It’s not always easy to distinguish what is healthy criticism of oneself and serious self-loathing. The following signs may point to the latter: You take everything to heart. This might mean taking constructive criticism harshly or twisting what others say into insults. You compare yourself to everyone. You’re in the…
You look into the mirror and your reflection is frowning back at you. No matter what pants you shimmy into, or what your hair decides to do today, or what color eyeshadow you paint on, you just don’t feel adequate. Actually, you feel like you’re way less than adequate. You…
Existential dread, anxiety, or anguish is a term that is synonymous among existentialist thinkers. While it is commonly thought to be a feeling arising from the experience of human freedom and responsibility, it can also lead to depressive feelings and thoughts. YouTube channel Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshel explores how our brains…
Meredith and six of her fellow doctors board a plane—one of many in their lifetimes—in a hurry, each with their own distractions and busy minds. Suddenly the plane starts shaking uncontrollably and their attentions are reverted; within minutes, the plane has fallen out of the sky and they’re scattered among…
The Definition of Love While it can be defined and explained differently depending on the person you ask, Merriam-Webster dictionary says that love can have a few meanings: “strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion; unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for…
What is my purpose? Is this what I want? What about what I need? Who am I? Do you ever find yourself pondering these questions or ones of the like? Many of us do and will throughout our lifetimes—it’s natural. We wonder about our purpose, what exactly we’re meant to…
If your mailbox is any indication that invitations to weddings are far and few between these days, it may not be a coincidence. People are waiting for the right time to marry. It’s a fact that Americans are putting off marriage until later. A U.S. Census Bureau survey demonstrates this…
Love—this simple word has been a conversation of philosophers, the subject of poems and books and a topic studied by scientists for centuries. People try to grasp what it is exactly. In fact, “What is love?” was the most searched phrase on Google in 2012. Still, there are debates about…
You’re at a red light and look to your side. You see someone about your age, but he’s driving a car that’s a lot younger—and a nicer brand to boot. What was it? What makes you most jealous? Is it a Tesla, a new Audi SUV, or a Shelby Mustang,…
Imagine you just reached an important life goal. What was it? Hiking the Appalachian Trail …paying off a loan…owning a car that starts on cold mornings? Now that you’ve achieved it, you can kick it and enjoy life. Right? Yes! Wait—no. Well…maybe. Life is confusing like that. You have things…
Sometimes it comes by way of a family member, sometimes a news story, sometimes, perhaps, a call from the police, or on the wind with a violent storm…and sometimes it comes from a doctor. It came to me in June 2016. The PSA was 4.9. The biopsy said it was…
The flowers are in bloom, and the fields have turned from barren and beige to high-definition green. A mother duck can be seen leading her ducklings, who waddle like a wayward army, from biggest to smallest. A sense of well-being takes over the mind and body, and romance is in…
