Confronting our emotional reactions to others — I am a strong, confident person. So when I have moments of realization that I “people please” it’s a stark contrast to how I see myself. I think, “Ugh! How can I be so weak!” But this behavior of “people pleasing” has served me well throughout my life. So why…

Awe is What We Need For Greater Wellbeing — I’ve been circling around this idea of awe for years. …

And other magical things about trees — I looked over at the sunset and suddenly saw the branches of a large tulip tree bobbing and waving, as if in hurricane-force winds. I thought, oh!, reminds me of the Whomping Willow in Harry Potter! Recently I came across new research into electrical patterns of behavior between us and…

A personal perspective on the need to belong — I need to write today about this subject of belonging. It goes very deep into personal places for me. And it may be for you, too. This morning I read an IG post by @kontomble_medicine and it inspired me to think about this. …

What we can learn from Jung’s experience of home — Beige walls. Why beige walls? I lived with them for years and whenever I thought about painting them I would eventually leave them beige. So, why is that? Because I couldn’t (at the time) figure out what color to paint them. I was frozen with indecision, non-committal. What was my…

How we can feel empowered by being within our mythic selves — So this happened when I was around 12 years old. I just watched the movie “Soylent Green” with my friend and her family. It was an early Armageddon-type movie, but the scene that hit me hard, really hard, was the one where the character Sol, the wise old sage played…

“Go to the water to heal.” Isn’t that what we instinctively know, within ourselves? Isn’t that why so many of us go to the ocean or a river or lake for vacation and renewal? A friend of mine does talks on the sacredness of water and she shared a clip…

A story of profound metaphor between nature and us. The rain started softly at first. Then it fell as if it had some vengeance to mete out on the soil. Anyone who has gone tent camping knows the deafening sound of rain on canvas, which I have come to love…

And why is it something to be admired? — She said that she was kicked out of college for “being a heretic.” And I suddenly felt a tinge of jealousy. What a badge of honor, I thought, to be able to say that. We both went to Catholic colleges. We both spent 13+ years in Catholic school. I left…