“We seldom realize, for example, that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our society…” —Alan Watts, from The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
Read More“I suspect that the most basic and powerful way to connect with another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. And especially if it's from the heart. When people are talking, there's no need to do anything but receive them. Just take them in. Listen to what they're saying. Care about it. Most times caring about it is even more important than understanding it.” — Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D, from Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal
Read MoreAs a self-appointed “wisdom gatherer,” I’m always curious about the primary insights offered by self-help books that attain astronomical popularity. One such book is Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear. Featuring the tagline “Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results,” this book has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and is still a #1 bestseller on Amazon five years after its release.
Read MoreRecently, David Whyte’s powerful poem, “To Break a Promise,” has inspired me to deeply ponder the nature of commitments. In a world that is constantly changing, is it always dishonorable to break a promise? When must we remain steadfast, and when should we muster the bravery, humility and fortitude to leave it behind?
Read MoreWith Father’s Day fast approaching, I’ve been thinking about the fathers in my life, and the different ways they love their children. Reminiscing about my relationship with my father, I am struck by the fact that he never seemed to care about my accomplishments in the outside world.
Read MoreThe most helpful and transformative relationship advice I’ve ever received came from Dr. Becky Kennedy, the clinical psychologist and parenting expert who I’ve written about twice before. It’s a principle she calls “multiplicity” or “two things are true” mentality, which means being open to two or more seemingly oppositional realities being true at the same time.
Read MoreI heard the spiritual teacher Ram Dass speak in person only once. It was one of the first public talks he gave after suffering a severe stroke at age 65, leaving him dependent on caregivers for the rest of his life. Even though I sat in that audience almost a quarter-century ago, I still vividly recall the wisdom he shared that day.
Read MoreMark Mason, who has sold 20 million books worldwide in 65 different languages, describes himself as a writer who’s been “giving life advice that doesn’t suck since 2008.” Having discovered many interesting insights and compelling quotes on his Instagram feed, today I’m happy to share one of his posts which I found both wise and intriguing.
Read MoreWhether consciously or unconsciously, many of us are convinced that to be worthy of love and admiration we need to look a certain way—the way our current society deems ideal. This can make us feel shamefully lacking and lead to a highly critical and antagonistic relationship with our bodies.
Read MoreAt her essence, my mother is one of the most magnificent people I have ever known, but her life has been shaped by extreme, unresolved trauma. Despite how tender I feel toward her, I’ve simultaneously been experiencing a persistent drive to unearth and transform my emotional inheritance, as if my mother’s pending release from this life has to power to accelerate my own liberation.
Read MoreLast month, a few weeks before my granddaughter’s 13th birthday, I let her know that I decided to stop gushing about how pretty she looks every time I see her. Instead of focusing on how good she looks on the outside, I told Amada that I want to start focusing on how wonderful she is on the inside, and how happy I always feel when I see her.
Read MoreEarly this morning, as I gave our dogs Henry and Leo their first farm walk of the day, I thought about my father standing on the very same soil four decades ago, helping me and my husband build new supports for our raspberry plants. I can see him so clearly…relaxed, happy, and completely focused. He loved his work and never viewed it as a chore.
Read MoreI’ve been trying to channel my eco-anxiety into reducing my environmental impact and doing more to support the Earth’s restoration, but prolonged anxiety is never the best solution. Not only does it feel terrible, it activates our stress hormones, drains our vitality and optimism, narrows our vision, and causes mental and emotional paralysis.
Read MoreIn honor of Holocaust Days of Remembrance week, which will be observed from April 16 to April 23, I’m sharing the first article I ever wrote about the Holocaust. It was motivated by my mother, who didn’t want to die before publicly thanking Sweden and Denmark for their life-saving rescue efforts and incredible generosity during World War II.
Read More“Now that your worry has proved such an unlucrative business, why not find a better job?”—wrote the wise 14th century Persian poet, Hafiz. This question, posed 700 years ago, is still relevant. Even though we know worrying can’t protect us from experiencing life’s unavoidable difficulties, and even though it fuels our stress and our saps joy, why is the worry habit so hard to break?
Read MoreIn astrology, Saturn is the planet of life lessons. I often think of Saturn as our hardest teacher—the one who keeps returning our term paper until we finally hand in our best work. Being in a Saturn return means that Saturn, having completed a full orbit around the Sun, has once again returned to where it was positioned when we were born.
Read MoreOsho Zenju Earthlyn Manuel’s powerful new book, Opening to Darkness, was written during the peak of the COVID pandemic, when the entire world was trapped in fear and there was nowhere to flee.
Read MoreMany of us on a quest to live more peacefully and joyfully have discovered the benefits of examining the beliefs and coping mechanisms we developed when we were young and vulnerable. Looking inward, we often find a frightened inner child banished to our subconscious, seemingly frozen in time.
Read MoreWhen it comes to my personal healing journey, I’ve been learning a tremendous amount from clinical psychologist and parenting expert, Dr. Becky Kennedy. Even though her book, Good Inside, A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be (a #1 New York Times bestseller), podcast, and Instagram posts are geared towards parents of young children, I can’t seem to get enough of her advice, and it’s taken me some time to figure out why.
Read MoreToday is Global Day of Unplugging—an initiative created by the Unplug Collaborative to encourage entire communities to take a break from technology. Their goal is to help people gain a better understanding of the role technology plays in our lives so that we can be better equipped to establish healthier tech habits going forward.
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