Zoey Michaels

Before you say “yes” to helping, giving, or sacrificing, ask yourself:

1. Am I feeling pressured, rushed, or emotionally cornered?
   If yes pause.
2. Have I asked a trusted advisor or...

Have you ever given so much to others that you ended up drained, resentful, or even taken advantage of? It’s a hard truth, but toxic generosity — when giving turns into self-sacrifice — can happen to the best of us.

It can sneak up in two powerful ways:

• Through people we’ve known for years, who slowly take more than they give.
• Through scammers, who expertly manipulate our kindness for their gain.

The twist? Both count on us not listening to reason.

Familiar Faces Can Take Advantage Too

When we...

People often ask me where my inspiration comes from—what sparks the stories I’ve written, the lyrics I’ve crafted, and even the projects I have yet to bring to life. I’ve thought about this a lot, and I’ve come to believe that inspiration doesn’t simply strike out of nowhere. It’s a continuous, circulating process—just like the earth’s water cycle.

In the water cycle, water evaporates, forms clouds, rains down, and flows back into oceans and lakes, only to begin again. Inspiration works the...

Just as nature abhors a vacuum, so does emotional healing. Take no action, ignore the problem, and you might feel as though you’ve healed—or at least convince yourself you have. But more often than not, what’s actually happened is the pain has been buried, leaving behind seeds for future troubles to take root.

Healing is not passive. It requires honesty, courage, and sometimes a willingness to face discomfort. But perhaps most importantly, it requires intuition—that quiet inner knowing that...