By Melissa Faulkner I had the privilege of studying abroad in Denmark for a summer after my junior year of college. There’s about a million and one reasons why this was the best summer of my life, and most of the details can be found on my blog. But the real value behind my summer in Copenhagen was not truly realized…
I’ve always believed that forgiveness can set us free. At Rewire Me we’re all big on forgiveness, so we were thrilled to discover our kind of holiday! Desmond Tutu—winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, advocate for reconciliation and forgiveness, and author of The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World (HarperOne)—has partnered with The Worldwide…
We know that stress—especially of the traumatic variety—can affect the shape and function of structures in the brain. For example, studies on survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reveal that the amygdala (the almond-shaped threat and danger detection center of the brain) can actually enlarge in the presence of an ongoing, unmitigated survival response. Conversely, the hippocampus (a horseshoe-shaped entity…
I’ve been doing a bit of traveling lately. Today I dropped in on the neighborhood where I grew up in Ohio, then headed off to an artist colony in New Mexico where I’d spent time in the late ’90s. Next came Traverse City, Michigan; Mojacar, Spain; and Ojai, California. No, I don’t have a private jet. I’ve been cyberstalking the…
Watching and being watched are no longer confined to how newborns bond with their mothers or apprentice chefs learn from sushi masters. Watching now changes how we identify ourselves and how others understand us. “Selfies” are not an anomaly; they are personal reflections of a wholesale adoption of the new culture of watching. We are watching so many—and so many…
I go back about 35 years in the do-good PR and communications field and have spent much of the last decade working to build awareness of specific ways contemplative practice can facilitate deep social and environmental change. So I’m heartened by the surge of mainstream media coverage of mindfulness in the past year or so—and at the same time concerned…
I’ve experienced many situations over the years requiring parental resourcefulness while raising my daughter. But I learned important lessons about teaching and motivating a child long before she was born. While working as a summer lifeguard and Big Brother volunteer, I discovered that distraction can help children overcome paralyzing fear, step outside their comfort zone…and even develop a passion for…
