“I avoid looking down at my body, not so much because it’s shameful or immodest but because I don’t want to see it.

I don’t want to look at something that determines me so completely.”

― Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale

I am a second-class citizen.

I struggled while watching “The Handmaid’s Tale” because I knew, first-hand, that the heavy shame and ideologies presented in this fictional account exist.

Initially, I thought that the feeling of shame had sprouted within me when I got my period at 11.

But, looking back, I realized that shame was ingrained deeply within the…

Did you know that depression and anxiety cost the global economy US $1 trillion in lost productivity annually?

And, when we tackle the issue of mental health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has found that we can solve the problem:

“For every US $1 put into scaled up treatment for common mental disorders, there is a return of US $4 in improved health and productivity.”

We’re taught so many dates, facts, and useless information throughout our school years.

Very rarely are we told how to care for our psychological well-being. …

“Everyone shines, given the right lighting.” ― Susan Cain

Did you know that up to 56.8% of the global population is introverted? However, although introversion seems to be a much more common trait than most would guess, at least according to data collected by Myers-Briggs, extroversion is still much more highly valued in our culture.

According to Susan Cain, “Introverts are routinely passed over for leadership positions,” as it is assumed extroverted people are better leaders.

In my experience, people rarely have much to say about extroverts and so much to comment on about introverts.

Throughout our childhoods, parents and…

Becoming self-aware has taken me years of trial and error.

There was a time when I did things without realizing, never stopping to think about why I was doing something or thinking a certain thought.

It wasn’t until a health scare that I noticed my lack of self-awareness.

I hadn’t noticed the signs, how stressed and overworked I was until I struggled to breathe for an entire week, feeling like death was near.

What is self-awareness?

Self-awareness is knowing and understanding yourself, being in tune with your thoughts and feelings.

Someone who is self-aware can look at themselves objectively, understanding how to navigate…

This reminded me of a practice Jack Canfield mentioned in his Super Soul Sunday conversation with Oprah a few years ago.

He looks in the mirror at least once a day and says "I love you" to himself. At first, I found this a bit silly, but I understood what he meant when I tried to do it and struggled. I couldn't be compassionate towards myself!

We're gentle with others and find it easy to tell a partner we love them, but are so cruel to ourselves.

I'm still working on self-compassion, but I think a sign of success in this area could be the ability to say you love yourself without rolling your eyes.

Great piece and tips. Thanks for sharing!

I love that you were aware of this! No matter where you go or how far you are from home, you're still you. Your worries, fears, and insecurities will always be with you.

I think many of us (including myself) fall into the trap of thinking that leaving where we are physically will somehow mend our emotional and mental wounds.

Over the last few years, I've found that it is possible to be happy exactly where you are if you're willing to do the work and face what is troubling you. Running away just isn't the solution.

On the other hand, traveling is a beautiful way to get a different perspective and can show you what you need to do to heal yourself. It's clear your adventure inspired and helped you reconnect with yourself.

This was such a beautiful read, Begüm! Thank you for sharing!

I've felt this way so many times throughout my life. In fact, I'm starting to feel it this month, so I'm also scheduling time off to just breathe and think through my next steps!

When you have so many ideas and things that you want to accomplish, it can be so hard to focus. I'm also working on becoming less of a dabbler and seeing the one or two things I want through, rather than taking on a million projects I'll never complete!

I resonated with SO many points in this piece. Definitely going to read the book!

Thanks for sharing, Emily!

Exactly what I've been doing my best to master over the last few years! Curbing the wallowing and reminiscing (it's fine once in a while of course, but troublesome when it's a daily habit), focusing instead on making better choices going forward.

Admittedly, embracing the present without wishing that it was different or better in some way can be quite difficult. It's just so much easier to dream about the past or the future rather than face what's right in front of you.

However, when you're at least aware of the issue, you can do your best to make it better.

Great piece! Thanks for sharing!