As we close out this wild ride of a year, it’s really quite easy to reflect on the negative twists and turns. The ever-strengthening downturns of life from January through December were palpable and make room for 2020 takeaways riddled with chaos and tragedy. As a human, I FELT that rollercoaster–the grief. the panic. the…
Unlearning Racist Beliefs:
A Starting Point
for White Folks
Hi! I am White. Are you White? If so, let’s talk. Let’s start by identifying where exactly you’re at right now–mentally, emotionally–in your response to the current conversations around race. An easy way to do that? Read the following statements and decide which one(s) feel familiar to you. “When thinking about or discussing the Black Lives…
Collective Crisis:How and Why People Respond so Differently to Fear
When life-threatening emergencies arise, fear begins to work in mysterious ways and it invokes a wide-range of individual responses. To better understand collective crisis and process the seemingly odd behavior of others, let’s demystify the varying degrees of fear response. More importantly, building awareness around why you may react in a certain way and why…
Giving Advice is Tempting, but Solutions Should Wait
Why We Are Tempted to Give Advice “Advice comforts the giver more than the receiver.” As humans, one of the most common communication temptations we cave to is advice giving. When someone we care about comes to us with a struggle, we immediately scavenge for solutions and as soon as possible, we offer ✖️unsolicited✖️ advice. …
Ways Rejection Plays With Your Mind and Relationships
What is Rejection Sensitivity? We have an intrinsic need to belong, to be accepted. And when the approval we seek is shunned, we flail. Bottom line? Rejection is agonizing! It tricks us into questioning our abilities, our likeableness, our worth. It even affects us physically by slowing down our heart rate when we experience its…
Judgment and Gossip Have No Place in Healthy Friendships
Why might some friends be so quick to judge others? to judge you? It’s possible that they have developed a sort of critical reflex to process the world around them, after being conditioned to pass judgment on anything and everything that comes their way. Especially when it’s difficult for them to relate or understand the…
The Wrath of Perfectionism
Perfectionism on Self “Perfectionism is just an excuse for self-criticism.” – Sharon Marton In only some cases, perfectionism is understandably valued. For example, when designing a world-renowned bridge that is safe enough for thousands of people to cross on the daily. But in reality, most of our own undertakings do not require perfectionism. In fact, they…
Maui’s The Road to Hana,
Emphasis on Road
When I found out I was headed to Maui for the holidays, I was over the moon excited! I’ve travelled all around the world–to offbeat places like Rwanda and Laos–but I’d never traveled to my very own backyard of Hawaii. About 5 keystrokes into research, I quickly learned that The Road to Hana is a must-do; an all-day road…
Essential Packing List
for a Long Trip
I traveled for 4.5 months with 1 carry on bag and a back-pack. I made some mistakes with my own packing list. Here are some things I learned so that you can avoid learning the hard way. What makes packing most difficult on lengthy trips is weather changes. Luckily, we chased the sun. (Tip: chase…
Travel Quotes That Inspire
Traveling inspires. Travel teaches. Travel is so much more than a getaway. Below is a round-up of wisdom that highlights the heart and soul of traveling, overlaid atop some of my very own trip captures. What are some of your favorite sayings for the wanderlust? INSPIRATIONAL TRAVEL QUOTES “One’s destination is never a place, but always a new…