Essays
Ambiguous Loss: Navigating Relationship Change Without Closure
Loss is part of life. In places with seasons, like Chicago, we see it in the trees and on the ground. Leaves unfurl in all their vibrant green glory in spring, but fade to crumpled brown in winter, leaving only bare branches. Streets are freshly paved in spring while winter rips them to shreds....
Choice & Change: Serena Williams Retires…with Regrets
Serena Williams announced her impending retirement last week. When the news hit my feed, I was excited. A new stage of development for one of my favorite athletes! I could hardly wait to see what would unfold for this IRL superhero. My next thought was self-referential, “Fabulous timing for my...
The Seven Forms of Rest: Fueling up for Change
“An important part of any practice involves learning when to just stop practicing altogether. Stopping gives you more space, which allows you to accept the ups and downs, the possible turbulence of the experience that may be generated by your practice.” – Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche My friend Christin...
Summoning the Muse
I only write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes at nine every morning.– William Faulkner Ah…the muse. Isn’t she lovely when she strikes? Ideas erupt in our minds. Words pour forth onto the page. All as if we’re possessed by some mysterious creature. It’s a feeling like no other –...
Need a Change? Grab Your Resilience Bucket & Light Up Your Life
Change of any sort requires resilience. Interestingly, it can also create resilience. As we take action, we grow our capacities. The trick is to know when to do, when to rest, and when to realign. What I call the Resilience Bucket provides a way to visualize our capacity to cope with stress...
Getting My Ducks in a Row: Change Happens Moment by Moment
Just last week, I wrote, “I’m barely into animals and I rarely fall down rabbit holes of YouTube animal cuteness.” And I meant it. Until a couple of days ago, when I needed to simply duck out. I’d hit a wall and needed some respite. There’s always beauty in the world, but there are times when it...