I remembered the first time I tried meditation. I attended an introduction to meditation where the facilitator provided guided meditation for the first 15 minutes and then we sat in silence for the next 30 minutes. At first, I struggled with keeping my focus on my breath and allowing my thoughts to drift in and out. I started thinking about my to-do list and the conflict that I had with my partner. A few minutes into the meditation, I was fighting my desire to curl up on the floor for a nap. I learned that meditation is not easy. But with regular practice, I can see the power of meditation in my life to reduce stress, improve sleep, manage anxiety, and increase focus.  I introduce it regularly to my clients because of how effective meditation can be in treating depression and anxiety. Science has shown that meditation can quickly change the function of our brains and, with regular practice, it can create lasting change in our brain structures. In this blog post, I want to share with you the mechanisms behind how meditation can alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety for good. 

​I recently watched this amazing TEDx Talk by Jia Jiang on how he embraced his fear of rejection by challenging himself to ask for things that are likely to be turned down. He documented his 100 Days of Rejection on his blog with Youtube videos of each attempt. His asks are hilarious, ranging from asking to plant a flower in a stranger's backyard to sleeping in a mattress store.  Along the way, he learned to manage his fear of rejection and discover how to turn a "no" into a "yes."