All Posts By

Kate Harvie

Book ExcerptsBrain InjuryFood for thoughtLifeWhy the Hell Not?

Expect. Define. Permit. Do All…in That Order.

Expectations. Set 'em. When we are itsy bitsy (and adolescent) kids, our parents, teachers, coaches, etc. set expectations for us. The etymology of the word sets us up to fail with the word "expect" as the root of expectations. And damned if we don't adopt most, if not all, of those expectations as we get older. After all, what is expected of us is impressive, attainable, and achievable. Right? Note that for our purpose here, I see expectations as the same as ambitions, hopes, and goals. While that's not the literal definition, this is how the word tends to be used. It…
Kate Harvie
September 20, 2016
Book ExcerptsBrain InjuryCommunicationFood for thoughtLife

Social. Life. How to Communicate Better in Both

Social media. The phrase. The concept. Salutes to whoever generated the blanket name - social media - for Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, YouTube, flickr, Vimeo, LinkedIn, Google+, and on and on and on. My resistance to calling these "social" co-exists with an understanding of how they are considered to be social. First, my understanding: the broad definition of the word "social" includes relating to and noting others in society, activities, theories. Liking and loving a statement, link, image, or video that someone shared on any of these channels can today be considered being social. I get…
Kate Harvie
July 7, 2016
Book ExcerptsBrain InjuryFood for thoughtLife

Slow Your Roll.

What do you do with time? The other day, I tried to remember the first thing I did when I realized that I was "okay." By this, I mean once I was out of the hospital for a minute and had put myself "back together," and was as well ensconced as possible while living in my parents' house at age 35. This was my time. (In case you're curious, I probably planned to buy lip gloss or go to the movies. I love the trailers.) Truth is, I wanted to do as much as I could handle. And I wanted to do those things immediately, in…
Kate Harvie
June 21, 2016
Book ExcerptsBrain InjuryInspirationShow up

The Book – My Realest Real

I shared a month and half ago why I was writing a book. I wrote my truth, albeit in an extra concise, marketing-friendly way. And I stand by that piece. It just wasn't complete. You could be curious why I'd write a book about something as scary-creepy-intense as coming back from a brain injury. Here are the motivating factors and my truest, deepest reasons. The following is not intended to make you feel sorry for me or to send you running for the hills of escapist material. I hope you'll read this, share it with your circles, and know that you have my…
Kate Harvie
June 1, 2016
Book ExcerptsBrain InjuryFood for thoughtLife

Ghosts. Let Go. Release Their Power.

Ghosts. That's a word whose immediate (and most frequently applied) definition has certainly changed within the last year or so. When I was growing up, ghosts were mysterious and spooky apparitions that could both bring good (Marley, Ghosts of Past and Present in A Christmas Carol) and wreak havoc (title characters in Beloved, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Woman in Black). What I knew for sure was that they were not real. And figments of my imagination could only wreck my sleep, not my life. Fast forward to today. While wraiths and poltergeists are still (for the most part) fictitious, what is very real is the person…
Kate Harvie
May 23, 2016