Overcoming Childhood Trauma Often Starts with Escaping the Fight or Flight Response George and Betty’s doors were buttoned up tightly the day I stood on the side of my house metamorphosing into a twelve-year-old hustler. But smoke billowed from my neighbors’ chimney, so I knew they were home. They were my best option for getting…
Sometimes we’re just so human. You know what I mean—those times when other people’s habits, perspectives, and political views get the best of us and we say hurtful things. But also within our humanness, deep inside all our impatience and judgment, we have something else, something better. We have compassion. Compassion is so powerful! It’s…
Have you ever seen a parrotfish up close and in person? They are magnificent! Also called the “rainbows of the sea,” they flash neon pink, yellow, and blue, while playfully inviting you to follow them deep into the sea. Parrotfish are able to change their sex when needed for procreation and make pajamas out of…
So often in life when we encounter an obstacle or are confronted with a tough decision, we look outside ourselves for answers. We call a friend, fire off an email to a colleague, or search Google. Rarely do we ever trust ourselves to solve life’s most difficult questions. We don’t listen to our own wisdom…
It rained on my wedding day. Huge drops fell on our Bahamian town and left us running for cover. I paced in my cabana, fretting that the rain wouldn’t stop in time for the wedding. David, my soon-to-be husband, handed me a glass of champagne and reminded me that the weather was out of our…
Life after a loss can feel lonely and unbearable. Days or weeks or even months may go by without you ever opening your eyes to see the world. This happened to me when I lost Finn, the gentle, loving soul who grew to become my emotional support dog. As I tell you in this video,…
“I know how to keep my man happy, and keep him, period: meatloaf and blowjobs.” ~ Ayako M. as quoted in Tim Ferriss’ book, The 4-Hour Chef. Oh, I’m probably still laughing as you read this. Nothing like the juxtaposition of meatloaf…
The need to believe has never been more important than right now. Believing in good, in peace, and that everything has a purpose. Believing that we will come out of these uncertain times better and stronger than before. Inevitably, there are times when I pause and think about the craziness in which we find ourselves….
Do you ever feel trapped? Held back? Caught in a time or place that affords no space to be who you long to be? Freedom is an elusive state, most of the time not being appreciated until it is stolen or eroded. But for as long as time, people have in one way or another…
Relationships are tricky, aren’t they? No matter how new and exciting the coupling or how experienced and finely-aged, we can still find moments of friction and tension. And in the times of COVID, when people are confined to small spaces (often for long stretches), the normal friction of a relationship can be magnified. So when…
These days, we’re probably all feeling a little afraid. We’re afraid of the known and even more so of the unknown. But even if it’s not the coronavirus or social injustice that has us shaken, fear and doubt about who we are and who we want to be can hold us back from leading a…