by jlouden | Jan 13, 2021 | Blog, Creativity, Self-Care & Comfort, Why Bother, Why Bother
Anybody else horrified by the events at the U.S Capitol on January 6? The shame of seeing white supremacists in the People’s House brought me to tears of rage and grief, and the leaden grief of not being surprised and not being in denial. It all feels so big, my mind...
by jlouden | Jan 6, 2021 | Blog, Creativity, Self-Care & Comfort, Why Bother, Why Bother
When I close my eyes, I can see the room at the retreat center. My student and I sit opposite each other. Everyone else is napping or hiking or reading. The silence has a physical presence I recognize as a sign of the sacred. “Everybody else gets what they need,” her...
by jlouden | Dec 17, 2020 | Blog, Creativity, Self-Care & Comfort, Why Bother, Why Bother
Let’s start with a hug, because I miss them. Try this: next time you pretend to air hug someone from afar, hug yourself and have them do the same if they wish. It feels good. It’s grim in our world right now. So I figured the best thing I could offer this week is a...
by jlouden | Nov 25, 2020 | Blog, Creativity, Self-Care & Comfort, Why Bother, Why Bother
We’ve all heard the advice: do the most important task first thing in your day. It’s fine advice, but I often see it backfiring with people I work with. Why? You have to know what’s most important. Which means you have to be willing to name and own what you want....
by jlouden | Nov 18, 2020 | Blog, Creativity, Self-Care & Comfort, Why Bother, Why Bother
Hello, Holidays! Oh yes, holidays are coming even if we may not be with our people. That absence is making me think about gifts and delighting my friends and family from afar a bit more than usual. I’ve made a list of things I love in hopes it inspires you, and I made...
by jlouden | Nov 11, 2020 | Blog, Creativity, Self-Care & Comfort, Why Bother, Why Bother
The day the U.S. election was called I was determined to savor my joy! The day after, I wrote this on Facebook: Torn between the rush of this new beginning–wanting to clean my dirty floors! Organize office! Start campaigning in Georgia!–and...