“I don’t have a racist bone in my body.” Such is the belief of most white Americans. But racism isn’t in the bones. Rather, it’s in our brains. So deep we often don’t even know it’s there. Racism also dwells deep within our culture’s systems. It’s encoded in our policies and practices. So deep we…
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“I can’t breathe.” These were among George Floyd’s last words, choked out before his life ended under the knee of a white police officer. “I can’t breathe.” Words that have since appeared on countless news sites, on graffiti under bridges, on t-shirts, on handmade placards at rallies around the globe. “I can’t breathe.” Words now…
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“How about we replace the term ‘social distancing’ with ‘physical distancing’?” Event cancellations. Travel restrictions. Empty supermarket sections. All can create a sense of surrealism, disconnection, and fear. At times of heightened worry and uncertainty, human connection is more essential than ever. Yet we are told to practice “social distance.” Whenever difficulties arise, I try…
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“To thrive, real human connection, the kind where we share something important and both walk away feeling uplifted, is essential.” It had been a long day of work and meetings. Needing something to tide me over until dinner, I’m pulling out brown-rice crackers and hummus when my phone rings. Up pops a photo of my…
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“While it can be tempting to rely on one tried-and-true strategy for facing life’s challenges, it’s better to match the method with the current need.” Nearing the end of a long midsummer run, I notice I’m at the bottom of yet another hill. My shoulders droop. My body sags. It’s not a particularly steep climb,…
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“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of suffering.” ~Helen Keller As she made herself comfortable on the couch opposite me, a 30-something client mentioned that she had passed a tent city on her way in. “Compared to poverty and homelessness, are my concerns worth addressing?” she wondered…
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“We limit how much technology our kids use.”~Steve Jobs “What I’ve been doing,” Bill tells me, “is not looking at my phone for at least an hour after I wake up.” To prepare for an upcoming television appearance on World Happiness Day, I’m spending an hour with my acting coach. He takes me through filmed mock interviews…
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”Motivation is often the result of action, not the cause of it.”~author and entrepreneur James Clear “You can’t wait for inspiration,” my son tells me. “You have to take action first.” A college senior, Elliot is home for winter break. We’re in the kitchen putting groceries away, and I’ve just told him how unmotivated I’ve…
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“He’s not getting out of bed?” I repeat, alarmed by the news of my father’s deteriorating health. He’s dying, I think, but don’t say aloud. Within 12 hours I am on a plane to Detroit to say goodbye to my Dad. Dad’s Parkinson’s had ravaged his body for years. Multiple spinal and knee surgeries did…
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Have your good deeds ever paid off in unexpected ways? I was fishing through my pockets for the one thing I carry when out on my morning run: my house key. Dang! No key! It could have fallen anywhere during my 45-minute loop around Cedar Lake. A pang of anxiety started working its way through…
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