What if your body was talking to you in myths and symbols? What if the myths you know, the dreams you have, the stories playing out in front of
The Living Legacy™ Worksheet
What if you could glean your life's natural purpose in 5 minutes? This is the original Living Legacy Worksheet, written around Y2K. I just had fun
Your ordinary, extraordinary life
There is a form if you'd like to share on this topic below. The first part of my life, I wanted to be extraordinary. Driven by a distant father who
Idealism, burnout, and collaborative missions
I've needed to abruptly quit a few things in my life. And each time, my departures have left people confused. In general, I'm an upbeat worker,
Speculation vs Decision: guarantee certainty and mitigate risk by front-loading choices
My eleven year old wakes up early and likes to go on woods-walks with me most days before school. Today, we figured out when choosing between two
Taking a Hot Second to do The Work
I've come to know Byron Katie's The Work as a strategic identity cleanse, a chance to remove harmful beliefs with surgical precision. If you don't
Practice Notes – Jan 19
I've been taking Buddhism classes with Jungto Society, and I love them. The classes teach about the history, the philosophy, and the principles of
NFT-y
Back in 2021, I woke up with a start one night, read a random article about NFTs, and set about this new art project. It's not over yet, but did take
toney atone: my family goals
There are a few things I've been saying to my family, hoping they'll see things I see as problems and make "us" feel better. No one has wanted to
unsolicited something for ya
on Vulnerablity, Shame, and Energy Exchange Dear Young Adult, Last night you said that you felt I shamed you when I pointed out bad posture,
Code me up – Complicated
My 13 year old and I had one of our more interesting talks the other day. My kids had dragged me to a movie they love, full of multiverses of heroes
Survival is a fast car
On a recent talk the speaker asked her audience how many were "in survival mode." One quarter of the hands went up.* I found this revelatory, not
Doing it ‘nice and rough’ – Tina Turner is my kind of Buddha
I have fifteen minutes to write this. I know Buddhsim works for me, and I want to practice every day. I've tried apps, books, meditation retreats
make all the same mistakes I did
There's been so much discontent between us, eldest kid. Maybe this is from me trying to shield you from mistakes, preventing you from falling on your
Beyond Belief
I don't go to church, my kids don't either. The other day I realized that even though I don't engage with organized religion anymore, that there are
Coping: Part II in the Working Toward Transformation series
Last post was supposed to be about forgiveness, but wound up as an angry, toxic diatribe. I'll guess I'll call that Part I. I'm okay with this,
Praying is the last thing you should do
Now, don't get all hating on me for this. I believe in the power of prayer. Because of prayer, perhaps some important people in my life are alive.
I am my dogs
A generation ago, I had a dream, and I told my mentor about it. Black dogs are barking at me. It is depression. It looks like this (I showed him a
on humor and malice
humor is the tendency of experiences or expression to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humoral medicine of the
Four Styles of Defining A Life
I wrote a chunk of a self-help book over a decade ago. It described the four styles people use to find — and define — meaning in their lives. These
My poem to you
This poem is one of thanks. And it is for you. Dear friend, you are a woman of extraordinary depth. You feel. You feel for others who forget
Holiday Jealousy. On Making Cheer
I've got to admit, I've been feeling a little sorry for myself. I feel like I work really hard taking care of a thousand things, and yet, I can't seem
And up we go again
After writing a few emotional posts lately, both "positive" then "negative," I feel I must quickly get something down in this space that is positive
Tasslenisms – Part 3
Dog feeding time: Odin: I'm going to give the dogs a boutique! Me: Really? Tasslen: No Odin, a boutique is a bunch of flowers. You want to give
A message to my son on Mother’s Day
Hi O! You are four now, and not one for lengthy or deep conversations, but there are so many things I want to say to you, so I'll write them now.
Message for my daughter on Mother’s Day
Hi Tas, This morning I was in the bathroom and saw our little message chicken (you know, the one with a set of little papers with nice sayings on
please for my birthday, mr. president
I'm asking for only one thing: please start acting like a winner. A good one. Good winners are fair to their opponents. Good winners are kind to
This might take a while…
In the middle of another sleepless night, I decided to give up outrage. It's been flying around me from left and right, perhaps correctly, but it's
A Pledge of Human Decency
I'm not sure why I feel it is important to promote a pledge for human decency today. Maybe it is because I feel a little sick in my stomach, both
Farewell, Fair Man (and Family)
[first posted Dec 18, 2016] I campaigned for you, Obama, and am proud I did so. Since the time you became our president, our family has done
Thank you Carrie
Take your broken heart, and make it art -Carrie Fisher to Meryl Streep
Aloft
This is my theme for the day. It has to be. I am exhausted from running too many things, and there is snow on the ground, and all I want to do is be
Who’s carrying…
... the emotion of the situation? In every intense interaction between people, an emotional 'bubble' gets created. Usually this bubble is experienced
