Becoming Power

I keep noticing something in my work, in my friendships, even in myself: so many people are starving for permission. Permission to rest. To stop performing all the time. To tell the truth. Permission to become stranger, more tender, more sweet. Permission to become more fully themselves. So many of us learned that belonging required us to perform. We perform competence, pleasantness, productivity…...

Do you know what it would feel like to arrive in your power? We talk about power like it's a destination but I don't think that that's true. I mean, I have had clear, undeniable moments that I can point to and say, yes, that was me. I was lightning. But much more often, it's so much subtler than that. It's a reaching. A getting a little closer than last time. It's the moment after, when I'm not su...

It was two and a half years ago, but I can still taste it—that mix of confusion, grief, fear, and exasperation from the job hunt after a layoff. I kept hearing the same things: “You’re overqualified.” “You don’t quite fit this role.” “Your resume doesn’t really make sense.” Externally, I wanted to push back. But internally, I ingested a more dangerous thought: Maybe I don’t make sense. After month...

There are times in the world and in our lives when hope feels abstract. Maybe there’s a little ironic detachment. Maybe it’s more of a passive wish than taking action.  And there’s nothing wrong with wishing. But what I’m craving, and what I believe we need more than ever, is the kind of hope that gets its hands dirty. The kind that shows up–at community kitchens and school board meetings and in l...

This morning, I was halfway through my meditation when it finally clicked. Not in a big, ah-ha way. More like a little sigh. Yup. I’m scared. I didn’t know that’s what it was at first. I thought it was just the news, the state of the world, other people’s incompetence making me feel so off. (Yup it’s such a judgy thought! Stay with me…) But as I tracked my breath, I tuned into my personal signals...

Picture two spaces.  In one, a field kitchen bubbles over with life. Under a makeshift tent, pots clatter, onions hiss on a portable hot plate, and someone’s calling out, “We need more rice!” A neighbor who's just lost everything ladles soup for another who’s just walked miles through mud. In the second space, a yoga studio, breath slows, shoulders drop, the air smells faintly of lavender, bodies...

I was a shy and intense kid. The kind who always wants to sit at the grownups table instead of running around with the other kids. But I noticed early on that my intensity could confuse or overwhelm others, so I learned how to be me more quietly. I poured my caring into outlets that wanted me there, like theater, writing, and my horse, who always understood me. As an adult–at podiums, in boardroom...

There are moments in life–many moments if we’re lucky–when we outgrow an old form. What once felt right starts to feel too small. Something inside insists: there’s more than this. So the seed cracks. The old form gives way. And in that small rupture, something wild, something true begins to reach for the sun. This episode is about those moments that pop us out of our own confines. The moments when...

We are living in a world that currently feels unsettled, to say the least. At best, people seem confused. At worst, frozen, or acting out. There is so much anger and uncertainty in the air. One way I’m coping is by returning to art and story. Because here is what I know: Stories are more than entertainment. They can be bids for understanding. They can be tests to see if you understand or even agre...

Intuition can manifest as a sudden, sharp knowing or as a slowly dawning certainty.  Regardless of its speed, intuition carries a powerful sense of knowing, signaling us on a deep level, "Hey, pay attention. I have something to say." Intuition is a powerful force rarely spoken about openly. And when it is talked about, intuition is often seen as a vague, almost mystical whisper rather than a credi...

This year, I’ve spent a lot of time feeling lost.  Since my layoff, I’ve been planting seeds and imagining myself into many new life shapes, wondering which seeds will take root. This darkness can feel fruitful but can also be disorienting. Recently, sitting in a coffee shop, feeling overwhelmed, a friend said to me, “You already know how to grow, even when you think you don’t.” Could that be true...

After a recent bout of contending with my own perfectionism, I had a profound realization.  Perhaps calling myself a recovering perfectionist is incorrect.  Maybe my perfectionism isn’t something that I need to fix about myself. Perhaps the work is more about recognizing when I’m disconnected from my wise self and deploying the right tools to get back on track. What if we’re all just perfectly imp...

Are you a perfectionist? Has anyone referred to you that way before? As a coach, I understand that the desire to “get it right” plagues most of us in some way. And these tendencies can be especially pernicious when working on something that matters to us a lot. The tug-of-war between our aspirations and our current level of skill or ability can stop us before we even really get started. So when I...

There’s a lot of talk out there about self-care and rest.  We all experience stress and dysregulation in this world, and rest is essential for our emotional and physical well-being. Yet sometimes, when we’re stressed and agitated, it can be challenging to realize that we desperately need a break and even harder to figure out how to do that. This is where one of my favorite tools comes in: the Menu...

What rituals and practices do you turn to when you need refuge? In a recent conversation with my friend and former colleague, Darcy Constans MD, I realized that we had a cherished childhood touchstone in common that Darcy still uses when she needs a respite from the real world. In this episode, Darcy and I delve into her journey of managing her energy, exploring the spiritual and energetic aspects...

Picture this: you’ve just completed a big project. All the work (and stress) is over, and you can breathe a sigh of relief. Right? So, how quickly do you start itching to know how others think it went? Perhaps you’re a student constantly refreshing your email for your professor’s thoughts. Or maybe you’re in the workplace, compulsively checking Slack for comments from your boss. Do you ever find y...

Have you ever felt like your brain was being a real jerk? Our inner worlds can be brutal. But it is possible to intentionally cultivate a gentler, more generative landscape that offers us strong roots to ground us so that we can stretch out into the world with courage and support. Sara Lawson joined me to share her journey of silencing the harsh, unforgiving voices in her head. She also revealed t...

Power—what a complicated word.  What does it take to become powerful? Money? Fame? Connections? Or perhaps just being born into the right kind of body? I believe power— true power —results from deep roots, an inner life that keeps us grounded, inspired, and connected to what matters most. Power emerges from practices that help us transform and evolve and serve as a foundation for our work in the w...