-
Brittle…Break…Through
I woke up at 3:32, one minute earlier than the more charmed 3:33 that I often awaken to. Despite the fleeting distraction of wishing the clock presented a more favored set of numbers, I was met by the pressing presence of a word ricocheting through my consciousness. Hushed, but urgent, the word “BRITTLE” rang through…
-
Not Feeling Myself
I haven’t been feeling myself lately. I mean that in both the literal and metaphorical way. For weeks now, while engaging in activities I typically enjoy, I have found myself feeling flat and robotic. I’ve recently made decisions and matched them with actions that should have carried a sense of motivation and purpose. And yet,…
-
From Time to Time
Is time our friend or foe? Much of the language we use around time conveys it as a valuable commodity. We Make Time, Spend Time, Share Time, Use Borrowed Time, Lose Time or Don’t Have Time. But our relationship with time also has a “speed” to it that is, shall we say, confusing. Time Stops,…
-
Kaleidoscope Listening
Like most of us, there are many aspects of myself that I remain blind to or incredibly uneasy to claim. But there is one persistent quality that is pure, innocent and stubbornly convicted. I am determined to see the goodness in everyone I meet. To be clear, this has not always served me well. In…
-
Agree to Explore
Writing is a slow and arduous endeavor. I recently told a friend the only reason I do it is because writing gives me the time to explore and better understand the many facets of an idea. A white sheet of paper demands a lot of you, and it will prove to either be your tormentor…
-
Lost…in Translation
Today, I am not at all embarrassed to say, I am an incredibly inexperienced drinker. My parents’ reprisal carried enough “risk” that I chose to bypass the years when I was young and naïve enough to experiment and make ill-advised decisions with intoxicants. Sure, I engaged in the social initiation of my 21st birthday and…
-
What We Haven’t Been Taught…
How are your conversational skills? Do you know? How do you feel after most of your conversations with people? Do you feel seen, heard, and understood? Have you walked away with new information about the person you just shared time with? How well did you understand what they were sharing? Do you even recall what…
-
Creating…Connections
My favorite childhood game required several participants and usually began with an excited plea that morphed into a lawyer’s level of skillful persuasion. My zeal for the game was matched by my older sister’s bane. To this day, the start of game play is still linked with two words that sliced the air with their…
-
What’s Your Conversational Legacy?
“Melissa, someone could become enlightened watching a piece of trash roll past them.” These were the provocative words of the guiding teacher at the meditation center where I practice. At the time, his words felt a bit irreverent, but they lingered with me. My fourth-grade teacher was the first to say, “Melissa, you have a…
-
The Myth of Certainty
What is your relationship with uncertainty? Like a well-orchestrated square dance, uncertainty weaves the ring of our life with its favorite dance partner, discomfort. Some days, we are called to turn our back on it and “do- si- do.” Other days, we take hold of it and proudly “promenade.” Yet other days, we are invited…
