Our true nature is more than all the details of our lives or the particulars of our personhood. We are, as they said in Kabbalah, a spark of the Divine. And, while we are more than the ups and downs of our daily lives, it is precisely through these ups and downs that we access the Divine within. And this means both ups … Read More True Nature
Throughout our lives we experience many moments of chaos, which in turn give rise to order, until it is again time to let go, restructure and rebuild. Yet all too often we see chaos as bad, as an unwelcomed force that disturbs the peace of our lives. We are convinced that everything is exactly as it should be, and then we are hit … Read More Chaos and Order
We carry countless untold stories within us. And kept secret, some of these stories can feel like a burden. They can reinforce feelings of shame and fear. And they can make us feel terribly alone. While it is unwise to be an open book to all, it is important—and even necessary—that we have safe and supportive and loving relationships where we can share … Read More Untold Stories
Many of us carry a false belief that we are broken. And we respond either by trying to fix the brokenness or—when we are overwhelmed—by avoiding whatever upsetting emotion or situation that is triggering us. But this premise is wrong! We are not broken. We are human beings navigating our way through this mysterious journey, and we are figuring it out … Read More If it ain’t broke…
A beautiful and powerful metaphor we experience in autumn is watching leaves transform from bright and shiny and green to rich yellows and oranges and reds. And then, we watch them fall, shrivel up, and be washed away by rain or snow. Birth and death. Beginning and end. And we are equally multidimensional. We are beautiful and generous and loving; we can … Read More Branches and Roots
Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always. -Anonymous When we are hurting, it’s hard to imagine how others can’t also be hurting. And when we are joyful, we can be oblivious to the pain of others. But, in reality, we are all universes unto ourselves. We all carry pain and trauma and petty annoyances and blessings. … Read More Be Kinder. Always.
This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor…Welcome and entertain them all. Treat each guest honorably. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a … Read More Guest House
Awake my dear. Be kind to your sleeping heart. Take it out into the vast fields of light and let it breathe. -Hafiz It’s not officially autumn yet, but it sure seems like autumn as I look at my weather app, which displays a chilly 40 degrees! I love autumn because it is the last burst of color and sunshine before dark … Read More Fields of Light
Your personal boundaries protect the inner core of your identity and your right to choices. -Gerard Manley Hopkins I love my family. I love my friends. I love my community and I have respect and admiration for a great number of people whom I wouldn’t necessarily say I love. And at the same time, I am aware of and respect my boundaries and … Read More Live and let live…
Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it. -Maya Angelou It’s that time of year again…Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, when Jews all over the world fast and atone for their sins. They spend all day at Synagogue, asking God for forgiveness and go to their friends and loved ones, asking for their forgiveness. While … Read More Forgive Yourself
The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. -Coco Chanel For those of us who avoid conflict like the plague, thinking for ourselves—out loud does not come easily. Why do we let others think for us? Why do we keep our thoughts to ourselves? I think it is because we have gotten too used to being a martyr. We’ve … Read More Speaking Truth
‘Who will teach me to write?’ a reader wanted to know. The page, the page, that eternal blankness, the blankness of eternity which you cover slowly, affirming time’s scrawl as a right and your daring as necessity. The page which you cover woodenly, ruining it, but asserting your freedom and power to act, acknowledging that you ruin everything you touch, but touching it nevertheless … Read More The Greatest Teacher
