I’ve always struggled to express vulnerable emotions to this friend, knowing it feels unsafe for him—he was controlled a lot as a child (what a perfect reflection of my own repression, right?). But this time I broke through the repression barrier, I let myself feel, cry, and express to him:

Did you know that the difference between meeting and processing emotional pain AND trying to uplift ourselves, shift our mood, or focus...

Sometimes I wonder: What if I hadn’t gone through all that childhood trauma? It may sound silly, but this reflection always helps me....

Have you ever felt like starting something new or creative—even something you love—somehow feels heavy, or like a chore? Like a part of you just wants to skip to the end so you can finally relax?