Jen A. Miller Consulting

Author: Jen A. Miller

How Do You Define Your Identity?

GirlTalkHQ Founder Asha Dahya opens up about the journey to find her identity

“Don’t apologize for who you are… true happiness comes from knowing your individual worth and identity”

I have been in a relationship for 31 years, which, coincidentally, is also my age. That life-long relationship has been with no one other than my identity. Sounds weird, but hear me out!

For most of my life, I’ve struggled to uncover who I am and how I want to be perceived. Though you’d image this struggle would get easier with time, my experience has been quite the opposite. As I’ve grown older, extraneous circumstances – peer pressure, family pressure, the media, relationships with boys, my career- have threatened to break up my longest relationship and have even managed to hijack my identity at times.

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September 2, 2014
A Tale of Two Cities

Our Leading Ladies share their top 10 from Los Angeles and San Francisco

PHOTO: Crossfit Santa Monica, Localbigwig.

When we founded The Single Diaries a year ago, we had no idea we wouldn’t be in the same city so soon. (Don’t tell me I’ve never been in a long-distance relationship.) Separation anxiety aside, we are finding one major plus to working out of two different major cities: more wine bars to frequent, more neighborhoods to explore, more dishes to discover! In honor of our new status as a bi-city blog, we bring you our favorite mainstays from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

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August 28, 2014
All Hail Our Single Girls
A Shout Out to Our Amazing Contributors, Our Single Girls

As we celebrate 1 year of The Single Diaries we would be remiss not to recognize the Single Girls who have contributed to the making of this site. From our long-time friends to friends whom we’ve recently met, there are nearly 50 amazing women whose talents make up these pages.

The posts that they have contributed are as varied as the women themselves. Some have shared their advice through original articles. Others have let us tap their talents for an interview. While still others have shared their words of wisdom for posts Catherine and I have put together.

No matter the method, the result remains the same. We are always inspired by their passion, ability, and fortitude. We’ve:
- Learned from their adventures in romance.
- Explored the world through their travels.
- Gotten to know the cities they call home.
- Been motivated by their pursuits.
Needless to say, we think our Single Girls rock.

A few weeks ago one of our contributors introduced me to a dinner party game called “I’m a badass because…”. Everyone around the table was asked to share what personal accomplishments she was most proud of. I had two immediate reactions when our host initiated the game- fear and appreciation. Fear because I, like many of us, am not comfortable tooting my own horn. Appreciation, for having a friend that was pushing this group of girls not only to cheer for one another but also for themselves.

When I thought about the best way to recognize The Single Diaries contributors I could think of no better idea than to carry forward this game and allow each girl the chance to express what she is most proud. See what they had to say-

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August 27, 2014
12 Months a Single Girl | Our Manifesto Revealed

Happy 1st Anniversary to The Single Diaries!

A year ago, Jen and I launched The Single Diaries. We first tested the idea on our closest circle of friends several months before that. When we saw that our message resonated with them we knew we had the support to keep reaching.

As we commit to year 2, we unveil our manifesto… the words we live by, the summary of our work, the mission we strive to carry out post by post. Twelve months flew by, so we simply want to say Thank You. Thank you for reading, for supporting our stories, and for inspiring us to leap. Every. Single. Day.

We have big plans for our second year and can’t wait to share them with you as they unfold. Until then, read on for a look back at our favorite moments from the first year of living our mission, and share your favorites with us too.

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August 25, 2014
Single Girl Reads | The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything

9 reasons you need to read James Martin, S.J.’s Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Anything

When Jen and I were developing the idea for The Single Diaries, we agreed that our main focus would be on relationships: romantic, platonic, familial, but most importantly the one with self. One major life influence for each of us is spirituality, and it may be for many of you as well. Regardless of your self-described religion or spirituality, I highly recommend The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything as a way to incorporate that part of your identity into real life. This book is applicable to anyone looking to deepen their spirituality, regardless of their main belief system. As Martin S.J. states, “Just as there are insights from Zen Buddhism that are useful to me as a Christian, so there are practices and techniques from Ignatian spirituality that can help the Zen Buddhist. And the person who is Jewish or Muslim, too. Anyone can use these practices to better his or her life” (393).

In Twenty-Seven | What I’ve Learned This Far, I cited this particular book as a wonderful starting point for anyone looking to reflect and deepen their knowledge of themselves on this level. I tend to read books with a pencil in hand, but this one is impossible to get through without one. It took me a really long time to get through it, not because it was uninteresting… on the contrary, while the material James Martin S.J. covers is dense and requires a lot of reflection and processing, he writes in true Jesuit fashion making the teachings of St. Ignatius accessible for all with more than a few moments of real laugh-out-loud humor. Whether your goal is to get to deepen your sense of self, learn more about St. Ignatius and his friends, or get a better understanding of Jesuit teachings, here are 9 points that Martin, S.J. makes… and my arguments for why you should pick up a copy and start the trek through this book today, if not sooner.

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August 22, 2014