It’s probably easier to give than to receive, but we can’t give what we haven’t already received. How can someone love, when they don’t know what love is? Are you open to receiving love? It was awkward. Plain embarrassing. It was so uncomfortable that they wanted to run from this […]
empowerment
Others’ opinions about us can lead us to feel we are caged. Trapped, we grow in fear and worry, but recognizing them and boldly stepping out of the cage can bring us into new freedom. I could feel myself slipping into the dark place of despair again. As is my […]
The change felt good, but they were also afraid of who they might be becoming. Then they learned that they were not alone and to trust the train they were traveling on. It’s always scary when you don’t know what’s on the other side. Who am I becoming? What will […]
Are you tired of being the Scapegoat but don’t know how to stop it? Six key steps to stop being the dumping ground of other people’s rubbish. She felt like they were making her a scapegoat. They were saying she was responsible for all the terrible things that had happened. […]
So why did the Samaritan cross the road? Perhaps he wasn’t afraid of the sky falling in. Let’s not be chicken with people like us. I happened to call an acquaintance of mine a few days ago. He does some jobs for me every now and then. As we talked, […]
‘I’m not religious’ is something many say, but religion is a place of reconnection and realignment. Good mental health grows in a healthy religious experience. Say the word ‘Religion,’ and you’ll get lots of reactions. The word ‘Religion’ can a springboard to thoughts of rules, regulations, rituals, commitments, vows, attendance […]
It can be so debilitating to be told ‘you need to have boundaries,’ but as you grow the heart, a new empowered strength slowly builds within. ‘You really need to have boundaries’ How many times have you heard this said or even said it yourself? I always feel a little […]
I need a nest that I can call home. Actually, digging down a little further, I need a grouping of relationships that know me, love me, and have compassion and kindness when I get things wrong. The other day I was pruning a vine and there high above my head […]
When you’re in a dark hole, it can feel like there is a loss of hope, but you can dig yourself out with some wisdom and encouragement. It was a hole that I had fallen into. I was in a deep dark hole where the sun didn’t seem to reach. […]
Why you get so angry can give a clear direction about who you truly are. It’s a matter of the heart. Your anger can indicate what you hold most dear. As they became more whole, the anger started to simmer, then boil, and then it flowed over the containment of […]
Can anything good come out of that time, place, or person? Only if we take a risk and explore. We are invited to ‘come and see.’ I was raised on a farm near a small town called Wellsford. In fact, my ancestors settled there in the 1860s, migrating from England. […]
There was no self-confidence. It was gone like vapor from ash. But something reignited when we looked at the pebbles and not the mountain. It was like I was looking at an empty shell. They were there in the room with me, but there was very little confidence within them […]
You might be helping them too much and hinder any progress for them and yourself, but we can learn new ways of helping and see the change we want for them and ourselves. She was helping too much, and the person she was helping didn’t mind one little bit. In […]
Sometimes we can find ourselves stuck in a dark hole and feel like we are going down, but there is hope when we open ourselves to the connection and support from others. One property I work on as a gardener is a small farm, and I get to use a […]
We can live warped lives because of a shadow hanging over us, but that shadow can be removed if we face what’s causing the shadow and allow the light to flood in. Have you ever walked in a shadow? Of course you have, but you probably didn’t take much notice […]
It was the feelings of a guilt trip and the words of being a ‘Brothers Keeper’ that triggered me. But was it genuinely helping me and them to think this way? Something needed to change. Some people seem to be able to push the manipulation guilt trip button every time. […]
Stress can add up to be too much, and we can have a mental health breakdown, but when we break it down like in the story of David and Goliath, we can find a way through the chaos. Stressful times can feel like a massive avalanche of overwhelming pressure. The […]
There is a resistance we all face into, but with the presence of others, we can know hope. So let’s listen. It felt to her that she was the only one having struggles. Every day, as her eyes peeled open, there was an instantaneous thought ‘Can I do this’? As […]
Storms of life can hit hard against our mental health, but we can learn to stand firm and even advance. Developing resilience is a practice of strengthing your inner Bulldog. It was quite something as I watched this little goat headbutt a Bulldog. Repeatedly it launched itself at the Bulldog, […]
Some people can be difficult to live at peace with. To live peaceably and in harmony requires each person to do the work on themselves. Some people are like bottomless holes. You give and give, and they take and take. They raise a storm, and you’re expected to bring peace. […]