Being back home after being gone for months really puts things into perspective for me. My hometown of Chattanooga is a charming, quant river town nestled in the mountains of Southeastern Tennessee. There is no place like it on earth for me but it is after all simply a location. The sights, sounds, and smells... Continue Reading →
My Colorado Adventure: Reconnecting with Nature and Myself [Photos]
Sometimes life presents you with curveballs and you have to just lean into it and go. I got a wild hair and started travel nursing about nine months ago after the opportunity seemed to present itself and I have loved it. I only have one week left living in the enchanted state of Colorado for... Continue Reading →
Learning the Power of Simple, Generous Actions
As I am training my mind to be more present and mindful, I also want to extend that out to affect others. I want to go beyond alleviating stress and anxiety and use my energy to be more compassionate. I want to put other’s first in my life and live community-minded. Most of my life... Continue Reading →
Digging Up My Past for a Better Future: Part One
In order to move forward in a better direction, I feel it is important to delve back into the past to unshackle ourselves from our own conditioning. I still notice at times that vestigial mental wirings from my past still influence my outlook, my expectations, how I feel about myself, and how I react emotionally... Continue Reading →
My Struggle with Cell Phone Addiction and Learning to Be Bored [Links]
Today, let’s talk about the elephant in the room of modernity (which is more like the size of a mouse), the cell phone. We all seem to have them and we can’t deny the integral part they play in each of our lives. They can be wonderful devices for communication, socialization, and an endless barrage... Continue Reading →
Reverence in a Delicate and Beautiful Oasis [Photos]
Natural beauty and quiet reflection can combine in a way that opens up all the channels of our minds and allows us to take in the world for what it truly is, a delicate, fragile paradise. It is like stepping out of the cave for the first time and opening one’s eyes to the vastness,... Continue Reading →
You Are Not The Ego: Learning to Love Your Higher Self [Links]
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” -John Milton, Paradise Lost This morning I experienced both hell and heaven within the span of about an hour. It was in the quietness of my home, in the comfort of my bed, and it... Continue Reading →
Learning to Build Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is a precious, yet easily elusive tool to cultivate in one’s mind. You think you firmly possess it until moments of challenge or ridicule occur and your ego seems to implode in on itself. In those moments, you realize that your self-image was only ever hanging by a meager thread. Self-esteem has certainly eluded... Continue Reading →
Rising Above Self Delusion for Love
Love and compassion have not come easily to me over the years. It seems as though I have built up several walls that get in the way of truly embracing another person and opening myself up to emotional vulnerability. This extends beyond mere romantic relationships to my family and friends. It is about time I... Continue Reading →
The World as a Reflection of the Mind: How We Hurt Ourselves
Yesterday was a humbling lesson in how much I have to learn in getting a grasp on my mind when challenged or tested. So, an incident happened at work where I had forgotten an essential instrument set for a surgical case. It was one of those situations where you can really piss off a... Continue Reading →
