monica Ballaney

There comes a point in life when you get tired of waiting for things to align, or asking the universe for one last sign. When procrastination quietly turns into self-loathing. When something within you no longer feels aligned. When grudges and regrets directed at other people do nothing but consume your peace and well-being. When you reach that tipping point, is it a point of no return? Quite the opposite, actually. That tipping point is what makes the return inevitable. The return to...

“You are not fun and convenient.” …and please don’t try to be either! One of the most admired identities in the world is being “easy to be around.” Fun. Pleasant. Low maintenance. But somewhere along the way, many of us quietly confused being pleasant with being convenient. “If you are agreeable and have less hangups (aka needs), you’re a fun and pleasant person” Sound familiar? Coz this is the golden standard many of us try to achieve. And when someone compliments us for being fun and...

It was just another day at the gym. I showed up, already dreading the workout ahead. I memorized the circuit my trainer had written for me and got to it. Like most days, somewhere around the 70% mark, my mind began its usual negotiations. That’s enough for today. You’ve done most of it. Skip that last rep. But everytime, I would bargain with myself. Just finish the remaining 30%. Take longer breaks if you must. Slow down if you need to. But finish it. So that’s what I did. Five...