I have a lot of friends who are entrepreneurs. (Probably because I am also an entrepreneur and we tend to stick together.) There’s an added pressure when you work for yourself to perform at a high level, because your business is a reflection of you.
There’s a pervasive message in the entrepreneurial world about “making things happen” – and that ability to make things happen seems to be directly tied to how hard you work and how much you’re able to overcome.
Read MoreDo you ever struggle with a pattern or a habit or just a way you’re being in the world and think, “there’s something wrong with me.” Or, “I wish I could change this about myself but I can’t.”
I think we’ve all been there. We all have patterns that don’t feel good that we just can’t seem to get out of. They’re involuntary, we act or think or speak a certain way without even meaning to. It just happens. It’s frustrating – and the act of feeling unable to change a pattern that isn’t working for you can make it feel even worse. It’s that feeling of being stuck...
Read MoreI’ve spoken with a lot of people who are feeling an enormous amount of despair right now ... people who look around at the world and doubt humanity’s inherent goodness, who doubt whether or not we have what it takes to turn this ship around and create a world that truly works for everyone – a world that honors all living beings on the planet. I’ve felt this myself some days, where the despair about the pain that exists on the planet right now is just so overwhelming I don’t know what to do with it. I have felt small and helpless. I have looked at my babies and cried about the world they might inherit. I have wondered what kind of future is truly possible.
And always, ALWAYS I choose to bring myself back to what I know in my bones to be true:
That we are deeply, inherently good.
That we can create a peaceful, sustainable planet that honors Life.
That we have what it takes because we are designed to do this.
A lot of my friends and family (myself included) feel other people (and the world) very deeply. Many of us would call ourselves empaths.
Here’s how the dictionary defines “empath”:
empath (n.):
A person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual.
(Incidentally, it also says that “empath” is a term most often used in science fiction.)
“Paranormal ability” … yeah, it feels like that sometimes. Although it is a far more common state of being than we give it credit for!
Read MoreYou are the protagonist of the story you’re telling yourself in your head every moment of every day.
There are all kinds of factors that have influenced how you have written that story – the role you play, what you’re capable of, what it’s possible for you to have or not have, how it’s possible for you to love or be loved, etc. If you look at your life and really examine some of the areas where you feel frustrated, unfulfilled, or just plain unhappy, I can guarantee you are telling some kind of story that supports the real-world experience you’re living out.
Read MoreWhat if all our suffering is One?
And what if your heart will not crack into a million pieces and explode out of your chest if you allow yourself to care about ALL of these people who are suffering around the world …
I know it feels like it will. I know it feels like your heart does not have space for all that caring, that it does not have space to acknowledge and feel the hurt of all the pain and suffering of all these people …
But what if it does??
Read MoreI’ve struggled with what to write on this Mother’s Day because, if I’m honest, I’ve had a pretty rough year as a parent. A year when, a lot of the time, I haven’t felt like the greatest mother. A year when it’s been tough to find the balance between my adult responsibilities and my ability to be present with my children.
Read MoreThis week is National Nurses Week.
4+ years ago when I was undergoing cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic, I learned firsthand the vital role that nurses play. The nurses who took care of me were absolutely the most important people on my cancer journey (along with my truly amazing oncologist, but I didn’t see or interact with him directly nearly as much)…….
Read MoreI was participating in a Women’s Truth group at the beginning of the year. Everyone in the group was seeking to live and speak our truth more boldly and authentically in some way. Near the end of our time together I hit a wall … I was experiencing a lot of anger I couldn’t explain.
Serendipitously, one morning I came upon this image ……
Read MoreWe leave parts of ourselves behind as we move through our lives.
Like shattered glass, we walk over the shards and pretend that they aren’t there.
If we just walk gingerly enough, we can walk forward without bleeding and pretend that we never broke […]
