tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41304012013567042792024-08-29T14:22:53.360-04:00A place to find hope and learn how it is possible to re-invent yourself. No matter how big the challenge that life throws your way, you can turn it into an opportunity!pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-27125507029149272802016-11-13T17:03:00.002-05:002016-11-13T17:03:42.663-05:00

I deleted my Facebook account after explaining that I had grown weary on logging on and seeing so much hatred and intolerance thrown around. Coincidentally, this happened right after the presidential election and some people, who obviously were not paying attention, made the assumption that I couldn't accept a Donald Trump presidency. This assumption cemented my impression of how ignorant

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-3172813757225829892015-12-20T06:32:00.003-05:002015-12-20T06:42:55.352-05:00

This past week I lost a good friend to cancer. Her diagnosis came after a bout with bronchitis that wasn't responding to antibiotics. In her mid-50's, she had struggled with health issues the last several years but always seemed to have the strength to battle through. This latest health crisis came on fast and furious and sadly it was too much for her to survive it. Before her illness took a

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-8014888144980703812015-11-26T07:31:00.001-05:002015-11-26T07:31:23.182-05:00

This is my family's first major holiday without my dad. I don't want to be sad anymore. Thanksgiving is a day of gratitude and instead of focusing on sadness, I would rather recall the memories of Thanksgivings past when my dad was here. It has been three months since that awful day when we had to let go of my dad and I experienced the deep pain of grieving one of the most important persons

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-77054704161689886292015-09-23T13:31:00.002-04:002015-09-23T13:31:27.466-04:00

If living here on Earth is school, grief is a course most of us would want to skip out of. It is 1 month today that my father died. I have a hard time saying that he is no longer "with" us because in truth, I know he has been with us. It's just different now. Grieving has been an emotional roller-coaster for his family; no surprises there. It's strange how in one moment I can be

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-88585749563597063862015-09-14T08:08:00.000-04:002015-09-14T08:08:04.207-04:00

Grief has me frozen from being able to breathe. As much as I argue with myself, I can't seem to move beyond it. I know he is in a better place. I know his soul is free of the body that had worn out. But still my mind wrestles with the "what if's" and "I should have". I have seen others do this when they lost someone they love. Somehow the advice I always gave to others seems lost on

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-7588101960743497412015-07-16T12:34:00.001-04:002015-07-16T12:34:24.022-04:00

As the mom of a transgender person, it excites me that Caitlyn Jenner is getting so much exposure for the transgender community. What I fear is the negative response to it all. The truth is that as much as the media is latching onto the transgender movement, we still have a long way to go before we become an accepting society. Caitlyn Jenner receiving an award for being courageous has brought

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-22984483169021950292015-06-30T20:48:00.001-04:002015-06-30T20:48:18.507-04:00

In my blog "Let's Talk About Mental Illness" I have been boldly sharing my family's experiences with opiate addiction. As a writer nothing fuels my passion to write more than when it is personal. I just get fired up and I cannot hold back! I have to admit that during my career writing web content I was often shy about sharing personal stories. I did let go and write about my own child's

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-74745420402418067092015-06-09T11:47:00.001-04:002015-06-09T11:47:44.523-04:00

My horoscope was right. Today is a REALLY good day. I'm almost fearful (negative conditioning as a child) of how well everything seems to be falling into place. After a very stressful last couple of weeks, things seem to be going my way. I've been working on some goals and focusing on my daily to-do lists. I'm hopeful and that is everything. Past wrongs are being righted and I feel so

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-54082665442273727302015-06-05T16:23:00.000-04:002015-06-05T16:23:10.602-04:00

I've been struggling in the darkness for weeks now but today something happened that made me see the light around me. My negativity was consuming me and hopelessness was dragging me down. Sometimes you can be so desperate for a way out that you cannot see clearly. I feel like I have finally figured out some things that will help me change my life and I am sharing them here in the hope that it

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-76585486740655387892015-01-22T20:42:00.001-05:002015-01-22T20:42:34.623-05:00

Could the average person even imagine what it would be like to feel like they are a stranger in their own body? Most adolescents go through a period of adjustment as their bodies change and they go through puberty. Many question their sexuality. Being transgender is not about questioning who you are attracted to but what sex you are. What if you felt that you were in the wrong body and

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-68942196742337788152014-12-31T20:20:00.000-05:002014-12-31T20:20:09.693-05:00

It's kind of strange how much we think about what the new year might bring us. We wish each other the best in the new year to come as if something magical might happen as the new year begins. When the clock strikes 12 and the new year officially begins is it too much to wish for a brand new start? Is it too much to hope that some magic will happen and a year of struggles with finally cease? Is

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-56900315079323307892014-11-05T11:30:00.000-05:002014-11-05T11:30:49.467-05:00

I wake up every day with a sense of gratitude. It isn't easy to keep that thought as my day goes on, but I am determined to keep on. As I've said so many times and continue to say- GIVING UP IS NOT AN OPTION! Don't get me wrong. It isn't easy to carry on when often it feels like my efforts are fruitless. I have been at my job now for a month and on pay day I literally cannot help but cry. I

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-75410008360215341342014-09-25T07:25:00.002-04:002014-09-25T07:25:50.237-04:00

Disappointment can break you or it can make you fight even harder. Everyone has been disappointed before. It disrupts the "plan" you had for yourself. Sometimes it is a good thing. Stopping and re-evaluating where you are going can make you see things you hadn't noticed before. Does anyone really believe that you have no control over your life? Does anyone really believe that you are just

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-33285817804208775882014-09-13T08:16:00.001-04:002014-09-13T08:16:51.632-04:00

Life would be boring without any challenges. Imagine it. If everything always seemed to go "your" way what lessons would there be to learn? What strength would you gain by just going through your life day after day without having overcome a thing? Obstacles are put in our way for a reason. To test our patience, to learn compassion, to teach a lesson- this is just a part of life. Life is

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-18289811448648569062014-08-14T09:11:00.000-04:002014-08-14T09:11:55.746-04:00

Social media can be a huge help to someone who is feeling troubled by the weight of the world. Even if you choose to not reach out to a cyber friend, just reading another person's posts can help lift you out of a dark place or moment. Sometimes you can even be reminded that although your issue seems earth-shattering to you, there are others who are living a far worse fate. We all have

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-44902528182456103682014-08-13T07:28:00.001-04:002014-08-13T07:28:52.428-04:00

Robin Williams' public persona is one of the reasons why his suicide at age 63 has many of us in a state of shock. It was always fun to watch him live as you never knew what he would do. He was the manic clown who had the gift of being able to make us laugh not just with his quick witted humor but his infectious energy which sometimes seemed to take over his entire being. Behind it all

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-2409261601054841952014-04-08T18:53:00.000-04:002014-04-08T18:53:08.156-04:00

I'm beginning to think that the universe is trying to send me a message. Lately I have been ignoring the obvious but today the truth smacked me in the face. In less than 1 month I would have been at my present job for 1 year. Although I never imagined myself making it a career, I really did expect to be there longer than this. I was very blessed this time around to have some pretty fantastic

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-45640403345672454202014-01-19T09:21:00.000-05:002014-01-19T09:21:26.246-05:00

I held off from having a surgical procedure for several months because I knew that the recovery was going to be a challenge. No I wasn't afraid of the pain afterwards, my fears had to do with being taken out of my routine. For almost 4 years I was unemployed and during that time I fell into an unhealthy pattern. I fell into a depression and along with that came anxiety and fear that kept me

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-46899394906408660642014-01-15T10:53:00.002-05:002014-01-15T10:53:23.823-05:00

"If I don't do it, it won't get done" One of the many lies a superwoman tells herself. The truth is- the hard truth - it will get done but not the way YOU would do it. And guess what? It's perfectly okay. Many women today do do it all. Forced to either because they are a single mom or because financially it is just too hard to get by on one income, many women find themselves in the role of

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-6918898263279273992013-10-03T11:10:00.000-04:002013-10-03T11:10:16.931-04:00

Have you ever gone to your doctor and had him advise you to avoid stress? Did you just want to laugh out loud? Seriously, how can anyone avoid all stress? Unless you are living alone on a deserted island you are going to be faced with difficult people, situations and challenges. How do you live a stress-free life when it feels like stress is waiting around every corner? There is a lot of

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-42842629620291617752013-02-04T19:21:00.000-05:002013-02-04T19:21:15.894-05:00

It is so hard some days to keep the faith when it feels like your world is crumbling. Sometimes it might seem like the only choice is to give up. Instead of giving up, why not surrender? To surrender you accept that there are things that you cannot change but maybe you are not meant to change them. It doesn't mean that you are going to stop trying; it just means that you are going to see

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-62857153418414731552013-02-03T19:30:00.000-05:002013-02-03T19:30:09.964-05:00

After long-term unemployment, some people found that the only job they were able to get was one that doesn't pay the bills. Going to work every day hoping for something better to come your way, meanwhile sinking into financial debt that gets harder to get out of is stress producing to say the least. What exactly is the alternative? Government assistance is for those who have exhausted all

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-82096850333164511862013-01-26T11:13:00.000-05:002013-01-26T11:13:02.951-05:00

Sometimes we get a picture of how we expect our lives to be and when all does not turn out as planned, we fight a losing battle trying to make it just so. Often we need to just accept what "is" and just change our game plan. When you look for the good in a bad situation it can always be found. The problem is that it still means you need to accept the way things are. Uncertainty is often a part

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-79539633379233697592013-01-13T09:17:00.000-05:002013-01-13T09:17:24.653-05:00

Funny how life sends you signs. I was just wasting time this morning on Facebook and came across a friend's post about what the date you were born on means about what career path is right for you. Hers was so scarily dead-on that I couldn't help but try it on myself. Mine, too, was dead on. Funny how it said nothing about what I currently (dread) do. Not that I am shocked much. I know I

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130401201356704279.post-76955617761712372862012-12-15T08:07:00.001-05:002012-12-15T08:07:31.075-05:00

Yesterday's shooting at a Connecticut elementary school has the nation in a state of mourning and shock. How could anyone commit such a heinous act? As we all hug our children a little tighter today, it makes me wonder why such evil exists in the world and why shooting rampages like this are becoming more frequent. Try to explain to a child why people do bad things and you can feel a bit at a

pbenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449285889347272523noreply@blogger.com0