#post_contentExploring the importance of contribution in emotional intelligence| Harvesting Stones
A reader commented on my last post, asking me what I thought about obedience. What a great question! According to Online Oxford Dictionary, obedience is “compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.” Before we continue, let me make clear this is not a religious discussion. I know obedience is an Exploring obedience; is it a good thing we should all practice| Harvesting Stones
I've been thinking about loyalty recently. Loyalty is one of my bigger rabbit holes. I most often use the term when I'm beating myself up. A nasty little internal voice frequently hisses "Disloyal!" in my ear. This happens so constantly, in fact, that I'm bored. I've decided to unpack the concept of loyalty, spread it What does loyalty really mean? How does it look?| Harvesting Stones
This summer is about resource. I've never picked a one-word summer intention before, but today I realize it's been thrust upon me, willy-nilly. The Summer of Resource. I've been working with the idea of minimalism, which forces one to take stock of resource in the wide sense. What is resource? Oxford online dictionary defines resource Defining resource beyond money; exploring how we can best manage resource| Harvesting Stones
All right. I’m thoroughly exasperated by this “I refuse to live in fear” bullshit. Here’s an open letter to all those wannabe heroes out there. Fear is defined as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.” (Oxford Online Dictionary) The ability to Fear is an evolutionary advantage and helps keep us alive| Harvesting Stones
I’ve struggled all my life with confusion about the difference between enabling and love. Most of us think of enabling in the context of addiction, and we’re familiar with the idea that helping an addict avoid the consequences of their addiction is not, in the long run, useful. It’s a pretty clear idea in theory. Enabling: what it is, why we do it, and why it doesn't work| Harvesting Stones
We humans make and seek patterns in everything we do. Sometimes we’re conscious of these patterns, and often we’re not. Discerning patterns is an evolutionary advantage that’s helped us survive, as the complex web of life is filled with them. A rudimentary example is patterns of color on reptiles, plants, fish and insects warning of Working with patterns of high-conflict behavior with the help of Bill Eddy; the usefulness (or not) of labels| Harvesting Stones
On the heels of last week’s post about unplugging, I had a conversation with friends about social media and what, exactly, it means to be social. What is a healthy balance of social and solitary? How do we determine if our social lives are appropriate? Predictably, I want to start this exploration with definitions, all Exploring social media and the way we use it; questions about our needs for connection and what authentic connection is| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentExploring the traumatic response of fawning, why we do it and how to develop better strategies to feel safe and loved.| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentExploring the weakness of denialism| Harvesting Stones
I’ve noticed the terms “introvert” and “extrovert” popping up frequently in conversations lately. As a lifelong introvert, I also notice a lot of misunderstanding about what the term means. I start, as you knew I would, with definitions. However, it happens I disagree with the online Oxford Dictionary definition of introvert, which is “a shy, What is it like to be an introvert? Do introverts need to be fixed?| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentTolerance is a mutual agreement to live peaceably with differences| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentSeparating power from money| Harvesting Stones
I recently came across an article in my newsfeed describing several ways in which parents can help kids develop mental strength.| Harvesting Stones
I’d love to be one of those serene, appropriately disciplined (as opposed to compulsive or utterly feckless) people who achieve an effective, useful, consistent morning routine. I’m not. Even during what I think of as “normal” times when my life was structured predictably by work and other obligations and activities, my morning schedule varied. Now, Stillness as An antidote to speeding and anxiety| Harvesting Stones
I'm getting ready to turn over the manuscript of my first book to a developmental editor. Getting ready means I'm doing one final read through and combing out overused words and phrases using the search (and destroy) feature in my word processor. Over the months and years I've been working with my book and mastering All the ways our culture teaches women to make themselves small| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentArguing with versus accepting what is| Harvesting Stones
I read a quote from Instagram last weekend from wetheurban: Stop looking for happiness in the same place you lost it. Ever since I read it, I’ve been turning it over in my mind. To be happy is to feel or show pleasure or contentment, according to Oxford Online Dictionary. This simple little sentence from Exploring happiness with the help of Martin Seligman; how happy is happy?| Harvesting Stones
One of the most important distinctions I’ve ever learned is the difference between thoughts and feelings. Sadly, I didn’t learn it in public school or higher education. I didn’t learn it from my family. I didn’t learn it from my culture. I didn’t learn it, in fact, until I was 50 years old. What I Separating out thoughts from our feelings; recognizing they may not reflect present reality; taking responsibility for our feeling lives without blaming others| Harvesting Stones
Choice: an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities (Online Oxford Dictionary). Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash This morning I've been reading about doing one thing at a time and having too many choices. I've considered the paradox of choice: how important it is to understand our Thinking about choices and choice overload| Harvesting Stones
This post has been simmering in the back of my mind for some while. I’ve taken my time approaching it because it seems to be something of a landmine for some people. In simplest terms, to be grateful is to be thankful. It’s easy to be thankful for the things we enjoy and that make The healing power of gratitude for the good, the bad, and the ugly| Harvesting Stones
In the last 24 hours I’ve had an Aha! moment representing one of the biggest breakthroughs of my life. I've always defined myself as a failure. This morning, before 7:00 a.m., I became a success. Just like that, in one blinding moment of epiphany. I lay there giggling to myself like an idiot. I’ve been When and why we fail on purpose in order to succeed, and the consequences of such a choice| Harvesting Stones
Is emotional intelligence training for you? Reasons not to do it.| Harvesting Stones
I’ve been thinking for some time about courage. Oxford Online Dictionary defines courage as “the ability to do something that frightens one.” As I explore definitions, articles, memes, and quotes about courage online, much of what I read seems superficial and uninspiring - nothing I want to write about. As always, I did find gold. Definition and characteristics of courage; a meditation on the complexity and difficulty of practicing courage| Harvesting Stones
Unusually, I’ve struggled the last couple of weeks to find something I wanted to write about for this post. At times I feel so heavily weighted with grief, fear, and despair about our world (and I mean our to include all people, all species, all life on this lovely, feverish planet suspended in the cool Which gods do we follow? What do they demand? Are they taking us home?| Harvesting Stones