I've learned something about not taking things personally from some thieves in Columbia. This is the story of how two men tried to rob me in Colombia, and what happened to me when I didn't take it personally.

A fear of flying can be debilitating for a person who enjoys travel. I have been afraid to fly for as long as I can remember. I'm not your run-of-the-mill anxious flyer, either. I've struggled with a crippling fear of flying throughout my life. Recently, I took a class for fearful flyers; and to my great surprise, it has changed the way I fly. I want to share with you the most helpful things I've learned to calm my fear of flying.

Using personal boundaries to survive the holidays is a good idea. Let's face it, the holidays aren't always a blissful time for everyone. Grief, dysfunctional family relationships, and old resentments can rear their ugly heads this season. It can be especially difficult to manage painful feelings when the messages you see and hear all around you say this should be the happiest time of the year. One thing that can be especially helpful as you survive the holiday season is to practice using personal boundaries.

Fear of public speaking is one of the most common phobias. Even those who experience mild forms of public speaking anxiety can feel debilitated by their fear. I fall into this category, and a recent opportunity to be a keynote speaker for a large event forced me to face my fear of public speaking in a creative way. Read on to learn how you too can tackle your fear of public speaking.

How can we honor someone who has died by suicide? Since suicide is unfortunately common (it’s the second leading cause of death in the US for people aged 15 to 34), it’s likely we all know someone who has died by suicide. A death in that manner can be a sensitive topic. (Note: This post contains a trigger warning.)

We all experience anxiety from time to time, and relieving anxiety can be tricky. Some commonly used methods to relieve anxiety actually make it worse. Other attempts at relief just ignore the underlying problem. To get lasting anxiety relief, we must understand which methods help and which ones perpetuate the problem.

Healthy self-care is such an essential part of mental health, and it seems everyone is striving to up their self-care game. Here's the thing though -- sometimes when we think we are practicing self-care, we are just numbing out. It can be tough to tell the difference, but if you know the signs, you can make sure you are practicing healthy self-care.

I recently began a new meditation practice where I’ve learned that sounds around me have the potential to become meditation help. The first few minutes of the twice-daily exercise consist of pure mindfulness: noticing what each of the senses is experiencing one by one, then all together.

Setting boundaries for yourself is important, although when we talk about setting boundaries we often refer to boundary setting with others. It is essential to say no to others at times and to advocate for our wants and needs in relationships. However, it is just as important to set boundaries for yourself.

While trying to overcome negative thoughts, you may not have simply given in to them. This surprising method of dealing with negative self-talk can be extremely powerful.