I get letters: how can I feel more empathy?

I often get letters from folks sharing their experiences and asking questions. This correspondence can offer spectacular insights and musings that answer questions that many others have on their mind. So I’m sharing this one with you today…

Is THIS the Secret Emotion that you struggle with?

I have a friend who by any measure of success has “made it”. He’s an acclaimed authority in his field; he makes good money and others clamor to work with him.

Yet, he feels as if he’s never caught-up. As a perfectionist he’s nose to the grindstone working nights and weekends but seldom claims victories.

Are there shades of this in you? If so, you may have a form of depression, what’s called cold depression, that’s the opposite of what we normally imagine depression to be.

My old lady tattoo – I’m in good company

If you caught my recent video, you know that I was planning on getting my first tattoo at age 68. Even though we’re living in a “tattoo age,” I had to think long and hard about, first, getting one, and then, what would it be?! It’s now a done deal… and I have pictures to prove it!

Mother’s Day for the Rest of Us 

I wrote this some time ago for, I guess you could say, “Mother’s Day for the Rest of Us.” I hope it brings you solace.

Next week, I’ll be telling you about my brand new “old lady” tattoo, but since Sunday is Mother’s Day I wanted to share this with you. Let me know if you can relate.

Experience Emotional Liberation?

Whew! This month-long course has been a loooong time coming – because when I moved to Portugal from Florida about 18-months ago, I never thought it was going to take me this long to pick up where I left off in the states! So much bureaucratic red tape and just the stuff it takes to get settled!

Social anxiety? I got you covered! 

I know what it’s like to feel anxious – back in the day, I lived with anxiety for decades. Crippling anxiety actually, and it was particularly overwhelming in social settings, where I would perceive everyone around me as superior, telling myself that I was unworthy to be there and out of place.

Let’s talk Taylor, deepfake porn, and the queer community

Call me backward, but my true introduction to the term “deepfake porn” came in January with the unsettling news of Taylor Swift becoming a victim of it. She emerged as the focus of what’s called, “image-based abuse” in January, where sexually explicit content is created using AI to realistically superimpose people’s faces onto bodies not their own. I was curious about it and with easy browsing, it didn’t take me long to find the repulsive internet images.

Do shamans pick-up where gurus left off?

It used to be an easy shorthand to describe somebody at the top of their game as the “guru” of fill in the blank… the tech guru, the marketing guru, the fitness guru, etc. In Western vernacular, “guru,” came to mean someone who possesses deep wisdom, experience, and insights, and is often sought after for guidance or advice.

Ritual smoke: Keeping it together in altered states

I was on time but without a moment to spare, so I sneaked into the back of the crowded yoga session right before the teacher, who was new to me, locked the doors. I plopped down on a cushion, closed my eyes and began taking long deep breaths like the rest of the class. Long, deep belly breaths. But not for long.