Ten years ago, I walked over…. wait, a girl walked over to me, and we soon traveled the world together. Today would have been our sixth wedding anniversary. A day where we probably would have had a fancy dinner and some ice-cream while we watched Harry Potter and laughed at the simple things in life. And while I’m still going to have some ice-cream and watch Harry Potter, I would have never imagined in my life that we would be here today.

We laughed, we cried, we fought, but more importantly, we loved hard. In the process, things broke, we…

At the height of my sobriety is my ability to express my truth authentically

Another empty bottle, a night I regret.
The smell of vodka pours from my sweat.
Trapped between the past and future, I
am walking on thin ice. One wrong
step, my life, the price. — GK

After a heavy night of drinking, these words above poured out on the empty pages of my journal. The cold fingers of addiction suffocated my truth and held me down for almost twenty years. Most of the time, I never thought twice about it because I was good at disguising…

Friday Flow- Consider That Maybe There Is Something Magical Waiting In The Spaces Between

Kiring. Kiring. Kiring.These are the words I silently chanted thirty minutes a day for over thirty days. It’s as if silence created a bond between my mind, heart, and spirit that gave me the courage to enter the dark caverns of my soul. And while I don’t know what my matra means, I have cleared space for truth to surface in my life.

Ancient teachings show that a silent mantra is more potent for transformation than anything we can do for our minds. A mantra is…

Thoughts from a combat veteran who has lived through it all.

At seventeen years old, I had no goals, guidance, or plan. I felt like a failure because I spent most of my teenage years doing drugs and drinking. I should have asked for help. I should have tried harder and taken my life more seriously. But that’s not how it happened, and I’m not sure I’d be who I am today without those chaotic years.

It was a routine day in English class. I sat down in the back to find out where the upcoming parties on the weekend…

The more you trust yourself, the more you can listen, feel, and pay attention to the new life trying to unfold. Friday Flow 9/10/21

Like all my Friday Flows, this is raw, unedited, and straight from the heart. If I can write with an open heart, I can help create coherence in times of struggle.

Last week I took Melina on her first hike. It was 93 degrees, and the mountain was challenging, but I knew she could do it.

She was scared, and I could tell she wasn’t sure of herself. As we got closer to the top, the…

Why It’s Never Too Late To Be Whoever You Want To Be

Life comes and goes
every day we face
the unknown.

Who am I
when I dig
below?

Through all my struggles, I’m discovering how to dig deeper and find myself, though most of what I uncover below the surface isn’t pretty. It’s dark, unpleasant, and painful.

I’ve learned what my triggers are. Some of them are easy to find, others not so much. Diving deeper makes me question everything I see.

When you wonder why your life is filled with chaos and sitting in the calm doesn’t feel…

Friday Flow 8/27- You are already enough, and this moment is where you meet your true, whole self.

I sat there and thought about what I wanted to write for this flow. It still feels weird pouring my feelings into the world. But here I am, sharing experiences from life in hopes to let others know they are never alone.

After two weeks of consistent meditation, which has been a game-changer in my life as far as reducing stress, anxiety, and reactivity, I thought about the things in life I wish I heard growing up.

I also spent an entire…

He had given up on himself, drinking away his pain becoming someone else

Now is the time
where he put down
the bottle for the last time
and he felt freedom in his heart
while his spirit clashed with his soul
and his demons battle with the warrior for control

He felt like he was stuck repeating history
so he gave up in life or so he told himself
while he drank away his pain
and become someone else

Deep inside he is dying from an invisible war
every moment of sobriety gives
him the courage to feel more

He…