Reflecting on a Year of Change
It’s been 18 months since I last posted, yet Living the Mess has been on my mind every day. While I haven’t been writing posts for this site, as a friend pointed out, I have been living the mess and so experiencing source material for future posts. It...
Five Mindfulness Lessons from Moving
When I moved into “Little House on the Big Island” in 2008, I was a chain-smoker who drank at least 2 litres of Diet Pepsi every day. I was on six different psychiatric medications. I could swallow a handful of pills dry (and often did, several times a day). I had...
Leaning into Fear and Uncertainty
Part I “Will you be around this afternoon?” My landlord texted me two weeks ago. “I’d like to come over and talk to you.” “Sure,” I responded. My mind began spinning. My landlord and I, who have become friends over the nine...
The Lifespan of an Emotion
In neuroscientist Jill Bolte-Taylor’s memoir, My Stroke of Insight, she notes that the physiological lifespan of an emotion in the body and brain is 90 seconds. The sensations—adrenalin, heat in the face, tightness in the throat, rapid heartbeat—arise, peak and...
Separating Facts from Stories
“The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.” —Jiddu Krishnamurti Stories are how we make sense of events in our lives. We string together a narrative so that life doesn’t seem entirely random. In some situations, this is...
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