Finding a Silver Lining After a Loss

Woman at sunset looking into the distance, representing finding a silver lining after a loss

Change is inevitable, but when it involves loss, we can get stuck in grief and anger rather than accepting what’s happened and moving forward. Yet when I was a practicing licensed clinical psychologist, I often saw clients who had received a deeply distressing diagnosis or another devastating loss find silver linings that were initially hidden from them. I watched people with terminal illnesses grow in self-awareness, access and express their long-repressed feelings, and recognize at last what they most valued. They healed old wounds . . .

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Change the World, And Yourself, Through Rituals and Ceremonies

hand adding an item to a group of items in a ritual

Why are ritual and ceremony powerful tools for change?

Ritual and ceremony alter the energy field we all share. If you’ve ever wondered how a dog can find its way home even though it is lost and many miles away in an unfamiliar place, or pondered how birds in a flock can suddenly shift direction simultaneously, it’s because animals are tuned into the energy field we all share and can communicate with others and their environment through this field. As humans, we have lost much of our instincts….

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Pause and Hit the Refresh Button

Contemplative woman on beach representing the need to pause and hit the refresh button on our lives

Too many people feel stuck in a rut they don’t know how to escape. They might daydream about making changes, but somehow, transformation never happens. Even if they face no obvious obstacles, they don’t progress toward their goals. Because it’s painful to think about how stagnant their life seems, they usually try not to think…

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New Ideas on How To Be of Service

hands reaching out illustrating desire to be of service

Many people find a sense of purpose and connection when they give of themselves in service. Some small children raise money for charities they believe in. There are very busy adults who thought they would wait until some undetermined future date to give back, only to be so moved by a cause that they made time to support it. If you want to help others and the earth more than you have been, or help in different ways than you have in the past, you might want to consider some new ideas on how to be of service.

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Get in Touch with Your Creativity

Too many people operate on autopilot, bored with their lives and feeling restless. Have you become trapped in a story that’s no longer serving you, in patterns that make you yearn to feel more enlivened? Get in touch with your creativity and you might be able to write a new story for yourself that’s more…

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Make Habits Stick

woman in hoodie illustrating habits that stick

How often have you vowed to make a change in some area of your life only to find that after a few attempts to establish a new habit, you’ve gone back to the old ways? Changes at the margin can become habits, but there are secrets that chan help you make habits stick. Dream big…

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Use Your Words, Choose Your Words

two people in conflict illustrating choose your words carefully

If you can learn to create a momentary pause before you respond verbally to a situation, you might find that your word choices support healthy and helpful communication more than they would otherwise.

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If You Dislike Giving or Receiving Gifts

image of gift giving illustrating discomfort with giving and receiving gifts

If you dislike giving or receiving gifts, there could be any number of reasons you feel that way. Whatever they are, you can learn to feel more comfortable about this important element of many relationships, including partnerships and marriages, friendships, and grandparent/grandchild relationships. When You Dislike Gift-Giving One reason you might dislike giving gifts is…

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The Power of Sacred Listening

Two women sitting on a bench talking to each other.

Sometimes, when we’re listening to someone who is confiding in us, they begin shutting down. They seem to know we are not truly tuned in, not exercising the power of sacred listening. Sacred listening has qualities that ordinary listening lacks and has three core elements: respecting people’s autonomy, respecting their emotions, and properly timing your…

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