Shells from a Beach

Stories of life, love, and learning

Welcome!

This blog was sparked in text conversations with a friend who told me I write “beautifully” amidst discussions that helped me reclaim myself. Then, it was like dominoes: multiple friends stopped me to say that my writing was beautiful. I thought “I’m not a writer, I’m a mathematician…” but, in truth, I write a lot. I type my notes for classes to ensure that the conceptual understanding is clear, I journal things, I take forever writing emails because my words mean something to me.

Their words grabbed me. I feel vulnerable sharing my writing, but I want to share the work I’ve done in the hope that others can benefit from it. I hope you enjoy my words. I hope you find ways to reclaim yourself, love yourself, and spark the light inside you.

Love, -S.

Start from the beginning: Hello Internet

Or, read the latest posts:

  • Anxiety

    This post is also available as a podcast here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/s-p01/episodes/Anxiety-e25l0jn I know so many people with anxiety – does everyone have anxiety?! I feel like everyone I talk to has some level of anxiety. Why? I’ve had a wide range on the anxiety scale, I go through periods of overwhelming anxiety and I also go…

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  • Lonely Child

    This post is also available as a podcast here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/s-p01/episodes/Lonely-Child-e24ufk9 I said I would come back to this topic… so here it goes. I think that being a lonely child prepared me for a lot of the things I’ve faced in becoming an adult, so this seems like a good time to talk about it…

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  • Adulting

    This post is also available as a podcast here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/s-p01/episodes/Adulting-e24ue4a You’re never adulting more than when you’re taking care of someone else. This is a quote that I said to a friend when they were caring for their partner, and they repeated it back to me because it resonated for them. I see a lot…

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  • Beautiful People

    This post is available as a podcast here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/s-p01/episodes/Beautiful-People-e24udip People are beautiful. People are full of love. People will amaze you when their hearts are open. Walking into the world with this perspective will change your life. I was such a scared child. Afraid at every turn, but always appearing fearless. People scared me. I…

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  • Who am I?

    This post is also available as a podcast here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/hqHcPnQ18zb This seems like a good follow-up to the “fake” post. Embracing who you are is the key to becoming “real.” Regardless of your versatility or history, you are still you. I wrote before about finding the things inside you that light you up. Those are…

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  • What is “fake”?

    This post is available as a podcast here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/TAEGcidDSzb There’s this odd fad about: calling people fake for being versatile. Versatility is a strength, and it isn’t fake. To be “fake” requires, in my mind, intentional deception. The intention matters. People pleasers are sometimes called “fake” because they adapt to their environments. However, this is…

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  • “Yes, and…”

    This post is available as a podcast here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/BNt1b09BSzb I have embraced “Yes, and…” in life. My time doing improvisational theatre was honestly the best training for all the things I do. Social conversation, teaching, parenting – anything. This post is intimately connected to the sense of flow in my life. I might go as…

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  • Connection

    This post is available as a podcast here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/WXQ3LnnASzb Much like I am a flow seeker, I am a connection seeker. It’s an aspect of Buddhism and the Dalai Lama’s teachings that resonates with me deeply. When I see others, I seek the similarity. I seek the common humanity. I seek their perspective through the…

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  • Trusting People

    This post is available as a podcast here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/ULuSP8rGtzb When you put your trust in someone and they abuse it, that’s a reflection on them, not on you. That’s my rough recollection of something from Amanda Palmer’s book, where she was talking about the trust she put in her fans when she was couch surfing.…

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  • Muse, Me

    This post is also available as a podcast here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/RwvXkQBMlzb I have a tendency to fall into people’s lives. I say that, because I find myself instantly bonding with people. I bond with them, we work together somehow to reach their goals, and then our bond is broken. I sat back and pondered to myself…

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