Tag: voice

  • Everything’s Fine. Or Is It?

    Everything’s Fine. Or Is It?

    Want to listen, instead of read? Here you go… Dearest One, Have you ever found yourself saying, through gritted teeth, “Everything’s fine.” Me too. Even when everything is absolutely.not.fine. Mine comes from a feeling that the person who is asking is not really asking, or that anything other than fine isn’t acceptable. As women, we…

  • Why Crappy Stuff Happens

    Why Crappy Stuff Happens

    One might imagine that while climbing the enlightenment ladder things get easier – life circumstances shift, bringing rainbow unicorns to our doorsteps to carry us off into the sunset. Gosh, how I wish that were true. But it directly conflicts with the whole point of this wild ride we call life. Here’s how it rolls…

  • Excuse Me, This is My Seat

    Excuse Me, This is My Seat

    Excuse me, this is my seat. How do I know? I just do. Just like I know this is my hand, and this is my child, and this is my life. I worked really hard for that seat. I didn’t always succeed, but that’s why it’s that seat. It’s not for the perfectly perfect. There…

  • Where Expression and Compassion Meet

    Where Expression and Compassion Meet

    There’s a lot of talk in the self-development word about authenticity. It seems to be the buzzword that everyone’s after.   Complete self-expression is my version of authenticity, and has been the theme of my adult life. It was a response to my silence as a young person, deathly afraid of speaking for my first…

  • Assimilation, Integration, Expression

    Assimilation, Integration, Expression

    The pursuit of blending in was an obsessive reality of my first few decades. As a Caribbean immigrant of successful parents, I fit neither into the urban neighborhood where we began, or the rich white suburbs we moved to. I changed the shape of my body, the way I spoke, my interests and personality as…