As I type this post, I have another browser window open to track the path of Hurricane Florence due to make landfall in my area sometime later this week. Though I now live a few hours inland, I grew up in a coastal town, so I know how unpredictable storms like these can be. It’s entirely possible that we will get a bit of rain and wind and nothing Read More
self-care
Say Yes to Saying No
“We have a few more spots on this committee we need to fill. Are you interested?” Before I could ask myself if this was something I even wanted to do, I felt the impulse to blurt out, “Yes!” But just before I spoke, I heard my inner voice tell me to stop. And I listened. Volunteering for things is so ingrained that I’ll take on new Read More
Release and Rise Up
Though I call myself a pragmatist, I’ve got a touch of dreamer inside me. Like all of us I have a handful of lofty aspirations that seem out of reach for now: ideal work opportunities, visionary partnerships, and future collaborations. Some time ago I was speaking at an event. While I always look forward to connecting with audiences, this Read More
The Shifting Dance of Balance
What's your reaction to the phrase work-life balance? Does the idea of balance seem aspirational to you, or does it seem utterly impossible? If you're like me, it feels more like the latter. There are several major problems with the concept of work-life balance in the ways that I have heard it described. The phrasing falsely segregates Read More
Demystifying Self-Care
The first time I heard the phrase “self-care” was in a workshop for first-year students at my divinity school. I had no idea what it meant, much less how to practice it, but I was too embarrassed to say anything. This week I visited Duke Divinity School to deliver the Jill Raitt workshop for their annual Women’s Week. The theme was “Women Read More