It takes courage to speak your truth. In childhood we are often taught to be seen and not heard, to be obedient and good little children.  In recent days, I’ve had several conversations with friends about these residual patterns of belief and behavior that live on even though we are adults.  It is absolutely amazing [...]

Sometimes things that happen to us in our childhood leave invisible marks that cannot be seen on our skin, but leave an indelible image in our hearts and minds.  We may carry the experience around with us and vow never to be hurt again.  Our awareness of the incident and the decision may be buried [...]

Once upon a time there was a child grew up believing that she was not loved or lovable. She had food, clothing, housing and family all around her, yet felt all alone and very lonely. She describes herself as a little girl lost. I wonder how many other little girls – or little boys – [...]

“Happy or crappy” is a phrase used by a friend of mine. It is in reference to how she feels on any given day. It can reflect how she feels when she wakes up or how her perspective changes as the day goes along. Sometimes we start out happy and end up crappy before the [...]

Each day, there are three actions we can practice that will contribute to our lives and the lives of those around us. They are simple, yet set in motion,  a whole new level of relationship with others and self- respect for yourself. These three daily steps are: show up, pay attention, and respond in love.

These simple little words can strike terror in the heart of even the most brave and courageous human. Do you ever freeze when someone says to you – we need to talk? Do you immediately assume the worst? Are you afraid of what they want to talk about? Are you afraid of feelings of anger [...]

Who told us we should never be angry? It’s not a nice feeling and nice people are never angry!! If you believe that let me sell you some swamp land in a desert. Sometimes we have a right to be angry – circumstances, people or re-occurring situations are not healthy and in our best interest. [...]

I spent the day getting tighter and tighter – the muscles in my neck and back were twisted into knots. Why? My button got pushed! Remember that a button is a stored, negative experience that holds an emotional charge. So in the present, when we see similar situations, the memory of that old history pops [...]

The giggle is a genuine, spontaneous, and uncontrollable fit of laughter — an expression of something that delights you. It is different from a hearty laugh in that it is softer, yet more high-pitched. It is an expression of a simple joy about something that happens in this moment – something silly, amusing or happy.

Sometimes there is a concept so commonly shared by all that we don’t stop to think about it. We may accept it as part of everyday life, but don’t stop to understand how it impacts our days. I think this is true of feelings. Feelings are complex, ever-changing, very personal reactions to people and events [...]

I’ve heard this phrase several times lately – from more than one person. It is a reason for: not being honest about feelings, an excuse for not seeing the doctor, a refusal to even consider trying something new, and a reason to hang onto old baggage. What a nifty little phrase to avoid changing and [...]