My Heartsongs

Avoidance of conflict is a common major obstacle to intimacy. How might we learn to first look within when triggered, make requests rather than demands, and then move from resentment to contentment?

Africa, with all its incredible beauty and abundant resources always stirs my social justice pot, asks me if I am doing enough to make the world a better place, and how I might imagine a future where I live with less, and the many without have a bit more.

The magic of Africa has many lessons to teach, not the least of which is safety around dangerous animals and the incredible self-sufficiency of the Bushmen.

Celebrating “you belong”, by dropping judgments, by learning to accept and love yourself, and deeply comprehending that the larger forces of prejudice, stigma and exclusion – which we all must resist – are major contributors to loneliness and unhappiness.

It’s an age-old question: how to feel content and welcome happiness in spite of all these worldly challenges, threatening to overwhelm us. Especially on my birthday, I can remember what always brought me joy, and allow myself to experience that today.

I still very much feel within me the vitality of self-transcendence, this quest to keep evolving and growing into more of who I really am. How to keep this alive as the inevitable loss of function in various ways begins to manifest? What might the Hindu notion of Vanaprastha offer us by way of counsel?

A photo assemblage of turning points, both significant and random events in our lives, can be illuminating for the myriad stories contained within the single image. Why such an undertaking offers unique benefits and insights.

Even without the incredible challenge of substance abuse, our adult children may get stuck in patterns or habits that do not serve them or us. Our fears may drive us to blame, try to control, or take on additional responsibilities out of guilt in an attempt to mitigate their challenges. How do we empower them instead?

Father’s Day and Solstice provide ample opportunities for essential questions. We explore the Inuktitut concept, isumaqsayuq (ee-sue-mahq-SAH-yooq) best translated as “to cause thought; a conscious method of instruction.”

Solitude and silence offer many heart-opening opportunities when we build them into our day. We open to new ideas, and attune ourselves more deeply to what we really love. The sense of spaciousness to just be, in a world so consumed by doing, is good for us on every level.