Author Archives: loribarett

Over on Medium I stumbled upon a post where the writer shared this “30-day writing challenge” deal. I am a great fan of lists. And I am always interested in prompts that will get my creative writing brain moving in directions I might not otherwise have thought to write about. So I am going toContinue reading “30 days of writing”

Vulnerability. That’s the magic word when it comes to connection. It’s when we let our guard down and find acceptance in who we are. It’s feeling free to be silly. Feeling free to express our honest emotions. Feeling free to let go and tell the world what’s in our heads and in our hearts. WhenContinue reading “Connecting with other people”

After only a few sessions with my newest therapist, I can definitively say, I REALLY LIKE HER! I feel connected to her already, and really appreciate her approach to working with me. I feel that this will be a very good relationship. I can’t believe that I’ve won the therapist lottery, again. In the shortContinue reading “I am ready”

If you have ever played a game like Dungeons & Dragons or some other RPG, you have probably heard the term “railroading.” Railroading is when a game master forces the players in an RPG down a predetermined story path that they’ve already decided the outcome or main beats of – and, as such, it cannotContinue reading “Therapy and Railroading”

“You do not talk about Fight Club.” That’s how I grew up. My family was Fight Club. I can’t process so much of what’s happening with my mental health without talking about my relationship with my parents and what it was like growing up in my family. It’s the basis for so many of theContinue reading “Fight Club”

I had a great time driving back from Maine last week. There was one section of the drive home, I think ME-131 S or ME-235 S or thereabouts north of Boothbay Harbor, where the road felt (to me) a bit like a kid-friendly roller-coaster. Up and down, twist and turn. Not at full speed (becauseContinue reading “Kid-friendly roller-coaster”

What a difference I feel from the crash I recently went through. It started with a friend. A friend who remembered something I had said so long ago. A friend who remembered how to help me, even when I kept saying I was fine and needed no help. She told me she missed me, andContinue reading “Making me smile”

This isn’t going to be a long post, but it’s one I have to put out here. I’m still extremely emotional about things, so I’m feeling reactionary. Abortion. It’s a hot-button political and social topic that shouldn’t need to be a topic of conversation at all. But the Supreme Court decided they should rescind theContinue reading “My body is my body”

Last week I received back an invitation to fill out an administrative questionnaire from the place I applied for a job at. I was immediately excited, because I am extremely confident in my ability to express myself in writing. The questionnaire had your basic questions. Organization skills (it asked me to go into detail!).Why amContinue reading “Inspiring a culture of change”

I’m a sap. Not ashamed of being sentimental. It’s a part of who I am. Holding onto the memories of things that have made me smile is helpful in helping me remember that not every aspect of my past has been awful. That despite everything I’ve been through and all the lies in my brain,Continue reading “Smile for a Saturday- Sentimentality”

I made the decision to start looking for another job. Told my boss last week and yesterday I told my coworkers. I’ve been here for just about 9 years, and while I love it here and I am deeply appreciated, I’ve reached a point where I want to find a job that means something toContinue reading “Believing in myself – Job search edition”