Tidbits
Bite-Sized Essays
When You’re in the Mood for a Snack
Weed Wins the War Against COVID? Legalize Medical Marijuana Now to Find Out
Sorry (not sorry) for the dramatic title, but the facts are clear: legalizing marijuana has opened the door to novel research and treatments that have the potential to save lives. Medical marijuana has been legalized in 36 states and FDA-approved for some...
A Therapy Misstep Taught Me Compassion For Anti-Maskers: My Experience Will Help Renew Yours
For months, I’ve been immersed in a virtually-based therapy that’s been spectacularly successful. Until we met in person. The Event Despite some nerves about meeting IRL, I didn’t mentally prepare for the pandemic paraphernalia. The previously unmasked, Zoom...
If Your Goal is Personal Growth, Don’t ‘Do’ or ‘Try,’ ‘Train’ Instead
Yoda, my favorite spiritual advisor, espoused a simple dictum: "Do or do not. There is no try." I’ve blindly adhered to this message since the day I first heard it. On the surface, it’s simply a statement about the power of commitment. Like any developing Jedi,...
Amanda Gorman is the Leader for Whom We’ve Been Waiting: Her Pen is Her Sword
On January 20th, in a NY Times guest essay, Ms. Gorman shared that she nearly defaulted on her history-making inaugural invitation. Prior to the inauguration, she was filled with expectable terror. Fearing the judgment of others (and herself), the virulence of...
What to Say to a Buddhist Whose Loved One Has Died
Yesterday, Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, a renowned and beloved spiritual leader and peace activist, passed from this life to the next. My heart is heavy today and it’s difficult to put words to the page. But honoring Thây (Vietnamese for teacher) means...
3 Guiding Quotes toward Embodiment for Injury Prevention & Well-Being
If you want to be safe and well in this world – both physically and mentally – you have to be embodied. Mr. Duffy lived a short distance from his body.– James Joyce My work as a psychologist often focuses on helping people reconnect with their inner experience. We've...
If you listen to your body when it whispers, you won’t have to hear it scream
In mid-January 2020, swirling with misinformation regarding a strange new bug called COVID-19, I journeyed to Thailand to teach meditation. Students ranging from newbie Europeans to wizened local Buddhists dove into my secular-American take on mindfulness. Two months...
3 Simple Communication Tips to Strengthen Relationship Bonds at Home & at Work
Understanding is Key to Close Relationships Core to a successful relationship is confidence that the other person knows, cares for, validates, and accepts exactly who we are – that we’re understood. Love and trust can’t be achieved without this level of...
If Change is What You’re Seeking, Seek Out Symbols to Show You the Way
I had a Big Dream – the kind of surreal experience that lingers for weeks, startles and transforms. Provoked by a guiding question, “Who is my ally?” I expected to greet some mystical creature. Instead, it was Geoff – my therapist. My reaction: “Hell, no.” This was...
The Stages of Change for Writers: Insights from an Online Writing Course
Trying to convert my writing style from long-form to short-form feels like it’s breaking my brain. My organic style is long-form and, given that I’ve been working on a book recently, that makes sense. Book chapters seem to be my unit of thought. But writing...