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
#post_contentSchool violence and school reunions; memories of high school| 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
This week’s post is suspended between two stories. The first one is the old Greek myth of Sisyphus. Sisyphus was a crafty and deceitful king who craved complete power. In his pursuit of power, he offended many men and gods and was eventually punished by being sent to the underworld and forced to roll a The problems with trying too hard| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentExploring the benefits of boredom| 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
#post_contentExploring resilience in an offensive world| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentWhat is gaslighting and what does it look like?| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentTolerance is a mutual agreement to live peaceably with differences| Harvesting Stones
Making and communicating honest choices; why it matters| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentExploring the power of forgiveness| 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
Challenging the limitations and distortions of personal stories| 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
Is emotional intelligence training for you? Reasons not to do it.| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentExploring identity| Harvesting Stones
#post_contentDealing with the terrible burden of shame| Harvesting Stones