I can think of no other three-letter word, save for maybe ‘sex’, that is so loaded and over-burdened as ‘eat’. A tiny little spoon of a word, it reaches deep into the stew of us, and stirs up not just joyful anticipation – but anxiety and dread as well.
DetailsHow often are we surprised to discover that someone we believe to be happy and easygoing is actually deeply troubled – by the tension in their marriage, a struggle against addiction, the loss of a loved one, or a sea of financial worry? These are the storms of living, but we’ve somehow learned to project (and expect) only calm skies.
DetailsHave you ever noticed a side of yourself you once appreciated and suddenly recognized it for what it is: a relic of the past, a way of showing up that no longer serves you? We sometimes grow into the stories we tell ourselves about who we need to be – but the stories are not always true, and no longer helpful.
DetailsFierce resolve and best intentions aside, how many of us have tried to change something about ourselves using sheer willpower alone – and failed? In our initial enthusiasm for whatever breakthrough we’re envisioning, we sometimes downplay the need to fully prepare for change, to ready ourselves for it just as we would any other act of courage.
DetailsWhilst I enjoy the hustle-bustle of the festive season, I always look forward to the quieter space and slower pace of the year’s end. Having given up making resolutions long ago, I still love the contemplative tea-sipping, stock-taking, intentions-setting practice that a frosty end-of-December day inspires.
DetailsMany of us have mixed feelings about the gift-giving side of the holidays. Whether it’s the overly-commercial nature of the season, the bruising frenzy of shopping, or the frustration of not finding (or being able to afford) that “meaningful” gift – the so-called joy of the season can sometimes ring hollow.
DetailsFor anyone who relies on thinking their way through life, it can be a bit unsettling to learn that many of our thoughts – especially those half-conscious, automatic ones – can be heavily biased, distorted, and misleading. The thing is, our minds are playing tricks on us.
DetailsHow often do we experience moments of being misunderstood, dismissed, or ill-treated – and say nothing? We’re not exactly sure what we’re feeling in those moments, be it anger, fear, sadness – or we are sure, but we don’t trust ourselves to express it well, sensing things will go south if we try.
DetailsThere can be so much “holding space” in our lives – for opposing thoughts, for the light and dark of our emotions, for how our past flows through our present and into our future, and for both the mindful and sometimes mindless choices we make as we live our way into meaning.
DetailsOur world has always been a bit crazy, but I have to wonder if we aren’t a little stunned by what is happening around us at the moment. I also have to wonder why we’re not talking much about the questions it is bringing up for us personally.
DetailsWe sometimes forget that life doesn’t just happen to us. We are also happening to it. We choose how we show up in any given moment – and exercising that choice mindfully is one of the keys to our own well-being, to living our lives with ease.
DetailsImagine if every time we passed a judgment – be it about ourselves, or others, or the world around us – we became curious instead. Imagine how much space we’d open up in our minds and our hearts. Imagine how much lighter we would feel.
DetailsIf we’re really honest, how many of us are not okay with our emotions, are not entirely okay with feeling what we feel when we feel it? How many of us are actually a wee bit afraid our feelings – or at least some of them?
DetailsWho among us doesn’t welcome a little external validation now and then? No matter how secure we are in ourselves, most of us appreciate hearing that others value what we bring to the world — especially those qualities we believe set us apart.
DetailsHow many of us have been conditioned to be tough, to show the world our game-face, to just suck it up, buttercup? Our confusion, insecurity, despair — these are things we’re taught to hide away, like signs of so-called weakness in a world that values strong. The irony is that it takes courage to be vulnerable, it takes strength.
DetailsAnyone who has ever been exposed to the twelve steps will have encountered the Serenity Prayer – the one that summons within us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change; the courage to change the things we can; and the wisdom to …
DetailsSometimes I wonder whether we humans are accidentally evolving, unintentionally re-engineering ourselves – and not necessarily for the better. Certainly, our capacity for deep and roomy conversation, seems to be declining and with it, our sense of well-being and connection.
DetailsHave you ever found yourself in a place in your life and wondered how you ended up there? You don’t remember ever setting out to be somewhere – and then suddenly, there you are. As I launch Be & Become, I am struck by how many seemingly imperceptible …
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