In the initial stages of grief, we often experience a wide array of physical and emotional effects. Then, as our grief subsides, we begin to recuperate from the pain and accept that we must somehow “get on with life”. This is when most of us are ready to begin remembering. Taking steps to remember a loved one is an essential part of healing in the grief process. J William Worden, author, hospice
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“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” — New International Version Bible Matthew 7:3 On a sunny August day, you see your shadow. The shadow you see is a reflection of your physical body and very visible. But not all shadows are so easy to see. There’s another shadow within us that reflects our personality. This shadow can be elusive and hard to
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Do you ever ask yourself questions like like “Does my life have meaning?” or “Will I leave anything of value behind when I die?” or “Are the contributions I make at work or in my personal life worth anything?” I certainly do, and I know that many of my clients do too. In a recent article, Parker Palmer suggests that asking such questions is a “road to nowhere.“ His article, “The Big Question: Does My Life Have Meaning?” provides a
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“Be Yourself”, says Henri Nouwen, in today’s daily Bread for the Journey reflection. Wise and comforting advice for us all! “Often we want to be somewhere other than where we are, or even to be someone other than who we are. We tend to compare ourselves constantly with others and wonder why we are not as rich, as intelligent, as simple, as generous, or as saintly as they are. Such comparisons make us feel guilty, ashamed, or jealous. It is very
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Trust is built one marble at a time (Dr. Brene Brown) How you do you know you can trust someone? How do you know you can trust yourself? I’m pretty sure most if not all of us have struggled with trust at numerous points in our personal or professional lives. I certainly have. For example, I struggle with trusting others when I share something in confidence with a “friend”, only to later discover that this person shared my information with others.
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There is nothing that cannot be forgiven, and there is no one undeserving of forgiveness. When you can see that we are all bound to one another—whether by birth, by circumstance, or simply by our shared humanity—then you will know this to be true. (Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu) When you think of your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, what one word comes to mind? In their book, The Book of Forgiving; The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our
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If we are brave enough, often enough, we will fail. This is a book about what it takes to get back up. (Dr. Brene Brown, from the cover of Rising Strong) She’s back! Last week Dr. Brene Brown, TED talk sensation and author of two New York Times bestsellers released her much anticipated new book, Rising Strong. I read Rising Strong in one sitting this past weekend (just couldn’t stop!), and am excited to recommend it to anyone who is struggling to re-group
Read more →How well are you paying attention to the people you love? Do these people really know they matter to you? Using John Lennon’s analogy, are you doing enough to “water” the relationships that are important to you? When, for whatever reason, we lose our willingness to invest the time, energy and emotion it takes to keep an important relationship alive and thriving, we can bring great heartache to family members and friends we love, or with whom we have had a deep connection. In the midst of our own busy
Read more →The great paradox of life is that those who lose their lives will gain them. This paradox becomes visible in very ordinary situations. If we cling to our friends, we may lose them, but when we are non-possessive in our relationships, we will make many friends. When fame is what we seek and desire, it often vanishes as soon as we acquire it, but when we have no need to be known, we might be remembered long after
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