There have been plenty of times I’ve needed to hear that. Plenty of times where those simple instructions seemed the hardest thing in the world. What’s a deep breath gonna do? When things are a mess, when it all goes to hell, why tell me to do what I gotta do anyway? Well, because sometimes it’s the only thing you CAN do. It won’t make anything easier, but when you’re rushing around trying to fix everything, you end up breathing hard and fast and not in a good way. While you scramble around struggling to make the world make sense, you’re usually gasping for air. Today’s post is a response to seeing a lot of people stressing out. For good reasons, but at time the negativity can really drag you under. Believe me, I know. Rather than depress myself talking about HOW I know, I figured I’d address one of the issues I’ve seen coming up a lot lately, and that’s authors feeling the need to write enough to stay relevant. Seeing this bre

Is there anything more crushing to the human spirit then to have to deny who you truly are? Imagine being an artist living in a culture where your peers frowned upon painting. Or, perhaps you love to write but society hated and scorned authors. Maybe you love floral arranging but your family detests flowers. Or, just maybe, you collect dolls but your church is vocally against doll collecting. I suppose some of you will scoff at the comparisons above by saying that collecting porcelain dolls is very different from having sex with someone of the same gender. True, it is, but the hatred against those who are different is the same. Being ridiculed and ostracized because of whom you love is part of a debilitating cult of masculinity that so many athletes in this country are forced to deal with. It`s hard for adult gay and lesbian athletes. Try to picture the strain of being a young adult and having to face this kind of abuse. It is a well-known fact that gay teens