Monica Grey, LCSW, LMT

01/03/2026

Prioritize your peace and well-being..

01/01/2026

So appreciate Alex and Allyson Grey(no we are not related) and their work as visionary artists who live in Upstate New York and have a retreat center there as well as where he shows his amazing work. . Def on my bucket list…

12/30/2025

This information is epic. We have to build resilience, a bigger band width so that we are not continuously being annoyed, bothered, frustrated, angry etc. Peolle do what the do. Things are the way they are. The world will never conform to the way you think it should. Learn to allow what is to be and be at peace.

There are books you read with your eyes, and there are books you absorb with your whole chest. This one met me through my ears, during a season when my mind felt louder than my environment. Somewhere between routine movements and quiet moments, a calm voice kept returning to one simple truth, not everything deserves access to your emotions. Listening to Stop Letting Everything Affect You as an audiobook felt less like being taught and more like being gently coached out of mental chaos. The author, Daniel Chidiac, does not shout his wisdom, he lets it land slowly, and that softness made the lessons sink deeper.

1. Not everything that triggers you deserves a response: One of the clearest lessons from the book is the discipline of selective reaction. Daniel repeatedly emphasizes that peace begins when you stop reacting to everything that touches your emotions. Listening to his narration, you can almost hear the pause he wants you to take before reacting. He explains that many emotional storms are optional, they only grow because we give them attention. The moment you learn to pause, to observe rather than immediately respond, you reclaim control. This lesson reframed how I see offense, disappointment, and even criticism. Not every feeling needs action, and not every action needs your energy.

2. Overthinking is not intelligence, it is fear wearing a clever mask: The book confronts overthinking in a very honest way. Daniel makes it clear that most overthinking is not depth, it is fear trying to feel productive. As he speaks, there is a gentleness that removes shame, yet a firmness that exposes the habit for what it is. He explains how the mind loops because it wants certainty in a world that offers none. This lesson taught me that clarity rarely comes from thinking harder, it comes from trusting yourself enough to move without having all the answers.

3. Emotional freedom begins with responsibility, not blame: A powerful theme woven throughout the book is ownership. Daniel reminds the listener that while you cannot control what happens to you, you are fully responsible for how long it affects you. His voice carries conviction when he explains that blaming people, situations, or the past keeps you emotionally tied to them. Responsibility, on the other hand, breaks the chain. This lesson challenged me to stop outsourcing my peace and start reclaiming it, one choice at a time.

4. Your inner dialogue is shaping your reality more than your circumstances: Listening to the audiobook makes this lesson especially vivid. The way Daniel slows down when talking about self talk makes you notice your own thoughts immediately. He explains that the mind believes what it hears repeatedly, especially when it comes from you. Negative inner conversations quietly sabotage confidence, relationships, and decisions. This lesson made me more intentional about what I say to myself, because the voice inside often becomes the lens through which life is experienced.

5. Detachment is not coldness, it is emotional maturity: One of the most misunderstood ideas Daniel clarifies is detachment. He explains that detachment does not mean you stop caring, it means you stop clinging. Through his calm narration, you sense the freedom that comes with releasing emotional dependence on outcomes, people, and validation. This lesson helped me understand that loving deeply does not require losing yourself, and caring does not mean carrying everything on your shoulders.

6. Peace is built daily, not discovered suddenly: The book does not promise a dramatic breakthrough moment, instead it offers daily practices of awareness, restraint, and intentional thinking. Daniel emphasizes that emotional stability is a habit, not a personality trait. The audiobook format reinforces this truth, because each chapter feels like a daily reminder rather than a one time solution. This lesson grounded me in the reality that peace grows quietly, through repeated small choices, not sudden transformations.

Book/Audiobook: https://amzn.to/499uyrK

You can access the audiobook when you register on the Audible platform using the l!nk above.

12/22/2025

2026 is the year of the horse. The horse moved you forward. It’s going to be an exciting year.

12/20/2025

This is a great book with really important info….

There are books you read, and there are books that quietly read you back. This one entered my space through sound, through voice, through pauses that felt intentional. Somewhere between a long drive and a reflective moment, Gabor Maté’s calm, almost fatherly tone, carried by Daniel Maté’s sensitive narration, began to peel back layers I did not know I had. This was not just listening, it felt like being gently guided into truths the body has been trying to say all along.

1. The body keeps a record the mind tries to erase: One of the strongest messages that stayed with me is that the body does not forget what the mind chooses to suppress. Gabor Maté shows again and again that when emotions like anger, grief, fear, or resentment are pushed aside in the name of being strong, polite, or good, the body quietly absorbs the burden. Over time, it speaks through illness. Listening to the audiobook, the stories of patients made this impossible to ignore. Disease is not always an enemy attacking us, sometimes it is the body’s honest response to years of emotional silencing. This lesson challenged me to stop seeing sickness as random and start seeing it as meaningful communication.

2. Saying yes too often can cost the body dearly: The author repeatedly connects chronic illness with people who are overly nice, self sacrificing, and unable to say no. As I listened, I could almost hear the compassion in his voice for those who learned early in life that love was conditional. Maté explains that when we constantly abandon ourselves to meet the needs of others, stress hormones stay activated, weakening the immune system over time. This lesson landed deeply because it reframes people pleasing as not just a personality trait, but a serious health risk. The body pays the price for every boundary we fail to set.

3. Childhood is where stress quietly takes root: One of the most sobering lessons from the book is how early life experiences shape adult health. Gabor Maté does not accuse parents, instead he invites understanding. Through the narration, it became clear that children adapt in order to survive emotionally. They suppress anger, deny needs, and disconnect from feelings to maintain attachment. Decades later, the body remembers what the child could not express. This lesson helped me see that healing is not about blame, but about recognizing patterns that started long before we had language for them.

4. Stress is not always loud, sometimes it is polite and smiling: The book expands the definition of stress beyond trauma and crisis. Maté explains that hidden stress includes emotional repression, constant self control, and the pressure to appear fine when one is not. Listening to the audiobook, his gentle emphasis made this point even more powerful. Stress is not only what happens to us, but what happens inside us when we deny our truth. This lesson reminded me that calm appearances can hide intense inner tension, and the body eventually exposes what the voice refuses to say.

5. Healing begins with awareness not force: Rather than offering quick fixes, the author emphasizes awareness, compassion, and authenticity. As I listened, there was a noticeable softness in the narration whenever healing was discussed. The body does not heal through pressure, it heals through safety. Recognizing emotional patterns, reconnecting with feelings, and learning self compassion are presented as essential steps. This lesson taught me that recovery is not about fighting the body, but about finally listening to it with honesty and patience.

6. Authenticity is a biological necessity: Perhaps the most profound lesson from the book is that being true to oneself is not a luxury, it is a requirement for health. Maté makes it clear that when we disconnect from our true emotions and needs, the nervous system remains in survival mode. Over time, this imbalance shows up physically. Hearing this through the audiobook made it feel deeply personal. Authenticity is not just about emotional freedom, it is about survival. The body thrives when the self is allowed to exist fully and truthfully.

Book/Audiobook: https://amzn.to/49nDiL9

You can access the audiobook when you register on the Audible platform using the l!nk above.

12/20/2025

This about sums it up….

12/19/2025

Natural remedies for various medical issues.

12/17/2025

I am working on letting go of these things..

12/15/2025

Never give up…

Another pearl from the mouth of the master, HH the Dalai Lama, “be the person who still tries: after failure; after exhaustion; after disappointment; after being told you can’t; after being broken. Remember, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being persistent. It’s not about being strong, it’s about being resilient.” In Dharamsala there are T-shirts that read on the back, “Never give up,” words of the wisest, most compassionate person, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A Nobel Peace Laurette, holder of dozens of international humanitarian awards, and nearly one hundred honorary PhD’s. Even with the incredible challenges he’s faced, he has never given up. Life is full of potholes and obstacles. To handle these with grace and perseverance is the mark of good character. A compassionate attitude gives birth to courage, in the pursuit of helping others, having genuine concern for their welfare. Yesterday was Ganden Ngamchoe, celebration of the six hundred and sixth anniversary of Je Tsongkhapa’s Parinirvana and enlightenment in the bardo. A tribute to Je Tsongkhapa, Migtsema, was recited acknowledging that he is Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and Vajrapani, requesting his blessings. Butter and electric lamps were lit everywhere in monasteries, houses, in Tibet and all over the world. Certainly these lights could be seen from space! Emaho!
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