There’s a scene in the movie Good Will Hunting where the therapist, played by Robin Williams, looks at Will and says, “It’s not your fault.” He says it once. Then again. Then again—until the walls finally break and Will cries […]

‘You ever met someone who says they’re “just private” but gives off the same warmth as a locked safe? Maybe that someone is you. You’re not cold, or maybe you’re. You’re not boring. You’ve just gotten really good at keeping […]

Think back to someone who made a room feel warmer just by walking into it. They might not have been the loudest voice or the most polished dresser. Maybe they didn’t even say much. But somehow, they made you feel […]

You might live hundreds of miles away from your childhood home. You might be a parent, a manager, or a fully independent adult who pays their bills on time and organizes their taxes without help. But then you visit your […]

What all failure has in common is this: it leaves a burn that settles under your skin, one you learn to live with. We don’t talk enough about the emotional weight of not measuring up—to our goals, to our timelines, […]

“Just get closure,” they say, like it’s something you can pick up at a pharmacy. But anyone who’s ever been left dangling—no explanation, no goodbye, but radio silence or a vague, slippery monologue—knows better. Closure is a fantasy we cling […]

I used to believe rejection was a mirror. A brutal, all-too-honest reflection of my flaws, broadcast through someone else’s disinterest or dismissal. When I didn’t get into a graduate program I had spent months preparing for, I took it as […]

Sometimes the conversation wasn’t even all that dramatic—at least not outwardly. Maybe it wasn’t a screaming match, or a betrayal. Maybe it was just one comment. One look. One failed attempt to speak your mind, where the words didn’t land […]

We all develop ways to manage stress, discomfort, or disappointment. These are called coping mechanisms—and they’re not inherently bad. In fact, many are necessary. They help us survive breakups, job loss, or burnout. But there’s a subtle line we often […]