Week 46 Questions for Know Thyself 2019: Finding Yourself

by Emily Kluge

It's safe to say that money can't buy happiness. Everyone can think of someone rich & miserable. Fame, too, doesn't guarantee a high quality life - just consider the list of famous people who committed suicide or became addicts. Feeling lost and disconnected with your life & experiences is a terrible way to live. Winning the game of life means figuring out your purpose and...

November 14, 2019

Comments 0

365 Journal Questions, writing therapy
Week 44 Questions for Know Thyself 2019: Seasons

by Emily Kluge

It’s nearly November. The fall gusts carry brilliant fluttering leaves and the sun barely peeks over the horizon at five o’clock. We mentally prepare ourselves for the fast-approaching winter by vocalizing our bewilderment at the cool temperatures – “Can you believe how cold it is?” and “Wasn’t it summer just last week?” The feigned surprise makes it seem as if we expected summer to...

October 30, 2019

Comments 0

365 Journal Questions, writing therapy
Week 35 Questions for Know Thyself 2019: Youth Worship

by Emily Kluge

Maybe it’s because I’m in my thirties, but I’ve begun to notice that our society equates ‘life’ with ‘youth’. By that I mean that concepts relating to “life” immediately stir up images of youthfulness. Close your eyes and visualize ‘life’ and ‘living’ – you might see what I mean. “Life” is misidentified with the decade or so of youth that is sandwiched between two...

August 30, 2019

Comments 0

365 Journal Questions, writing therapy
Week 30 Questions for Know Thyself 2019: Perfection

by Emily Kluge

We're all aiming for it, right? Perfection, that is. It's a sneaky concept that smuggles the unfathomable into everyday conversation and personal goal setting. But what is perfection, really? Is it a real thing? Is it a substantial, useful concept? Get your concepts straightened out in Week 30 of Know Thyself 2019 Journal Project!

July 24, 2019

Comments 0

365 Journal Questions, writing therapy
Week 24 Questions for Know Thyself 2019: Fame

by Emily Kluge

This week’s journal topic: Fame Being famous is a new career choice and a highly desirable one for Millennials and Gen Z. Twenty years ago, if you asked an elementary school student what she wanted to be when she grew up, she might have named veterinarian, scientist, or doctor as dream careers. The Barbie dolls of the 90’s reflect these choices. If you asked...

June 12, 2019

Comments 0

365 Journal Questions, writing therapy
NEW Emotional Wellness Workshop – Vancouver, BC, Canada

by Emily Kluge

I’m excited to announce the first of a series of four workshops on emotional and mental wellness. The first workshop is taking place on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver. There are limited spaces, so please RSVP by emailing me at hytutoring.emily@gmail.com This workshop focuses on teaching the skills required to live happily and healthily. It’ll be fun, informative and transformative. It will end with...

June 10, 2019

Comment 1

Personal Growth, Spirituality, writing therapy
Week 17 Questions for Know Thyself 2019: Happiness

by Emily Kluge

(This post is part of a weekly series for Know Thyself 2019, a 365 day journal project. Start here!) This Week’s Journal Topic: Happiness Do you want to be happy? For all humans, the answer is an unambiguous Yes. To be human is to seek happiness, wouldn’t you agree? The desire for happiness simultaneously brings humanity together and tears us apart. Sure, we are...

April 23, 2019

Comments 0

365 Journal Questions, writing therapy
A Cheerfulness Practice to Radically Improve Your Mindset and Get Rid of Ennui

by Emily Kluge

Don’t let a chronic case of the Mondays bring down your entire life. Have you ever felt that each week is more of the same? You make it through Monday to Thursday. Finally, it’s Friday! But suddenly it’s Monday again. How did that happen? The weeks run like torturous deja vu. Or perhaps it feels like every day is worse than the last. ...

March 25, 2019

Comments 0

Emotional F(x), Personal Growth
Can you Be Present AND plan for the Future?

by Emily Kluge

Pop-culture’s Enlightenment Error “Happiness is only achievable in the present moment.” “To be present you must put aside thoughts of the past and future.” “Just breathe, trust, let it go and see what happens.” Statements about being present are multiplying as quickly as smoothie shops. Mindfulness websites, motivational wallpapers, and Instagram captions recycle and repurpose ancient wisdom into naïve platitudes that briefly catch our...

March 8, 2019

Comments 0

Personal Growth, Spirituality
Week 10 Questions for Know Thyself 2019: What’s Love?

by Emily Kluge

(This blog is part of a weekly series for Know Thyself 2019, a 365 day journal project. Start here!) This Week’s Journal Topic: Love In English, the word “love” can refer to anything from pleasant regard (“I love your blouse.”) to deep interpersonal affection (“Your love completes me.”). Although the word is frequently used, many of us, when asked, would have to think about...

March 5, 2019

Comment 1

365 Journal Questions, Relationships, writing therapy

What is Emergence?

the process of coming into being
the condition of an entity having properties its parts do not have, due to interactions among the parts.

Are you ready for your own emergence?

Are you ready to become more than the sum of your parts? Are you ready to take control of your own thoughts and emotions? Do you want to become emotionally resilient and full of love?

You’ve come to the right place! My blog is a place for personal emergence, everyday. Your emergence becomes possible when you:

learn empowering critical thinking skills
understand yourself and the role of your emotions
discover and/or decide on your values, beliefs, and attitudes
love yourself & practice self-care

Why Critical Thinking?

True freedom is the freedom to think and feel what you want. This kind of freedom will allow you to create a happy and personally meaningful life. In order to access your freedom, you must develop critical thinking skills. Critical thinking skills are powerful tools for empowerment and decision-making. But you can’t buy them; instead, you need to develop them through consistent practice.

Critical thinking skills in daily life include recognizing, categorizing, analyzing, understanding relationships, and predicting. By allowing you to see reality more clearly, critical thinking results in more positive and powerful interactions with both the external world and your internal world.

Why Understand Yourself?

Authentic. Intelligent. Confident. Compassionate. Happy. Peaceful.

For all of us, this list of qualities is a work-in-progress. There’s no way around the “work”: just like you can’t pay someone to read a book for you, you can’t buy these qualities. These qualities are already inside each of us, but they must be awakened. With each reflection question included in my blog posts, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of yourself. The only way to uncover your authentic self and feel genuine self-love is to get to know yourself.

Why Do Values Matter?

Think about it like this: we’re all going to the same final destination, but we can choose our own method of transportation. Some people choose a luxury car, some fly a turbo-prop, and some take the train. Some walk the trip in a worn-out pair of shoes, and some have to pull over again and again to repair their unreliable beater. Choosing your values is like choosing your transportation – it won’t change the destination but it changes the journey.

You were born with a purpose, although it might not be clear to you, yet. As you discover your values, beliefs, and attitudes, the purpose will begin to emerge. By understanding and focusing on what intensely matters to your heart and mind, your priorities will move you toward your purpose.

Why Love Yourself?

Most empowerment blogs ask you to Set goals! and Dream big! and Do it now! They provide mantras, methods, and motivational quotes. In my own experience, I never found those useful until I began to dedicate myself to acceptance. For that reason, my blog is different: I prioritize the cultivation of self-love and I do my best to avoid writing about anything that defeats self-acceptance.

The root of self-love is self-acceptance. If you want to accept yourself, then you’ll need to be willing to get to know yourself. Consider all the journal questions and critical thinking questions as writing therapy.

When you accept and cherish yourself – authentically and easily – you’ll naturally activate your potentials without the need for planners – the easily-forgotten, guilt-inducing kind. After you recognize and find joy in your natural talents, it’s impossible not to cultivate them. Self-love will inspire you to take practical steps towards living authentically. Know how to love yourself, and you’ll gravitate towards a life YOU love.

My message to you:

Live Unapologetically!

It goes against social expectations, but I believe that you should stop apologizing, at least for being you. Be free and let go of shame and inadequacy. Don’t apologize for dreaming, speaking out, hoping, feeling, and certainly not for loving anyone or anything!

Check out New Here? to access a complete list of posts categorized to serve you best.

Happy explorations of your mind!

Week 37 Questions for Know Thyself 2019: Trust

by Emily Kluge

"He was confused. He had never asked her to trust him or said anything to make her believe he was worth her trust. And she knew his past – so what did she expect? She had trusted him – to do what, exactly?" Do you know what it means to trust someone? What about trusting yourself? Answer quickly, before philosophy gets in the way. You think you know, until you realize that you do not know at all what it means to trust and be trusted. Click to visit this week's post to learn about trust. Plus, journal questions to help you understand how and why you trust!

Week 10 Questions for Know Thyself 2019: What’s Love?

by Emily Kluge

(This blog is part of a weekly series for Know Thyself 2019, a 365 day journal project. Start here!) This Week’s Journal Topic: Love In English, the word “love” can refer to anything from pleasant regard (“I love your blouse.”) to deep interpersonal affection (“Your love completes me.”). Although the word is frequently used, many of us, when asked, would have to think about what we really mean. Why bother defining love? Prevent misunderstandings: An instance of the word “love” may be casually misunderstood because of the variety of meanings it takes on, dependent on context and individuals involved. The meaning is often taken for granted by the hearer and speaker. Clarify expectations: If you’ve defined your own usage of, “I love – “, then you’ll be ready to ask another person what it means to them when they use the sentence. Deepen your debate: Some people reserve the word “love” for strong emotions; other people use love often and easily. What’s the true meaning of love? Everyone wants to know. How many ways...