Beginning Again: When Life Puts You Back at the Starting Line

I don’t know about you, dear reader, but this has been one hell of a year. It feels like life keeps pushing me back to the starting line of life. I started my running habit up again in October, but a family emergency left my running shoes dusty for most of December. I tried to

Becoming the Main Character of Your Life

How does someone become the main character of their own life? I know that this probably seems like a crazy question to someone with a strong sense of self, someone who feels sure of themselves and the things that they want out of their life. If you already are living your best Main Character life,

On Avoiding Therapy Homework

I am writing this blog post because I am actively avoiding doing my therapy homework. This homework is to write an aspirational obituary. What would I like my life to look like when I and my loved ones have the opportunity to look back on it? What kind of woman do I want to be?

How to Change Your Life With Words: Why Affirmations and Self-Talk is Important

If you are reading this blog, you probably already know the power of words in our daily lives. You are a reader. You are a writer or a creative. Words can change the way music sounds in our ears. They can invoke memories or visceral feelings. Affirmations, also known as mantras, can help change the

Bad Brain Days

Everyone has Bad Brain Days, but maybe you haven’t been able to label them yet. They sneak up on you, shimmering in the corners of your vision. They are when everything feels miscalibrated, off-center by a half inch. Bad Brain Days are when your skin might feel a little tight on your bones, you are

Visions for 2021: AIM HIGH

I know that it feels a bit like we are jinxing this year by making plans. I know plenty of us have half empty 2020 planners after the total wrenches that the past year has sent into our lives. But, I feel like failing to make plans or even hopes for 2021 means that we

Juggling All The Things

There was a Twitter thread that a friend pointed out to me a few days ago. Apparently, Nora Ephron was speaking about how we’re all keeping a bunch of balls in the air at one time. We’re going to drop a few things but we should make sure that it’s a plastic ball (one that

The Freedom of a New Name

I don’t want to alarm anyone, but Gwen Gavin is not my real name. Why do I write under a pen name, you might be asking yourself. (I don’t know why I’m making assumptions about your internal dialogue, but here we are. I’m obviously projecting a little bit here.) Pen names have been used for