Empowerment – Page 6 – On Life, Hope y todo lo demás…

Surviving regret

Can you live without regrets? Regret is an emotion stemming from those things we wish we hadn’t done, had done or done differently. Some of us have those regrets tied in with guilt and this is an even tougher emotion to shake. These two emotions can actually keep us from living a peaceful life. The […]

by Laura Basset Carbonell

Another great Thanksgiving alone

This is my second Thanksgiving alone by choice. The last one, was spent with Drew, my pup companion at the time and it was a very heartwarming evening. This one, I have no pup to spend the evening with, but I still chose to be my own company on a day when everyone is with […]

by Laura Basset Carbonell

You cannot be sad if you find reasons to smile

You cannot smile and be sad at the same time. It’s either one or the other. You may be trying to mask sadness but once you find a reason to smile, sadness evaporates, even if only for s short while, but it’s all worth it. The more you practice smiling the more pleasurable moments you’ll […]

by Laura Basset Carbonell

My first staycation alone

After the whirlwind months of crazy activity and events; moving, furnishing my apartment, starting a new job that has taken up many a weekend and getting over a break-up, I finally have my first 9-day vacation. I made it a staycation because traveling did not seem feasible nor emotionally healthy since I’ve just settled and adjusted to […]

by Laura Basset Carbonell

Our gratitude stones

On the last day of school before Thanksgiving break, we thought we’d organize special events for our sixth-grade kids. We had three different fun workshops on gratitude, ending the day with an outing to the movie Wonder. It was such a meaningful day for all, more than we had anticipated. The workshop my colleague and […]

by Laura Basset Carbonell

My longest drive

Today I went on my longest and furthest drive. I rarely do things for my self, it’s always easier to do them for others. This drive was not for me either. I did it for “my” kids because I had to be there with them and for them. I was scared and would have rather […]

by Laura Basset Carbonell

Seeking contentment not happiness

Happiness is short-lived, it comes in bouts, sometimes at intoxicating levels which then leaves you drained because you want more of it, understandably. While it’s normal to want to feel elated 24/7, it’s not a fact of life. I no longer seek happiness but mere contentment which lasts way longer and is more constant and serene. […]

by Laura Basset Carbonell

Don’t settle even if loneliness is a bit painful

Don’t settle for half a life, when things don’t make you happy, move on. Life with someone you don’t get along with, or with whom you have minimal things in common, is not worth your time. We have a certain time allotted to each of us and wasting it being miserable is worse than short bouts […]

by Laura Basset Carbonell

Things we’d like to forget but shouldn’t

Wouldn’t it be great to selectively be able to forget certain things from one day to another at will? Life would be easier on the heart, but would it in the long run? Because memories shape us, and hopefully make us better people, and allow us to relate to others on deeper levels and help […]

by Laura Basset Carbonell

That acute sense of reality…

I read somewhere that people who suffer depression simply have an overly acute sense of reality. While I don’t dig into the depths of those muddy waters, or don’t spend too long immersed in them, I do believe it’s true. I don’t think that depression comes from negative thinking, but from that sense of reality where […]