Have you ever wondered what the difference between shame, guilt, humiliation, and embarrassment are? Often we use these words interchangeably, but Dr. Brené Brown has so beautifully described the difference between the 4 terms: Shame is “I am bad” Shame is a focus on self. Imagine you've worked really hard to prepare a presentation with … Continue reading Shame vs. Humiliation vs. Guilt vs. Embarrassment (Brené Brown)
The 25 Beliefs I Once Held to be True…but Don’t Anymore
Like everyone else I know, I have a million-and-one things I should be doing instead of writing this post right now, but that tiny fleeting voice of inspiration came knocking and tugged on my shirtsleeve. So, while the kids were napping, I did what any self-respecting mom on a ‘nap-break’ with mountains of laundry, tons … Continue reading The 25 Beliefs I Once Held to be True…but Don’t Anymore
Asking For Help: 7 Actionable Ways to Encourage Help-Seeking at Your Work and School
Asking for Help: 7 Actionable Ways to Encourage Help-Seeking at Your Work and School “Help is one of those four-letter-words that is curiously difficult to say when it’s in the form of a request. Most people tell me that it’s not easy for them to ask for help. Offering to be of help, on the … Continue reading Asking For Help: 7 Actionable Ways to Encourage Help-Seeking at Your Work and School
Hating People Close-Up is Nearly Impossible
Hating People Close-Up is Nearly Impossible It was a hectic Saturday morning. Everyone seemed in a rush to attack the ‘to-do’ list so the true ‘weekend’ could commence. There would be causalities. It was inevitable. Grey drizzle hung low in the air, immediately dampening everything in its path. With soggy urgency, people raced from the … Continue reading Hating People Close-Up is Nearly Impossible
36 Questions, 90 Minutes, and Two Stories of True Love that Defy Even the Biggest Skeptics
Just 36 questions. That’s supposedly all it takes to fall in love. Intrigued? So was I… In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I feel the urge to share a fascinating strategy I just recently learned from The Science of Happiness Podcast (produced by the University of Berkeley and PRI) for creating intimacy that has been … Continue reading 36 Questions, 90 Minutes, and Two Stories of True Love that Defy Even the Biggest Skeptics
Rethinking Regret: Two Stories of Forgiveness and Acceptance
Regret’s a funny thing, isn’t it? I used to believe that it served no redeemable purpose, that accumulated regret would only function to burden a person under its weight, like a sack of rocks, discomfort giving way to hopelessness and overall stuck-ness as one buckled under the heaviness of it over the years. I remember … Continue reading Rethinking Regret: Two Stories of Forgiveness and Acceptance
How Empathy Leads the Way for the Transformation from Victimization to Resiliency
Just this morning, I had a realization that stopped me in my tracks. It was one of those “Aha” Oprah-moments that sent a jolt of electric energy from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. It’s a very simple concept, but it’s caused a dramatic paradigm shift in the way I … Continue reading How Empathy Leads the Way for the Transformation from Victimization to Resiliency
The Unexpected Detour That Landed Me Exactly Where I Was Supposed to Be
Last week, I experienced an unbelievable moment that will stay in my heart forever. Dampness permeated the air that morning. As I hurried out the front door of my house and onto the driveway, I felt the impact of a big, fat raindrop on my forehead. The cold licked at the back of my throat … Continue reading The Unexpected Detour That Landed Me Exactly Where I Was Supposed to Be
Handfuls of Hope
“Why would God make me this way?” he threw his hands up exasperated, standing in the middle of the grocery aisle as she stood beside him. My 84-year-old friend, Kate, a devout Christian, had spotted Sam immediately upon entering the grocery store that day, hunched over as he squinted at the ingredients on a box … Continue reading Handfuls of Hope
Giving Thanks for An Unexpected Encounter
“What beautiful blue eyes!” her voice broke through my thoughts as I waited, admittedly impatient for the sign to invite us to cross the busy road. It was the Saturday of a hectic Thanksgiving weekend, we were set to catch the next ferry to our favourite gulf island, and I had just raced into a … Continue reading Giving Thanks for An Unexpected Encounter
Morgane Michael 