I've undergone a radical change in my life recently. I'll leave the details for another time, but needless to say- it was not entirely desired, anticipated, and completely different from the road I thought my life was going to be on for the better part of the last two decades. I've read tons of self-help articles. Watched myriad YouTube videos about self-compassion, self-love, self-care... Three things have stood out in previous experiences and this one that have made a huge difference from the last time my life diverged as much as it has this time. 1. Mediation, self-reflection, is a total game changer. I did this before and it works. How you do it doesn't matter. There are plenty of places that talk about how, but the first time I knew this and it worked- which is probably why I am relatively sane this time around. 2. Completely different this time. I have my dog. Zuri, the yellow lab. She has been a life-saver in many ways, but the main is to illustrate and remind m