I have been lucky. For almost three years, I have not lived inside intense stress. The kind that lives in your muscles, your gut, your jaw. The kind that never really lets you rest. This past week reminded me why personal boundaries are not optional. I recently started a job in child welfare. I was just handed my caseload about two weeks ago. The job description and workload are realistically enough for two full‑time people. There is no way to do what is expected on each cas

For most of my life, I was chasing a high. Not just drugs, everything. Love. Attention. Praise. Success. Money. Recognition. Men. Anything that could momentarily lift me out of myself. Underneath it all was a quiet, insatiable void. A black hole I didn’t know how to name, only how to feed. Like so many people, I believed something outside of me would finally make me feel whole. So I kept reaching. And the more I reached, the emptier I felt. I filled the void with all the wro

The Honest Truth If I’m being honest, I love how different substances make me feel. I love a solid alcohol buzz. It’s relaxing. I’m social, loose, free. I love marijuana, it makes me connect with trees like they’re my long-lost friends, unlocks creative portals I didn’t know existed, and drops me into spiritual realizations I can’t always access stone-cold sober. I love cocaine. It’s a rush of adrenaline, I become Chatty Cathy on steroids, and I'm ready for anything! I love m

I spend a lot of time these days in reflection. It helps me gain clarity and make sense of things. Before, I was just living, not paying much mind to what was happening around me or inside of me. What a mistake that was . I’ll chalk it up to a necessary experience that landed me here. Not that I’m living high on the hog these days, but the depth of spirit I’ve cultivated makes up for any material wealth I lack. The lessons I learned from living unconsciously led to my libera