How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough: The Wound Metaphor

Life isn't easy. In fact, sometimes it downright sucks. Sometimes you work and you work and you work for something, and it all falls apart. Friendships, marriages, school, hobbies, jobs…sometimes you really give your all to something and despite your best efforts, it doesn't work out. Sometimes life takes things or people from you before you were ready to give them up.How do you keep going? Why keep trying?

Well, the first step is to be sad. Yes, I said it. Be sad. Be super sad. Cry, even. Maybe even cry a lot. For hours, if you need to. Do nothing for a while, and maybe even be unproductive. Don’t clean. Don’t be perfect. Take time off. Scrape by for a bit. Don’t pretend it is all okay.

The problem is, our culture tells us not to do this.  So I’m telling you otherwise. BE SAD.

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Does Time Really Slow Down as You Get Older? The Pie Chart of Life

Have you ever thought about how life seemed so much faster as a child – and now you just have no idea where the time goes? For instance, I remember sitting down to watch Sesame Street as a kid, which was an hour long show – and half way through I would ask my Mom, “How much longer?” It literally seemed like that show went on FOREVER. Now don’t get me wrong, I liked Sesame Street and all, but an hour was SUCH a long time. Now I sit down and watch 3 hours of television at once and feel like no time went by at all. Also, car rides – it took on average probably 45 minutes to drive to my grandparent’s house, and each time it felt like an eternity that would never end, even though I had fun and exciting things to do in the car, like Gameboy and some books (yes, the old grey brick of a Gameboy! Woo!). But now my daily commute to work is longer than 45 minutes and it just trucks on by (except on the days with bad traffic – let’s be honest). Sometimes I get to work and barely remember driving at all – I was just lost in thought. But those 45 minutes were torturous as a child.

So why does this happen? I think we have all experienced the phenomenon as we get older, where time just seems to zip on by. Where did last month go? How is it the end of the week already?

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Welcome!

Welcome to the How to Like Yourself blog! You’ve come to the right place. You’ve just stumbled across the best place to get updates, insights, info, and tips and tricks from the How to Like Yourself world. To start off, welcome to the launch of the book and website! I'm hoping to add in the mix at some point an audiobook, as well (Update: Audiobook will be available!) Thanks to all the help from friends and family along the way, and of course from YOU! Thanks for stopping by! I can’t wait to continue getting feedback, questions, and requests for other material. I am already working on book number two. I totally want to make sure I incorporate your requests as I keep writing! You guys are amazing – and as the book outlines on page one, and summarizes on the last page, YOU ARE LIKABLE, and YOU ARE AWESOME! No question about it.

Keep checking in for updates on what I'm up to, and make sure to check in with me on Facebook and Twitter! Check out the Contact Me page to find all those details. :)

Keep being your awesome self!

Cheers,

Cheryl M. Bradshaw