Salee Reese

The Unboxable Gift

How would you define a gift? A few years back when I posed that question to various people, I learned that a bumper sticker held the truth: “The best things in life aren’t things.” Hmmm . . . truth shows up in the least expected places at times. (Fodder for a new post, wouldn’t you […]

Latest Wow: Face the Truth About Yourself

“The bad thing about not liking myself is not being able to get away from myself. I can’t just go into the next room.” Anna was being her usual witty self when she made that comment in my office but, sadly, she meant it. Also sad is the fact that a multitude of people feel […]

Our Favorite Illusion

Some dreamy-eyed part of us clings to the illusion that through a sheer act of will we can change another human being. Such misguided thinking is as unrealistic as believing we can get a walnut tree to start producing apples. For six years Sonya has asked her husband—who works in the remodeling industry—to fix the […]

Trained By a Dog

Let’s face it, if we’re vague about what we want, we won’t get it. Like Karen, a former client, we’ll only cultivate inner frustration. “Never—ever!—did I anticipate the day I’d be jealous of a dog,” she said, “but I am . . . If the dog wants to play, Sam drops everything and plays with […]

It Takes Courage to Feel

Some people think that being tough has to do with muscle strength and detached emotions, but it’s the opposite. It takes courage to feel. Brenna, a client in her 20’s, mistakes strength with being stoic—devoid of emotion like one of Clint Eastwood’s characters. Her mom matches those qualities, and Brenna feels weak in comparison. “I […]

The Latest Wow: Rebellion’s Treasure

Not long ago, a client—in her 40s—wowed me with this: “Rebellion, at any age, is a means of repositioning ourselves with our parents.” I can only agree. I’ve come to see that the good side of rebellion is that it allows us to break into new horizons of empowerment—to transcend existing limits. Another client, Sonya, further […]