Whether trying something new, not having heard from family or friends for a while, getting lost while driving or facing the recent fallout from the devastating earthquake, these situations evoke feelings of fear. Fear shows up as anxiety, worry, doubt, despair, hopelessness, paranoia and even as arrogance and prejudice. Fear is desired and useful as […]
Walking in the Footsteps of the Hero’s Journey
Whether it is viewing Star Wars for the tenth time or grandchildren asking you to repeatedly read Hansel and Gretel, there is something universally compelling about these stories. We often feel both deeply energized and content after witnessing them. One reason for this comfort is that characters in myths and fairytales represent parts of our […]
What Myth are You Living By?
Budda, Christ, Harry Potter and Maggie in Million Dollar Baby are all examples of the Hero archetype. Their stories follow a shared pattern of stages such as an unusual birth or childhood, an initiation, an exile, a period of many trials and tests, a symbolic death, a rebirth or transformation, and a return home. Archetypes […]
Things that go bump in the night … ‘Bad’ Dreams
You are running down a dark alley with someone chasing you. You find a shed to hide in only to find moments later the door slowly opening. As you are about to face the chaser you awaken in a fright. Bad dreams or nightmares are a universal human experience. Twenty-five percent of children aged 5 […]
Asking for what you want
“Excuse me, my soup is cold. I would like it heated up.” For many, saying this statement to a server in a calm, respectful manner is difficult. Why so? Many people were raised in a home in which their thoughts and emotions were not valued. We learned that our inner world of feelings and desires […]
Expressing your Feelings (Stop Being Nice!)
“Sit there and smile” and “Never contradict your father” are statements we may have been told in the name of good manners. We learn very early about what is acceptable in family and social settings. We sit up straight, suppress our tears and laughter, and consciously decide, “I better not say that.” Decades later, these […]
