Don’t Settle for a Ho-hum Life
At a young age, we begin the habit of limping in order to harmonize with friends, our family, a job, a social order. By the time we’re adults, it’s become so much a part of us that we do it unthinkingly—automatically. To stop doing it now would be jolting because we’re used to it. But […]
Untuck Your Wings
This is one of my favorite quotes: “O God, help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is!” — Macrina Wiederkehr, author of Seasons Of Your Heart Walking along a trail, you see an unusual and stunning butterfly. Perched on a small branch, its richly colored patterns and exquisite gracefulness invite […]
Life’s a Struggle, then We Live
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” This was said by Frederick Douglass, former slave, social reformer, and author. Frederick fought obstacles and won, and so did Diana Nyad, who at age 64 became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida. It took 53 straight hours with no breaks and no […]
The Latest Wow: Let Go and Be Free
“Any time we try to control something, it controls us. That’s because we’re basing our happiness and peace of mind on being able to control it, on something external that can’t be controlled.” —Rod Pasko My son, Rod, came up with that one a few years ago. I usually reserve ‘The Latest Wow’ for comments […]
You Always Hurt the One You Love
Walls go up around the heart when we’re treated harshly. Eventually, bitterness replaces the tender love that was once there. Claire was starting to feel that way toward her husband, Joe, when she sought my help. “He’s constantly critical and demeaning to me!” she said. “It has to change! I’m too miserable to have it […]
Caring for Our Soul
I spent an exciting week on Cape Cod! The adventure included a five-day seminar led by Thomas Moore entitled Psychotherapy, Spirituality and the Soul. (Not to worry … the sessions were over at noon every day. The rest of the day was play!) Thirteen years in the monastery seasoned his wisdom, but so did his […]
Brain Fog
Hey, studies are substantiating that there’s a strong connection between the food we eat and the way we feel mentally—our mood! Psychologist Dr. Lynn Johnson, author of Enjoy Life! Healing with Happiness, wrote an excellent piece about this on his blog here. I couldn’t agree more. Personally, I know how I feel just minutes after […]
The Latest Wow: Waste Your Time
Carlie is an over-achieving teenager. She’s driven to excel academically, athletically and socially. She has trouble with that word “relax.” But in a moment of clarity, she wowed me with this: “I would like to know my future to see if I’m wasting my time, because if I am wasting my time, I want to waste it better.” […]
Where’s a Mother’s Heart?
“Making the decision to have a child—it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” —Elizabeth Stone I don’t know about you, but that speaks to me. I have two sons, and although they’re full-fledged adults now, they’re never far from my heart-thoughts. From the earliest days […]
She Married Her Brother
Not really. Sheri married a man who puts her down just like her brother used to. What I really mean when I say she married her older brother is that she’s married to a pattern that began in childhood. That pattern consists of being zapped with a negative comment—like an accusation—and then reacting to it […]