Among the Akan people, the sankofa bird represents the work of reflecting on the past, drawing forward what’s good, and making good with the past in the present. A good review enables you to do that with your own history. Reflect on your last decade: 2006-2016. When you can identify the consistent patterns in your […]
The most important part of the pyramid
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, commonly represented as a pyramid, has physiological and safety concerns at its base. These basic concerns include food, shelter, and freedom from violence, and it makes sense that people need these existential needs met in order to live well. But it’s easy to focus on planning for everything else except the […]
Don’t sleep where you cook
Helping professionals and social activists are among the many, many kinds of people who really need to pay attention to the space available in their lives for recovery and restoration. I’m completing my second year in a congregational position where I’ve learned a great deal about community life and what works well for people who serve. Working behind the curtain […]
Don’t let it happen to you
A few years ago, articles about a new book flew around social media. The book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying compiled the most frequent regrets of people who were dying. Author Bronnie Ware shared the respondents’ reflections with readers in the spirit of “Don’t let it happen to you.” The five insights: I wish I’d had […]
