What if your Dig Deep button broke?

shovel digging a hole

I know I’m not the only one who seems to get around to solitude, creativity, and recharging only after all the “serious work” is done (i.e., never, in some cases). What if you broke your Dig Deep button and put coming alive first?

Celebrating an Ecstatic Goodbye + 50% off Beyond Fear

happy couple waves goodbye out the back window of an old car

It’s a year ago today that I gathered the last few things out of my office, took my name plate off the door, and walked out for the last time–a free woman. Here’s the secret most people won’t tell you: exciting = terrifying + awesome.

On quitting my job and freedom

Freedom

I sat at my beige desk, surrounded by beige walls and beige bookcases. The ceiling vent inexorably blew cold air on my neck, as it had every day for four years. I felt the beginnings of my daily boredom headache taking root as the afternoon stretched on, snagged and stuck on the eternal 2:33 pm.

Creativity, passion, fire–the mysterious ways of The Pull

"I am drawn to fire."

Sometimes, you’re so fired up, your energy feels like a big glistening color-filled bubble in your chest, pulling you irresistibly toward creativity and success. But then there are the other times. If you’ve experienced The Pull, and then experienced the lack of it, you know what a slog it can be to try to work when it’s gone. So, what can you do?

Are you highly sensitive?

a line drawing of an anxious brain, representing the way highly sensitive people feel in many situations

I used to think something was wrong with me. I need to eat frequently or I get grumpy, then stupid. Shrill noises give me a headache. I can’t think when there’s too much going on or if there’s a loud environment. A scratchy tag in my shirt can ruin my whole day. If someone makes a careless remark, it can bother me for days afterward. Sound familiar?

On cubicles, a death wish, and how I bought back my life

A car speeding toward you--the first step to overcoming fear?

I stood frozen, watching the car speed toward me. It was a deer-in-the-headlights moment: I knew I had to get out of the way, but there I stood, rooted to the spot as the car got closer.