When a People-Pleaser Decides to (Gasp) Tell the Truth
The note reads, "Caroline possesses a respectably expansive vocabulary." Intellectual assent is easy. Being people of peace? Shifting from self-blame and people-pleasing to compassion and honesty? Sure thing. But putting these things into practice when we're angry and upset? That's another story. Luckily, life continually offers us opportunities to learn ... which are often disguised as conflicts. *** My dear friend Tam recently lent me a copy of Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. Nonviolent communication (NVC) is, to quote author Marshall Rosenberg, "a way of communicating that leads us to give from the heart." As I read,...
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Darling Neurotic, Meet Your New Best Friend: The Radical Practice of Rest
My husband and I have been under the weather this week. We're dealing with some kind of virus, and he's facing seasonal allergies on top of that. We've been keeping up with our most important responsibilities by sleeping or resting every free moment. And slowly, we're starting to feel better. This week of fatigue has had me feeling anxious; I worry about not getting enough work done each day, not moving faster toward my big goals. And there's always this nagging, hypochondriac worry that maybe this bug is something serious. In moments like these, I call my dear friend Brooke...
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Your Own Improbable Peace: 4 Suggestions For Serenity
I keep telling my husband that we jinxed it. First, there was a mention of Vincent's* upcoming birthday. (Vincent always has some kind of medical emergency on or around his birthday.) Next, there was the way we said, "Finally, a quiet weekend at home. A normal, peaceful Saturday." You see where this is going, right? We were awakened by the L'Arche emergency line on Saturday morning. Vincent had stroke-like symptoms, and an ambulance took him to the hospital. It turns out that Vincent didn't have a stroke (thank God), but that he needs further tests to determine what's happening. And...
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