How do you respond to stress? Maybe you feel excessive fatigue or body pain? Maybe you get caught in unpleasant emotional states? Maybe your sleep is disturbed? Our stress responses are activated for good reasons like survival, moving us into action, and preventing excessive optimism. However, when our bodies are in survival mode, the thriving or renewal system is suppressed.
This past Saturday, July 18, 2020, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela would have celebrated his 102nd Birthday. I write this post in honor of his legacy. I grew up in apartheid South Africa. I will never forget that late summer afternoon in February 1990 when Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster prison, a free man. There was a buzz of excitement
I’ve been in the grip of self-doubt many times in my life. On the one hand, it has motivated me to become a skilled professional. On the other, no matter how well I perform, it occasionally manages to convince me that I’m at risk of being exposed as a fraud. Self-doubt can show up as Imposter Syndrome, lack of confidence,
Every morning, I exchange gratitude texts with a good friend. We share 3 things we are grateful for. Recently, one of hers was, “a day filled with possibilities”. This inspired me. How do we fill our day with possibilities? The uncertainty of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic can keep us thinking small about our day and our future. It may feel safer
A few days ago, I woke up with a highly agitated mind. As is my routine, I sat down to meditate, expecting the incessant mental chatter to dominate the entire session. I decided to do a guided lovingkindness (Metta) meditation. In this practice, the meditator cultivates feelings of kindness and friendliness towards others (and themselves) by silently repeating simple phrases
