Tiffany Toughens Up

Lately, I have noticed that my relationships have taken a turn. I have relationships with coworkers, friends, and family members, such as immediate family members and those outside my immediate family circle. Some of my relationships feel one-sided. I feel like I am the only one that reaches out to the person, and then there are the relationships in which I lack communication. The lack of communication can come from both sides. However, when I lack communication with someone, I feel a heavy sense of guilt, and I think, why do I feel so guilty for not communicating with someone that does not even make an effort to communicate with me?  Over the last couple of years, I have told myself to only communicate with those that make an effort or even reciprocate my efforts to communicate with them. Try not to feel bad or put me down for not communicating with others. My dad used to tell me, "it is the same amount of buttons to push on a phone to make a phone call, and it is the same distan...

Let me start by introducing myself. I am Tiffany, a mother of three, the wife turned widow due to cancer, the single parent turned cancer survivor, and as if life hasn’t thrown me enough curve balls, I am battling my mental health issues.   I have found in the past that if I journal and get things/thoughts out of my head and onto paper, I find peace within myself.  Decades ago, a therapist suggested that I take five to ten minutes at the end of my day and write in a journal how my day went or what thoughts were racing through my mind. How does that help, you ask? Getting thoughts out of your head and on paper helps you release some of the stress your minds hold. Now you can continue journaling, and you have options for seeing your progress. You can read your progress on how you’re feeling by reading previous entries months down the line, and then you can destroy your entries after reading your entries (i.e., shredding or burning). By eliminating previous entries, you ...