I adapted the title of this podcast from the classic meditation book by Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart. The self-empowerment of facing one’s own demons as squarely as one can with kindness and clarity, one of Pema’s basic themes, has helped me many times. For example, when I feel a lesson plan unraveling and have no idea how to go on, it isn’t helpful to tell myself, “You should have known better” What is helpful is seeing where I am stuck, giving myself as much kindness as I can and acknowledging that I’m in a tight spot. A variety of brilliant, creative solutions might exist, but I need to ask myself, “What is possible for me right now?”

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