self improvement

Curious vs. Interested

In Stories & Reflections • by Amanda Herring, Writer, July 5, 2023 • Leave a Comment

There’s a difference between curious and interested. I heard that this morning, and it made an impression. Think about it. Curiosity, I understand, comes from the head. Interest comes from the heart. The Curious ask to get information. Maybe they want to learn something. Maybe...

GASLIGHTING

In Stories & Reflections • by Amanda Herring, Writer, January 16, 2023 • Leave a Comment

“Etymology” is the study of the origin and evolution of words. I love words. I always have. “History & Grammar of the English Language” was one of my favorite classes in college. (Nerd alert!) I like reading about how words and phrases came to be,...

Strength

In Stories & Reflections • by Amanda Herring, Writer, January 11, 2023 • Leave a Comment

When I think of “strength”, what comes to mind? Muscles. Hercules. Brut force. Maybe pushing and pulling, carrying a heavy load. Sometimes I think of emotional strength. Standing stoically at a funeral. Walking into a first chemo treatment. Testifying in court against an assailant, in...

Women. Compassion. Support.

In Stories & Reflections • by Amanda Herring, Writer, December 31, 2022 • Leave a Comment

“Do you follow her on Snapchat? Did you see her kids running and playing outside in the snow? She has two of the cutest dogs, but her cat video put me over! It was on her story. Her husband travels. Did you see how thrilled...

We always have a choice.

In Stories & Reflections • by Amanda Herring, Writer, October 25, 2022 • Leave a Comment

We always have a choice. Always. We can choose to respond or not respond. We can choose action or complacency. We can choose courage over fear. We can choose gratitude instead of lamenting the things we don’t have. We can choose starting over or hanging...

Emotions In Check = Less Pain

In Stories & Reflections • by Amanda Herring, Writer, September 21, 2022 • Leave a Comment

I did something this week that I often have a hard time with…I kept my emotions in check. Yeah, it’s worthy of celebration, right?! Go, Me! Follow me on this…you KNOW something to be true, but it takes life happening, experiencing hardship, and un-learning and...

Suicide Prevention Month: Our Story Begins

In Stories & Reflections • by Amanda Herring, Writer, September 14, 2022 • Leave a Comment

Here’s the scoop on mental health problems…they suck. I think we’re now prepared to share some of our experience with mental health challenges and suicidal ideation, but be warned. It’s hard and sad and awful. I am bringing it to my blog, because September is...

Identity Crisis?

In Stories & Reflections • by Amanda Herring, Writer, September 8, 2022 • Leave a Comment

My hair is purple, right in the front. It’s been blonde, even red, but purple…it’s kind of my thing. It’s fun. I get compliments on it all the time. People ask me questions about it, too. Is it permanent? (Yes.) Do you do it yourself?...

RIP to My Sanity

In Stories & Reflections • by Amanda Herring, Writer, August 30, 2022 • Leave a Comment

Here’s where the erosion of your sanity will get you… Our company’s vans died literally dead seemingly all at once (ummm, today), and we are now in a pickle. So I found two online, had them brought down from Murfreesboro, TN (which took some doing),...

Life. Smacks. Peace.

In Stories & Reflections • by Amanda Herring, Writer, August 9, 2022 • Leave a Comment

Y’all ever get up and the morning and go about your business just to be smacked in the face with a big, fat truth?! Yeah. And the funny thing about that truth is that it was there all along. It isn’t new. It isn’t a...