Was sitting up in bed this morning, listening to birdsong and enjoying the cool (ok, COLD — this is Wisconsin) breeze drifting in the windows…. ahhh…. when my cute little monkey mind noticed that my back hurt. Very slightly. In one spot. The pain had started in January […]
READ MORE →This morning in church, the minister told the story of a young man who had found his absent father on facebook. (Or at least the man he believed was his father.) Imagine years of pain, wondering where your father is and why he left. Not to mention, […]
READ MORE →Two weeks ago, I valiantly attempted to cut through the tough leaf stem of a particularly large houseplant, using a mediumish pair of desk scissors. (It was handy.) Though still not sure how, I managed to pinch the pad of my right middle finger between the handles. […]
READ MORE →I was just listening to another parent’s story of an out-of-control, unrecognizable teenager. It seems as if one day our kids are grinning lovingly at us, and the next they are sullen, slamming-the-door sorts of beasts. They don’t do what you ask them to, and they want to […]
READ MORE →”Pain is a part of life, but suffering is optional,” said the guest speaker at church a few Sundays ago now, a Zen Buddhist spiritual teacher. Though I’ve heard it a zillion times, I love this saying. It reminds me that it is not life itself that is […]
READ MORE →As you may know, last year I took a break from daily interactions with my business and went on an almost-sabbatical to rethink my book. One of the many gifts in stepping back was that when I returned to the daily details of running my business (only […]
READ MORE →Continuing from last week, we are exploring an often misquoted saying from the Gospel of Thomas, which erroneously is quoted like this: INACCURATE: “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you […]
READ MORE →For 15 years I have done intuitive dream analysis and folks have loved it (just call me Joseph–lol!) I know there are a variety of theories about dreams, ranging from dreams being meaningful to meaningless. For some reason, my clients typically walk away with a big new self-insight […]
READ MORE →It is the job of poets, writers, artists, and healers to both uplift society in dark times and help them enjoy the good times. As a former resident of New Jersey, the photos and news of hurricane Sandy has been personally shocking and devastating. As a writer/poet […]
READ MORE →Was your dad perfect? Mine was pretty good, but I can totally look back and spend hours listing things he might have done differently. Not necessarily because that would have been better, mind you, lol. Just because I am an expert criticizer! If you are reluctant to […]
READ MORE →I’m going on a pilgrimage, and have agreed to give up something of great value to me. Right now, it’s all swirling in my head. This is spring, a time of rebirth, newness, and growth. Perfect timing. A pilgrimage is a journey to a place of great […]
READ MORE →Yesterday I had the most wonderful time at a writer’s group. I was productive, ate great quiche, met other writers, and enjoyed being with other people who spend all day writing or thinking about writing. Best of all, after working, we took turns reading some of what […]
READ MORE →Yesterday I found myself consulting with a wonderful doctor. (Due to ironic school regulations, I had to drag a kid out of his sick bed to have someone else say, “Yep, he has a virus and should be resting.”) Here’s what struck me. Each time I said […]
READ MORE →“I come forth and from the plane of mind I rule.” I’ve just returned from facilitating another Radiant Life Retreat in Ojai, California. We dove deep and broke through to new, rich ground. What moved me deeply was the moment each woman chose to bust through into […]
READ MORE →Just went to the cabinet to get out some tea. When I opened it, one box jumped out at me and kerplunked on the counter. Kombucha. Detoxing tea. (What do you think? Anything meaningful there?) “It means I’m supposed to have that kind of tea!” exclaimed one corner […]
READ MORE →My yoga teacher, Sofia Diaz, recently described the difference between intensity and pain in our daily practice. She said intensity was like a low hum in the body, stretching us to our limits and asking us to let go into something greater than ourselves. Pain is sharp […]
READ MORE →What is power? How would you define it? Recently I read this definition: “Though power most often refers to the ability to influence people (Guerrero, DeVito & Hecht, 1999, p. 314), power is also related to dominance and status (Guerrero, DeVito & Hecht, 1999, p. 315)…” Hunh? […]
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