A Lesson from Retreat: Real Over Polite Recently, my essay “Real Over Polite” was published in Elephant Journal. It came from an emotionally taxing purge that was both cathartic and familiar—familiar because it carried the same felt sense of loneliness I’ve felt so many times...
I’ve spent years helping people understand boundaries— where they begin, where they end, and how to hold them when people or systems try to bulldoze through. Over and over, I’ve had to draw those lines myself —not just with people, but with institutions that were...
(Originally published on Tiny Buddha and adapted for my website) Special Note This post is a little different — because it was originally featured on Tiny Buddha, I decided to share a video reading along with the written version. I don’t usually add video to...
Most of us weren’t taught how to handle conflict in healthy ways. If anything, we were taught to fear it —stay quiet, don’t rock the boat, keep the peace. And for a while, that strategy works. Avoiding conflict can feel like safety, especially if you...