Some days are harder. Waking up is harder, moving out is harder, pushing yourself to go to a job you may not love is harder. The word harder carries weight—it signals struggle, effort, and resistance. Philosophers often argue that difficulty is a state of mind, shaped by perception. While this perspective is not wrong, it raises an important question: is the feeling of harder itself wrong? The sensation of difficulty is not wrong—it is real. It reflects energy levels, motivat

Life often feels like a coin held between two fingers — one side polished for the demands of work, the other worn smooth by the rhythms of home and personal existence. Each side carries its own expectations, its own language, its own posture. Yet beneath both lies the same core, the same nervous system stretched thin, the same heart trying to keep pace. Balancing for a moment is manageable, even graceful. But balancing endlessly, day after day, is a different kind of strain.

I’ve heard many people — clients, friends, colleagues — speak about their desire to be a poster child. When I ask what that means, the answers are familiar: I wanted to make my parents proud. I set these aspirations for myself. But when I press further — where did these aspirations originate? — often there is silence, sometimes even a tear. And I remind them gently: it’s okay. The modern meaning of “poster child” is someone seen as the perfect example of a quality, condition,

Recently, I had a conversation with my husband that sparked a moment of clarity for me. I had been feeling all over the place, unsure of...