“Chance made us colleagues. Fun and laughter made us friends.” ~Unknown  A year into my new job, I realized that the hardest part wasn’t the complexity of the work—it was the culture. The office felt like a maze of silos, each person isolated in their corner. The hierarchy was more than just a structure—it was something everyone was constantly reminded of. I was used to navigating high-pressure, competitive environments, but this one was different. As a woman in STEM, I had learned early on to keep my personal life separate from my work life. This boundary helped me maintain control ..read more

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~Rumi In 2011, my world shattered. My mother passed away, and with her, the fragile scaffolding that held my life together. It wasn’t just grief. It was as if her death unearthed a deep well of pain I had been carrying for years. Looking back, I can see that I was living with complex PTSD (cPTSD), though I didn’t have the language for it at the time. cPTSD is a condition that often results from prolonged exposure to trauma, leaving deep emotional scars. It manifests as a constant state of ..read more

“Contentment has more to do with a heart of joy as life unfolds than it ever will with a life filled with stuff.” ~Kate Summers Recently, an older friend who was no longer able to attend to life without assistance was placed in a senior care facility. From my observance, she seemed content, and her relatives confirmed that when they visit, they find her awake and alert, propped up in bed or sitting in a chair, peacefully gazing out her window. One of my immediate thoughts when reflecting on my visit was, we should all be so lucky to enter ..read more

“Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to the heart, it knows.” ~Native American Wisdom Have you ever felt stuck? Stuck in a business you’ve lost passion for, a job you no longer enjoy, a relationship that no longer fulfills you, or simply stuck in indecision about how to move forward in life? That feeling of “stuck-ness” often leads to anxiety, fear, and even shame. I understand these feelings well. When the pandemic hit in 2020, my life turned upside down—as it did for many. I was the founder and executive director ..read more

The most profound personal growth happens when we stop running from our pain and start listening to what it’s trying to teach us. For years, I didn’t recognize the woman staring back at me in the mirror. Her body felt foreign—betraying her with weight she couldn’t lose, hot flashes that set her skin on fire, and exhaustion so deep, it felt like her soul was crumbling. Her mind, once sharp and confident, was now clouded with doubt, anxiety, and brain fog so thick she could barely think. But the hardest part? She didn’t just feel different. She felt invisible. I ..read more

“I’ve found beauty in the whimsically ordinary.” ~Elissa Gregoire The pervasive message of our time asserts that success is essential in every facet of life, be it education, career, friendships, or relationships. In the relentless pursuit of success, many of us toil ceaselessly, ingrained with the belief that triumph is the gateway to happiness. Rewind three decades to when I was ten, and the emphasis was on excelling in school. Family, teachers, and even movies emphasized the narrative that good grades equated to happiness. The equation was simple: good grades led to a good job, financial s ..read more

“There are no right or wrong decisions, only choices.” ~Sanhita Baruah When I was younger, everything felt simple. Not necessarily easy, but simple in the sense that there was always a next step. A clear direction. A right way to do things. If I studied, I’d pass the test. If I practiced, I’d get better at my sport. If I followed the rules, I’d stay on track. Life moved forward in a straight line, like climbing the rungs of a ladder—one foot after the other, up and up and up. I didn’t question this structure because it was all ..read more

“Your body is precious. It is your vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” ~Buddha For years, I thought I was healthy. I was eating what I thought was a “balanced” diet, working out regularly (mostly cardio and HIIT), and I felt like I was ticking all the boxes for self-care. On the surface, everything seemed fine. I thought I had health all figured out. But the truth is, I wasn’t actually healthy. I was caught up in a cycle of restriction and over-exercise, trying to make my body fit a version of health that wasn’t serving me. I was ..read more

“Sometimes letting go is the ultimate act of love—both for the other person and for yourself.” ~Unknown I never imagined that the same classroom where I found love would become the first chapter of a story about letting go. Ten years ago, as an undergraduate student full of dreams and certainty, I met him. We were classmates first, then friends, and finally, lovers who thought we’d conquered the dating game by finding our perfect match so young. During our college years, our bond seemed unshakeable. We even chose to intern in the same city, not wanting distance to separate ..read more

“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” ~Eleanor Brownn My breaking point came on a Monday morning at 6 a.m. It had been the same routine for months: up at 5 a.m., brush my teeth, put on my workout clothes, move my body, weigh myself. On this morning, the scale’s numbers glared back, stubborn as ever. My reflection in the mirror seemed foreign—tired eyes, face still sweaty, a body that felt like a lead weight. Outside, cars ..read more