises of an organized life in three simple steps and renewed joy from a change in wall color pull at the fabric of my lazy little heart. Three simple steps sound cushier than a long process of sanctification, and (I’m sad to admit) reading advice from an unknown author...
When you hear the word “hero,” who comes to mind? It could be Black Panther with his intelligence, ingenuity, strength, and leadership. Or Batman with his gadgets, Harriet Tubman with her courage, strategy, and love, or perhaps you may think about a relative like your mom or dad. Whatever the case, heroes have a way of impacting and influencing us in so many ways. But what if there were heroes...
Watching my children hurt is one of the hardest things for me as a parent. There are moments where I am completely powerless to take their pain away. I can still recount many of them. My son has an undiagnosed neuromuscular disease, which has meant many scary and painful medical tests. My daughter has a benign rapid heartbeat condition, which is frightening when it kicks in at 200 BPM. Her eyes...
Have you ever walked up to a Coke machine only to find Pepsi products, bottled water, or Gatorade? What is going on when this happens? No one would drive up to a Chevrolet car dealership and call it a Ford lot. But we do that with Coke machines. Why? Regardless of the type or brand of beverage in the vending machine, it is commonly called a Coke machine. Culturally, the brand become so strongly...
