Why was I pretending that my talent, my skill, and my art, was worth less than what others could do? Worthless. And if I was pretending that my skill was worthless, then I was also pretending that a large part of me was worthless too. And those were the weeds I was watering. After that, when someone paid me a compliment, I got better at saying, “Thank you”. But I wasn’t great at it. Many times, I would just smile and stay silent. So, over the years, those weeds I was watering would grow and begin to suffocate my life.

Did you know that your happiness is also a product of your emotional intelligence? Which means your happiness is an indicator of your emotional health and well-being. And if happiness is both a contributor to your emotional intelligence AND a product of it, then there’s a lot within your control when it comes to nurturing your sense of well-being.

If you’re like most people, you’re conditioned to believe that trust is earned. Which means that prior to knowing someone, you would mistrust them. But that’s not how it actually works. That thinking is backward. See, trust ISN’T earned. It’s given. And we give it freely every single day.

What you believe has consequences. Because what you think affects how you feel, and that affects your behavior. And studies have shown that when we have gaps of information about people and events, we tend to fill in those gaps with negative stories. And negative stories lead to challenging feelings, which can lead to self-defeating actions. And those self-defeating actions fuel more negative stories, leading to more challenging emotions, and more behaviors that we end up regretting. And on and on it goes.

Being vulnerable allows us to be our true self, to live honestly, with all our insecurities and inadequacies on display. As scary as that may sound, it means we no longer have to carry the weight of trying to hide them.

Everyone wants to be seen. Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone wants to be valued. Everyone. But how can you be more intentional about living a life that sees, hears, and values others? And how do you know if you’re being seen, heard, and valued?

WARNING: Some potentially triggering things about mental health, numbing, and suicide ahead. But it’s the rough waters where we learn to sail.

When it comes to things that can enhance your life, it’s important to fulfill the goals that you strive for. Which means you need to be very clear about what you want, what prevents you from having it, what strong steps you can take to get it, and who can help you.