I love this quote and image as they both resonate so deeply for me.  The internal battles are sometimes not visible to the world but that doesn't mean they are not being fought valiantly.  

Pema Chodron is an inspiration for me both in my personal life and also in my counselling practice.  Buddhist practices are often relevant to my clients who are facing health and medical crises.  These experiences entail a great deal of waiting... such as waiting for appointments, tests, and results.  My clients speak of the significant distress they go through while all this waiting is taking place. Very often, these challenges are related to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.  Once we have information, we are able to…

The theme of suffering has presented itself to me in many ways over the last week.  I have encountered multiple perspectives on the nature of suffering and the question of the necessity of suffering in the pursuit of meaning and purpose. While I will not attempt to unpack such deep topics here, I will share this Woody Allen quote: This quote is a gentle and humorous reminder that despite the inevitable challenges and frustrations in our lives, most of us still have a drive to participate…

A quote today today about renewal.  As we deal with change and transition in life, it can be unsettling and yet it is also a chance to begin again and sow new seeds.  We may not be able to predict the flower at the end, yet we in tending the soil with gentle love and warmth, we WILL see the blossoms with time.

Accepting ourselves is something that almost everyone I know struggles with.   There are parts we like and parts we would prefer not to acknowledge. Today I offer two quotes from eminent psychologists that speak to the process and importance of accepting ourselves for who we really are.  From that place of self-compassion, we can find greater joy and greater growth.  

"Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change" - Mary Shelley This quote is particularly relevant to those times when we are dealing with a new health crisis or condition.  It speaks to how we are catapulted from a familiar world into one in which we no longer know the rules and the norms.  We no longer know what to expect.  This is a scary time for many of us and it is normal that it takes time to regroup…