Self-Esteem
In 2009, at the age of 20, I was raped and beaten—nearly left for dead, by a stranger who helped me change my flat tire. Thanks to: an amazing roommate who (despite my hesitation) put me in her car and took me to the hospital, a sex crimes detective and attorney who were determined to […]
Why The Best Students Seek Out Good Friction
If you’re striving to make progress on anything meaningful in your life, what you need most is something we all tend to avoid. Good friction. What is good friction, exactly? It’s another way to describe getting real, constructive feedback that asks the tough questions, helps us find our footing so we can get traction, and pushes […]
I cannot make you change. But I can change me.
“If only my spouse/child/parent/boss would change…” To focus our attention on what we can’t control produces suffering. You and I have limited resources. We have finite time, energy and attention. When we expend those resources on what is beyond our control, suffering ensues. That suffering is a sign. It means we’re out of […]
Farewell, President Obama. Hello, President Trump? Hmm… Are we still having Black History Month?
The 2016 Presidential Election will go down in history as one of the most divisive elections of all time. No matter who won the election, a major portion of the United States population was not going to be happy with the outcome. Like him or not, Donald Trump is the new President of the United […]
What are you doing to make a first impression?
I can still remember what I wore the first day of freshman year of college. I was dead set on wearing an adorable fall outfit and I ignored the 90-something degree weather to sport my new flare jeans and long-sleeve top. I was sure that this super-cute outfit would impress everyone I met and make […]
I Play the Tuba. And I Still Win at Life
There’s nothing valuable about being normal. “Normal” is easy. Normal can be found everywhere. If you could find a diamond just by walking down the street, it wouldn’t be worth nearly as much. The same principle applies to people. Sometimes we have to face the difficult reality that, at some point, we’re all just trying […]
Moving Beyond Mental Health Awareness
Every week I read new studies, reports or articles letting us know what’s wrong with college students. They’re stressed out more than ever. They’re being bullied. They’re killing themselves. They’re not sleeping. They’re abusing prescription medications. They’re overweight. They’re depressed. The list goes on and on. In some ways it’s like society is normalizing these problems for students instead of giving them skills to deal […]
You don’t need another list to be successful
I love/hate lists and I’m not alone. The human brain is wired for organizing information and using it for effective problem-solving. That’s why we’re drawn to “The 7 Steps to Success” and “The 11 Laws for Loving Yourself” and “The 10 Can’t Miss Tips for Making Awesome Lists”. We crave actionable intelligence, (as the military […]
Finding Strength on Your Worst Self-Esteem Days
Stacy Nadeau encourages young women all over the country to focus on the positive and feel great about themselves. In 2005, she was one of six women who posed on a Times Square billboard in their underwear. Stacy uses her experience as a Dove Real Beauty model to start teaching women the importance of a […]