News — pondering
How to Shut Up Your Inner Critic so Your Daughter Will Know How
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"I'm not good at that." It started with small, little snippets of self-doubt. I should have noticed. I should have stopped it sooner. I'm her mother, after all….unfortunately, I'm also really gifted in the art of negative self-talk. Maybe I missed it because what should have been a red flag has been given a space on my shelf, a narrative I frequently read and accept as normal. It took flares of anger, where self-hate spewed out of my sweet girl like a volcano I assumed was dormant. I was shocked. I argued back--NOTHING you are saying about yourself is...
Rethinking Worry: What if it's a Spiritual Gift?
I'm not one to worry or overthink things. Can I be honest? Is it safe to share raw truth? I can be kind of critical of people who are. If you are in my days and minutes, and you are a worrier, you probably aren't shocked at this confession. I've rolled my eyes at you, and I've made jokes. They aren't mean; they are trying to be funny, but also... I don't have a lot of patience with worry. A couple of years ago, we adopted the world's perfect dog. He is so sweet and gentle. His one problem is...
That Time I Almost Hated the World's Biggest Canvas...
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The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. It was the largest canvas commission of my career. So big that you can't purchase pre-stretched canvases that size. I would have to build it. Totally not intimidating at all... I had learned how to do that in a scene painting class once, in theory, at least. Fifteen years ago.... what could possibly go wrong? Bless my heart. I researched and talked to people. I worried and planned. Once we finally built the giant, painting it would be my sweet spot—or so I thought. Generally, by the time...