One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is the freedom to be okay with someone not liking you—or even being mad at you. For years, I struggled with the fear of what others thought and how I made them feel. It was an all-consuming and, ultimately, pointless endeavor.

There’s nothing wrong with big emotions—they’re a vital part of the human experience. It’s important to feel them, though it’s not always in your or others' best interest to express them immediately.

Every time I find myself in an obsessive pattern of bettering myself, I am quite literally the most miserable version of myself.

Ask yourself, what are you practicing? Does it make the going tougher than it needs to be? Good news, you make the rules.

Last Monday, I found myself facing an excruciating decision, one that no dog owner ever wants to make. It was the day we had to say goodbye to our sweet boy, Blaze. At just one and a half years old, he was the epitome of the goodest boy, bringing boundless joy and love into our lives.

As humans, we often fall prey to what I like to call "someday syndrome." It's this idea that right now isn't good enough, and that someday, things will magically fall into place.

There are times when I was feeling guilty for hitting the pause. However, I've come to realize that this is the part I don't want to miss. This is when the real magic happens.