There is a saying that to understand another person you need to walk a mile in their shoes.
Travel Discoveries
We arrived home last Tuesday night carrying our suitcases, backpacks, and memories of our adventures in Delhi, Kathmandu, and the bucolic country of Bhutan. As we petted up the dogs and cats, unloaded our bags, and showered for the first time in days, the dissonance between life in other countries and our home was at times bewildering and welcome. Navigating …
The Language of Emotions
Do you have an emotional vocabulary? Do you use a wide range of words to describe how you are feeling or do you rely on “fine” and “okay?” In our environment of rapid change and clipped conversations (verbal and through technology), most of us rely upon the expedient answer of “fine” when queried by someone, especially in a non-intimate environment …
What Makes You Laugh?
What makes you laugh? Is it a joke about a man who walks into a bar, a knock-knock joke, an unexpected occurrence or a prat-fall? Psychologists tells us that laughter serves as a type of super glue in that it helps keep us connected. Laughter is universal, but humor is culturally specific. Laughter is a natural behavior of humans and some …
How Does the Environment Affect You?
I entered the garden through a metal gate within a gray concrete brick wall. Straight ahead was a walkway and a three-story chorten (stupa) that looked like a large white and gold vase. Instead of flowers, there was a pyramid-like pillar topped by a crescent moon and sun. Each tier was encompassed by a white wrought-iron fence that looked like …
Introverts, Extroverts and Science
Extroverts, Introverts, and the Brain’s Reward Center As an introvert, I’ve always been intrigued (and at times annoyed) by the ability/propensity of extroverts to talk as much as they do, especially about themselves. Before I really understood how extroverts were wired, I used to think they were unusually self-absorbed. However, it is just that extroverts process information more externally, while …
Different, Not Dangerous
I’ve been reading The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. It is a fascinating book that has caused me to look at the trees on our property with a new sense of wonder. According to Wohlleben, trees communicate and work together to protect their community. They don’t discriminate. If a tree in a forest is struggling, other trees will connect with …