When Compassion is a Really Bad Idea
When I was in my twenties and thirties, I loved being surrounded by friends who “understood” me. Naive and immature as I was, I didn’t realize that these friendships were not authentic and didn’t serve my best interests. Here’s a story to illustrate what I mean. Mona was a close friend of mine, a part…
Read MoreMy 1,689 Failed Attempts to Improve My Life
I believe with every cell in my being that I am an old soul. A part of me has known this even when I was a little girl. As I grew into my twenties and thirties, I wanted to live up to that cherished ideal. To be an old soul in a world which wasn’t…
Read More5 Ways to Support Your Loved One Who’s Dying
I’m often asked the question: “How do I prepare for the death of someone I love?” This is such a great question because we all find ourselves in that situation. And if we haven’t already, there will come a time when we find ourselves in that space. The first thing I’d like to say is…
Read MoreAttachment And The Pain Of Loss
I once received a great question from a workshop participant. She was struggling through the loss of a beloved friend. Here’s the question she asked me. “Should I avoid attachment so that I avoid the pain of loss?” The Buddhist view is that suffering is caused by attachment. They say that the more you attach…
Read MoreIs Guilt Bullying You?
Remember that big bully on the school playground who called you names? Who made you feel small and stupid? Like you could never do anything without making a horrible mistake? Guilt is a bully. It does to you the exact same thing that the playground bully did. It makes you feel small and stupid. It…
Read MoreHow Your 7 Chakras Help You Heal
People often ask me what the 7 chakras have to do with healing from loss. The 7 chakras are the seven energy centers that direct the flow of energy in our body. Each chakra has a specific color and is associated with a specific organ and impacts its functioning. Blocked chakras lead to blocked energies.…
Read MoreA Silent Walk And The Lesson
I’m back from my two-week travels to Geneva and Paris. Invited to teach two sessions at the Inspired Writing Retreat, my heart is welling with deep gratitude for the gifts of this experience. To open the retreat, we did a 60-minute Silent Walk along The Way of St. James, a path the Camino de Santiago…
Read MoreHow I Say Yes to What I Want
Do you struggle to say yesto what you want? Do you feel like you want to invest in something, but maybe the time’s not right? Are you overthinking whether it is worth making the investment or not? Is there a battle going on between your heart and your head — and you just can’t decide?…
Read MoreOverconsuming…And How It’s Costing You
How is overconsuming information online costing you? When we’re trying to heal from loss, we’re looking for answers. Answers to everything from why we’re feeling the way we are to, how to minimize stress, how to sleep better, meditations, yoga nidra, yada, yada, yada. There’s an abundance of information out there. YouTube videos, blog posts…
Read MoreEmotional Triggers And How To Deal With Them
A couple of weeks ago I was emotionally triggered by a friend who brought home an important lesson. After weeks of consulting our calendars and going back and forth, she and I were finally on the phone. Two minutes into our conversation, she said, “Oh, my son just arrived. I’ll have to call you back.”…
Read More