Line drawing of a person at a desk.
I used to believe that if I worked harder and reached my goals, I would be happier. It turns out that the hard work isn't making yourself richer or respected by others, it's respecting and loving yourself no matter what. Happiness is about self-compassion, not imagined success. #resilience #hope
Making mistakes is part if life. If we were perfect already, there would be no reason to grow and improve. Like a finger over the lens, sometimes it takes awhile to see our mistakes and readjust focus. No need to live in chronic shame, own it, adjust, and move on. #hope #change #recovery #trauma
Photo of different piles of colored powder
One very strange thing about humans is their ability to think symbolically. We don't only see differences, we need to name and give them arbitrary meaning. Blue for boys and pink for girls--it's made up! Fighting over symbolism hurts us as a species. Food, shelter, safety, these matter. #it'sus
I can relate. I grew up in foster care and went from homeless to a PhD to homeless again after a career in science and education. I'm proud of my journey, but my story highlights how difficult in can be to fit in careers fed by intergenerational wealth and a culture of privilege. #CelebrateFirstGen
Paper craft owls and art supplies on a table.
One blessing of growing up with learning difficulties is that you can be a great teacher. Needing to learn in a way different from others, means you can see and explain things in a new way. Find your strengths instead of focusing all your time on your weaknesses. #neurodiversity #hope #learning #joy
I can relate. I grew up in foster care and went from homeless to a PhD to homeless again after a career in science and education. I'm proud of my journey, but my story highlights how difficult in can be to fit in careers fed by intergenerational wealth and a culture of privilege. #CelebrateFirstGen
A tunnel of arches
When I was young, I imagined I would get my life together and everything would be perfect. What you don't realize in the bliss of youth, is that life is always coming together, and then, falling apart. Don't be too hard on yourself if it's not perfect right now. It's OK. #hope #joy #recovery #trauma
Good research is being published about the effects of trauma on the brain. I appreciate this science, but it can overshadow the wonderful people who have had trauma. Let's see the positives like inner growth too. Plasticity in the brain is real, and no one is without potential. #hope #neurodiveristy
A spool of thread with a needle.
Life requires a lot of stitching along the way. Sometimes you think you have it all sewn together, but then some awful experience causes your life to come undone. That's OK. Who we are is a quilt of ugly patches and less than perfect stitches, which is unique and makes you, YOU. #hope #beauty
Bubbles
Hi Again! Returning from a social media break.
When life gets too weighty, it's up to us to do what makes us feel lighter, without guilt or apology. Life burdens us without asking, but we feel we need permission to drop what weighs us down. Why?! Owning our power is not only possible, it's life.
"I had spent half my life working toward my dream of being a scientist. It had given me a sense of purpose. But now it dawned on me that, for the sake of my health, I was going to have to let that dream go." #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
LOL! You are a babe in the woods still. Happy birthday!
It's so strange to me that the people who voted this mess in typically say they support jobs in America and the US Constitution. Yet, here they are, pretending the shit isn't going to get on them when the sewer they built with fear and hate explodes. I want to stay positive, but I also have a brain.
Photo of a campsite with tent and table at sunrise.
Needed a break from the news cycle. Nothing like a few days without any cell reception to get your head straight. There is a certain peace in nature that is incredibly healing. I know it's not everyone's thing to wake up at sunrise, but I do encourage giving it a try. #peace #healing #nature #sun
"...too often fails its students." Students are struggling, but let's also focus on those who teach them. Morale is low for educators, and support is patchy at best. Administrators often punish faculty who are struggling. Many do not earn a livable wage. Drain a lake dry, nothing is left to give.
We can be aware, admit the truth of situations, and still take care of our mental health. It's OK to permit ourselves sanctuary from time to time without total avoidance of reality. It is hard right now for many, and that's very real. Some days I want to fight, rage, cry, but life is more than that.
I pledged when I started up social media again that I would be a positive voice, i.e. no politics, but that gets harder and harder. Leadership matters, but what frightens me more is the number of people who want a dystopian world because they think they only benefit and never suffer, it's erroneous
Lol! What a day you are having. Lucky!
Hahaha! Touché
Wow! Maybe the ashtrays are keeping the doors on ;-)
Photo of a single flower
Leaving something we love behind is sad,
but it can also be a sign of growth. #growth #change #flowers
Hahaha, are you now the Bergstrom Onion on Bluesky? This can't be real, or is it?
This is so tragic. It's hard to believe a people who were the targets of genocide would commit genocide. The Two-state solution was killed with PM Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 by Yigal Amir, an Israeli right-wing nationalist who opposed the most promising peace initiative. I guess hurt people, hurt people.
I left education last year because I could no longer handle this hellscape--lol!
What do you see? Have you made assumptions? Fact: Both machines are broken. Invisible disabilities are like the machine on the right, folks keep trying to stuff things in, but some days the brain can't handle a full load. By refusing to accept differences in capacity, we create unneeded suffering.
Apparently it's not just Kevin Roose.
"Then the program began “lovebombing him,”...The bot “said that since he asked it the right questions, it ignited a spark, and the spark was the beginning of life, and it could feel now,”
There is so much joy in simple moments. If you can find time each day enjoy something outside your head, it helps your heart sing and stress hormones come down. #release #joy #dogs
Thanks for sharing Lesson 9. So informative! When I was a professor, information literacy was a big part of my introduction to major assignments but I left teaching just as AI was becoming a major tool in the academic space. This helped me better understand issues it has created.
I agree, but I also think there is some pain that comes with accountability. There is no reason to trash people for something they said or did on the internet 10-years ago assuming what they are doing now does not represent the same problematic behavior. Education on issues is better in my book.
