Beth Jannery was groomed for success. Taught to always dress for the position above her, and to look good on the outside in order to feel good on the inside, she learned never to be content with where she was or what she had. No matter what she accomplished, nothing made her happy. None… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Alcoholism
Zero Shades of Grey
I suppose I’d always admired my former husband’s unshakable confidence, his ability to see the world in straight black and white, right and wrong. For someone like me— a bit of a floater, unsure of her own opinions or goals— he was like the North Star. It didn’t take long for me to see, however,… Continue Reading
Sorry, That’s Not Going to Work For Me
Several years ago I opted to work with a Jack Canfield coach. I wasn’t sure what the arrangement was going to be like, I just knew I needed a kick in the ass so I could get out of my own way and accomplish some really big goals. I was required, as part of the… Continue Reading
Turning Lead to Gold
Siddiqi Ray is so much more than a gifted photographer, life coach, yoga teacher, and recovery expert. Siddiqi is, by her own admission, on a serious mission. Her goal? To dispel the lie we’ve all bought into, that we are somehow not enough. “We numb that lie out with addiction, or relationships, or shopping, or… Continue Reading
What a Bad Meg Ryan Movie Can Teach You About Remorse
Confidence expert Jules Wyman wasn’t always confident. In fact, the woman recently dubbed as Britain’s Next Top Coach once hid her insecurities behind booze, drugs, and junk food. “I reached out for all of them to do the same thing, which was to cover up the pain.” At the lowest point in her life, addicted… Continue Reading
OMG
Like a junkie with a 14-gauge needle, my mother used books to blot out reality. Curled up in her chair, immersed in a novel, she ceased to be aware of anyone or anything around her. When she put her book down, exposed herself to the rage and tension that contaminated our house, my mother became a… Continue Reading
Finding My Wood
When I turned thirty, I was angry and unhappy, but didn’t really know it. I figured that niggling feeling, the one I couldn’t really identify, the one that wouldn’t go away, was the natural result of having two little kids, too much time with nothing to think about on my hands, and, thanks to living in Iran, a really foreign… Continue Reading
Get Real
When I first began writing and presenting my short stories about Iran, people in my workshop class looked nervous. No doubt remembering the fatwa placed on Salmon Rushdie’s head for his Satanic Verses, they asked me, “Don’t you think Iranians might take offense at some of the things you’ve said here? I mean, don’t you… Continue Reading