Living from Authenticity

The notion of being a ‘good’ person has come up for me a lot lately. Everyone does things they’re not proud of; everyone can look back and identify mistakes they’ve made. Many of us have also faced impossible choices where we will feel like bad people no matter what we decide. Does any of that make us bad people?

The Beautifully Useful Unconscious Mind

When I first began seeking heightened self-awareness, I believed I had to bring all my unconscious tendencies into my conscious mind – and keep them there. I saw the unconscious as a dumping ground for things we didn’t have time to face or process; I believed that the goal was to empty it. Eventually, I realized this is not only impossible, it’s actually counterproductive. 

Communication in Conflict

Sometimes we find ourselves in the midst of a disagreement that quickly degrades into an argument, or even a fight. How does this happen? Why is it that we so often find ourselves in these situations where we feel like our words are falling on deaf ears, where all we say seems to worsen the situation?

Embrace the Chaos

This year is the year of the Fire Monkey in Chinese astrology. It is a year of intensity and sudden change – in short, chaos. Many of us have had a very tough year so far, whether it be from health problems, losing family members or friends, or just a seemingly constant onslaught of conflicts. These problems are to a degree or magnitude we haven’t experienced before, which leaves us feeling overwhelmed and run-down. 

Loving Acceptance

I’ve spent quite some time now struggling with how to let go of circumstances beyond my control. One thing has helped me to focus more on the present and obsess a little less about what might be in my future.

Validation

I’ve had a tendency to ramble in my lifetime. Recently, I’ve gotten a lot better at listening first, and I thought I’d turned a corner in this area. But a conversation with one of my closest friends showed me that I was wrong.

Multiple “Intelligences”

Today, I had an interesting interaction with a stranger. He told me about something called “multiple intelligences”, and directed me to a particular assessment thereof.

Negativity as a Virus

We all have negative experiences. It’s not uncommon for many of us to think of these as having external causes, which usually means we think they are other people’s fault; effectively, we can end up blaming others for experiences we don’t enjoy.

What do you call a morbid parrot?

…Macaw-bre.

Honesty vs. Authenticity

As I’ve mentioned before, honesty has always been paramount to me. I would often tell people that I don’t care what they do, as long as they tell me about it. In recent months, I’ve had several epiphanies around my obsession with honesty.