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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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365 Journal Questions, Relationships, writing therapy
Week 1 Questions for Know Thyself in 2019: Sleep

by Emily Kluge

(This blog post is part of a weekly series for Know Thyself 2019: A Journal Project) S L E E P The question topic might surprise you. Why start a self-knowledge journal asking about something that we’re unconscious for? Two major reasons to figure out your relationship with sleep: Your brain health. Deep thinking and creativity require proper brain function. If you’re not sleeping well, then...

January 1, 2019

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365 Journal Questions, Fitness & Yoga, writing therapy
Know Thyself in 2019: A Journal Project

by Emily Kluge

The most important thing you can do is learn who you are. There are so many motivational speakers available to us, so why are we still doing so little with our resources? I mean, we don’t seem to be getting any happier. That is what we want, right? Maybe it’s time to admit that motivation enough to find a happy and healthy life. Why...

January 1, 2019

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365 Journal Questions, writing therapy
How to Live without Shame and Avoid Rationalizing

by Emily Kluge

A few days ago I was discussing justification with a colleague. The previous two blog posts were about Justification (Parts 1 and 2). He suggested a third aspect of justification: excuse-making or rationalization. This is distinct from the epistemic notions of justification. A discussion of rationalization justification falls under the categories of pragmatism (human, goal-oriented reasoning) and psychology. What is Rationalization Justification? Rationalization is...

December 13, 2018

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Emotional F(x), Personal Growth, philosophy
Life Lessons At the Xerox Machine

by Emily Kluge

A lesson for self-acceptance from an unlikely place Yesterday at work I walked by a co-worker who was having some difficulty with a new printing system that had recently been installed. She sighed and explained to me that I was lucky since I was new and didn’t know the old system at all. She was used to doing things the old way and, therefore,...

November 11, 2018

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Buddhism, Emotional F(x), Happiness, philosophy, Spirituality

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 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...

The Heart of the City at Minus 8 Degrees

by Emily Kluge

A Valentine’s Day poem written during my walk to work. A bus stop advertisement mentions “the heart of the city” and inspires the title. The Heart of the City at Minus 8 Degrees The smell of rotten vegetables touches my nostrils The city is a fermenting refrigerator A hint of freshly dug dirt The sidewalk under repair Diesel exhaust – Frozen hearts of the workmen Engines running to stay warm on Valentine’s Day ___ Hardened souls, Yet the scent of colognes and perfumes Betrays secret desires How embarrassing to need love Hold me, on Valentine’s Day ___ My eyes meet other eyes For a moment, the reality of city life: Wide open hearts, closed windows Always I wonder Who is chasing whom, Valentine? Critical Thinking: Take two minutes to mentally review your day, recalling images and seeing them behind your closed eyes. Write a short poem of your own. Three or four lines will do! Use a metaphor, which is a literary device for comparison and symbolism, a word or description is applied...