As a victim advocate, I learned that much of our pain is avoidable. I’m not talking about the kind of pain that simply comes with living life, like breakups, job losses, and death from natural causes. There is no avoiding that. You cannot live a full, meaningful life without experiencing some pain along the way. The avoidable pain I’m talking about is the pain from enduring an abusive relationship that leaves you clinging for your dear life or the attempted murder of the spir

Even positive events can lose their shine under too much pressure.

Goals come in all sizes. Your goal is simply what you want to accomplish. It might be longterm, like pursuing a Ph.D. or short-term, like deciding if a current relationship is healthy and safe. The key is that the goal is yours.

Trusting your gut does not mean abandoning logic and reason.