Understanding we are Worthy, Capable, Connected, and Called to Adventure for a more Joyful and Resilient Life
Most of us suspect that being a kind person is a good idea for various reasons. But we may not know how to be kind or if kindness in fact helps us or anyone else. We often struggle with such concerns because we aren’t sure exactly what kindness is, and we often carry several common… Continue reading How to Be a Kind Person (and How it Helps You)
David Abram, in his book Spell of the Sensuous, makes a thought-provoking claim that nature makes us more human. Abram writes, We cannot measure our humanity if we do not have the distance from it we gain from immersing ourselves in nature . . . Without the oxygenating breath of the forests, without the clutch… Continue reading How Nature Makes Us More Human
Several times this week, I have read on social media people suggesting that kindness is weakness. It always surprises me when I read things like this. On the one hand, I can understand how someone might come to believe that kindness is a sign of weakness. Sometimes people mistake kindness for niceness. I don’t think… Continue reading Is Being Kind a Sign of Weakness?
This post is about how people nurture vs. control in relationships and why nurture is essential for developing our full potential. To explain this, I am going to explore two types of relationships. One if the flourish-friendly relationship and the other is a control relationships First, we need to start with something interesting about people.… Continue reading Nurture vs. Control in Relationships
My husband and I had to say goodbye to our kitty Leo last week. We are heartbroken, but it was Leo's time to go. He had lived a long life--we think about 15 years--and his health had been declining recently. Last week we realized that keeping him here with us any longer wasn't doing him… Continue reading Lessons I Learned from My Kitty Leo
“You’re too sensitive.” Has anyone ever said this to you before? Have you ever said this to anyone else? This is a common claim (or accusation), but how can we tell if someone is being too sensitive or if the other person is being insensitive? I will use two people, Person A and Person B,… Continue reading Are You Too Sensitive or are Others Insensitive?
Recently, there have been a lot of cultural discussions about issues like oppression and white privilege. This post aims at clarifying some of those key concepts. Where We Are In the past few decades, the United States has made excellent strides in promoting civil rights, especially for People of Color and other minority groups. We… Continue reading About Oppression and White Privilege
I wish I could say that this story about me accidentally hiding in a poison ivy patch is hyperbolic, but it's not. It is, however, a love story. It all began one summer when I was a camp director at a camp in Ohio. I loved being a camp director. In particular, I loved designing… Continue reading That Poison Ivy Patch: A Love Story
First, you should know that I did actually almost get stuck on a volcano once, but don't worry because it wasn't an active volcano. I'll come back to that in a minute. Also, this wasn't my first brush with volcanoes. I lived in Portland, Oregon when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. And I vividly… Continue reading That Time I Almost Got Stuck on a Volcano
Can self-help perpetuate injustice? I write about self-love and body-love a lot on my blog. That's because I want people to learn to love themselves better in order to live a more integrated, peaceful, and powerful life. So it may seem strange on such a blog for me to write about self-help hurting people and… Continue reading Can Self-Help Perpetuate Injustice?