-
Mining for Possibilities
Replacing your reactions with possibilities. What is Possible? Our reactions, whether emotions, actions or just thoughts, are so mindless and automatic. That isn't always a bad thing. I mean, really, it might just save our asses when we are driving. But outside of those times when split-second reaction time is necessary we can change our…
-
Repeat the Good
Learning to honor the good in our lives. Imagine Ruminating about the Good How often are your ruminating thoughts about the good that is happening in your life? If you’re like me almost never. I usually ruminate about my to do list, what other people are thinking, fears about the past or future, or the…
-
Don’t Be Blinded by Gratitude
Not everything is beautiful. In what ways does seeing the darkness of the world bring you hope? Seeing the Darkness and Finding Hope As I mourn yet another mass shooting I am reflecting on being grateful but not ONLY being grateful. I would hate for a gratitude practice to be blinders to seeing the tragedies…
-
Breathing is Enough
Me too. Let’s just take a breath together. Letting Ourselves Off the Hook of Gratitude I’ve been writing a series of these about difficult times and grief. After last week I declared that to be the last of the series and I would move to more positive and feel good topics. But then “me too”…
-
Breathing is Enough
Me too. Let’s just take a breath together. Letting Ourselves Off the Hook of Gratitude I’ve been writing a series of these about difficult times and grief. After last week I declared that to be the last of the series and I would move to more positive and feel good topics. But then “me too”…
-
A Poem of Blessings for Times of Grief
These words. Like a soothing bubble bath for your soul. Beannacht, the Gaelic Word for Blessings by John O'Donohue On the day when The weight deadens On your shoulders And you stumble, May the clay dance To balance you. And when your eyes Freeze behind The gray window And the ghost of loss Gets in…
-
In Outrage and in Gratitude
Don’t cover your eyes to it. Don’t ignore it. Take care of yourself too. Being Grateful When The World is So Fucked Up Gratitude ≠ Happiness Darkness is not a lack of gratitude. Authentic gratitude comes from looking at the world with eyes wide open. It is not protected behind blinders – ignoring the horrors…
-
So, you want to be a badass?
Oh my gosh. Why is this so scary? Tough = Vulnerable I love the quote this week. It is so very true that the most rebellious thing we can do in a disconnected and harsh world is to show our hearts. Show your heart to your friends. Show your heart to your family. Show your…
-
What Do You Stand For?
We stood for peace. We stood for equity. Then we had dinner together. Start In This Moment If you want to create a better future. Start in this moment. Take a stand. It was easy for me to say that I am against white supremacy but I struggled to put into words what I was taking…
-
Cultivate Tenderness
Don’t be afraid of your tender heart. It feels too vulnerable. It feels scary. But it is healing. Healing Ourselves with Gratitude and Tenderness I spent my entire life trying to be tough. I wanted to be seen as cool. I wanted people to think that there is nothing they could do to hurt me…
-
If You Want To See Something Ugly
This Basquiat quote is just so damn true. Seeing It All Do you want to see the ugliness in the world? Do you want to see the beauty in the world? It isn't really a choice. We have the capacity for both. But we just have to remember that if we want to see…
-
Wise Wounds
That place that hurts. This Isn’t Your Last Wound There is a wound. Slashing through your heart. Or is it your body? Your soul? It screams out to you in pain fresh and bloody. Or the throb of an ancient hurt muted but etched in stone. It begs for your attention. It buckles your…
-
Gratitude with Eyes Wide Open
Kid President has some beautiful words to inspire us this week. Practicing Gratitude Is Not about Ignoring the Bad Don’t be afraid of the bad. The sad. The hurt. I’m sorry. I don’t want to tell you how to feel. Be afraid if you must. But don’t close your eyes. Look at the bad.…
-
Problem Solving Without Focusing on the Problem
Imagine if you walked through life shining light on things you wanted to see more of. Shining a Light – What Will You Find? We notice problems at every turn. That is not a problem. Noticing is good. Discernment is a skill. But after we have acknowledged a problem we can switch out…
-
Breaking Out of Fear
Are you judging, complaining, feeling like there is not enough time and not enough money? Choosing Love or Choosing Fear Today I was at a strength-based personal transformation training facilitated by Paula Feathers, a Pawnee/Cherokee woman who has dedicated her life to prevention work in New Mexico. She asked two powerful question that gave…
-
Was He Really Grateful for Doo Doo Head?
The boy scrawled those words on the gratitude board “doo doo head”. His family jumped to criticize but no one asked him what he meant. We Are So Damn Quick To Judge Others Yesterday I had the giant gratitude board at a community event celebrating love. It was beautiful with hundreds of people sharing…
-
Summer Rain Cleanse
The thunder is the loudest, the lightning is the brightest, the rain is the softest. When Life is Stormy Summer rains are showering our desert in blessings. Let the rain cleanse away your worries and your fears. Let the unknowns of life be as accepted as the thunder. Let your gratitude flow like soft…
-
Saying Goodbye with Gratitude
Oh man, the crying headache. It aches like nothing else. Pounding, pulsing, it has it’s own heart beat. Another Fucking Tragedy Here we are again. We are collectively mourning. Again. Our tears pour down our faces and we ask more of ourselves than we were meant to ask. Sometimes I wonder how I can go on.…
-
I’m Just So Tired
Well Not Just Tired Here goes the list of complaints: I am tired, very tired. My gums are throbbing with my bad tooth screaming to get out. I am stressed with a lingering obligation anchoring my every thought. I am hungry and I don’t even want to be writing right now. One thing I…
-
Fear
In the Bathroom, On a Ballot, In My Head, Everywhere Earlier I saw yet another story about fear of transgender people in bathrooms and it got me thinking about fear. This fear is so illogical and not based in reality at all. But is fear ever about reality? Fear as a way to control and…