surfing despair

surfing despair

When I lived in North Carolina, a tree fell on my neighbor’s car. He was upset and hired some guys to cut down many of the tall pine trees on his property. I cowered in the house that day, cringing at the sound of the chainsaws and the toppling trees. It felt like...
You can change your mind

You can change your mind

My mind is my biggest playground. Since I am quadriplegic, there’s not much I can change about my body, how it works (or doesn’t), or what it does. My body slips like an otter into the pool of “things I cannot change.” I am left with mind and spirit as potential...
Disarm your inner critic with self-compassion

Disarm your inner critic with self-compassion

I was 20 – an ambitious, hard-charging-perfectionist – when I was given a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. MS is a neurological disease whose symptoms may include fatigue, tingling, and paralysis. My initial response was to try to be “more perfect” in order to “beat” the...
Befriending the Mind 1 – just for today

Befriending the Mind 1 – just for today

It seems my entire adult life has been a process of befriending my mind. It began in an EA 12 step group in Winston-Salem North Carolina with the Just For Today’s. (It’s interesting that, in this brave new connected world, I could find them most easily on an EA...
As usual, Kermit the frog was right

As usual, Kermit the frog was right

Sometimes, when things are changing, we tell ourselves that it is too overwhelming and we won’t be able to cope. That’s not very helpful self-talk, as anyone familiar with internal dialogue will tell you. It is difficult, though, to catch those thoughts before they...