Happy Haven with Brandi-Ann Uyemura

Are You An Over-Apologizer?

Brandi-Ann Uyemura — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:21:37 +0000

I am. And I'm betting most women are. In fact, a study found that women apologize more than men do. Why? Men have a higher tolerance for what they perceive is worthy of an apology. Women who want to instill harmony in their relationships are more sensitive to transgressions, and more apt to feel like victims of wrongdoing. The Bad Thing About Over-Apologizing The thing about...

Read the full post here »

The F-Word That Will Change Your Life

Brandi-Ann Uyemura — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:30:37 +0000

To be human means you ache. You hurt for the things you don't have, the life you never got, the people who betrayed you. Some days seem full of grief, heartbreak and anger. And it's so easy to stay in this place. Although you're never promised a perfect life, you gripe in agony over the things don't turn out as planned. Perhaps, serious transgressions occurred at one time and you wish desperately for a way to right the wrong. And instead of wading your way through it, you allow anger to...

Read the full post here »

Practicing Acceptance

Brandi-Ann Uyemura — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 09:00:28 +0000

I think one of the greatest obstacles we grapple with is learning how to accept what is instead of moaning and groaning about what we don't have. It's like we're sitting there one hand full of riches and the other hand open full of potential. But we don't see it. Nope. We're too focused on the fact that the other hand is empty and not filled yet. "Why oh why is it not filled yet?," we ask. It causes us to transform back into our 2-year-old selves, throwing punches to the air, crying...

Read the full post here »

The Truth About Comfort

Brandi-Ann Uyemura — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:00:22 +0000

Fear if left alone will only grow bigger. And if confronted can reap so many unexpectedly beautiful things. Such a small choice like deciding to go out with a new friend or trying a new restaurant, a new way home, can be like a car wash for your soul. Sometimes it's small ripples that cause the biggest waves. Driving over this scenic highway, I thought about all the opportunities I would have missed had I allowed fear to control my life. Staying safe seems...

Read the full post here »

Why Life is Unfair

Brandi-Ann Uyemura — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:00:47 +0000

Life is not supposed to be easy. We're not meant to sit in hammocks and twiddle our thumbs. We're grown to be both hard and soft, both strong and vulnerable. We're built to withstand hardship and to be supple and weak. We know this as children. We know it inherently, which is why children laugh as hard as they cry, play as hard as they sleep. We just forget as we lose our baby fat and childlike sensibilities. But life does not want us to stay set in our own ways. It wiggles and shakes...

Read the full post here »

What’s Causing You the Most Suffering

Brandi-Ann Uyemura — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 09:00:18 +0000

What's causing you the most suffering in life isn't the things you don't have or not being grateful for the things you do. The reason why most of us endure so much unnecessary pain is that we believe in the picture painted by another artist's brush. To put it simply, understanding why you're in grief right now, could be due to these two reasons: 1) You believe that you're not living the life that you're supposed to have. 2) You know this because you compare yourself to other people...

Read the full post here »

Sweet Ways to Savor the Weekend

Brandi-Ann Uyemura — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 09:00:58 +0000

Remember when weekends were all about doing nothing? When you could lay back and lounge around with a intoxicating book and an ice cold drink? Weren't those days the best? What happened to our weekends? Why have they been suddenly filled with plans, errands and to-do lists? Maybe we lost something when we embraced our technological culture. Yes, we may never have to deal with the discomfort of being bored again, but we also lose the sweetness that comes from simply savoring a...

Read the full post here »

Don’t Let Fear Overrun Your Faith

Brandi-Ann Uyemura — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:00:15 +0000

That's the thought that overpowered me over a decade ago when I had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work part-time as a private investigator. And it's visiting me again. It's so easy for me to fall into the trap of fear. One doubt, a single second of second guessing and I become saturated with fear so great that I forget who's running the show in the first place. Like a sneeze, its invisible yet...

Read the full post here »

10 Ways to Beat Anxiety

Brandi-Ann Uyemura — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:00:42 +0000

Anxiety is not my favorite disorder. It's probably one of my least favorite. Why? Unlike depression it can make normal activities like going to the grocery story or riding a plane feel like a real life nightmare. Thankfully, there are a multitude of ways to address the symptoms of anxiety. And this can help those who suffer from it feel more in control and empowered, which are key factors in helping individuals reduce symptoms in the first place. Here are ten ways that could...

Read the full post here »

Summer Un-Necessities: What You Don’t Need This Summer

Brandi-Ann Uyemura — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 09:30:49 +0000

It's just a few days until it's officially summer. This usually signals a mad rush to truly savor the season. But unlike spring, fall or winter, there's an added expectation that comes with these next few months. So instead of getting caught up in them this year, I thought it'd be nice to find ways to unwind a little, de-compress and let go of the unrealistic pressures we put on ourselves when the days get longer and hotter.

Get Bikini Ready

Hot weather signifies...

Read the full post here »