July 2021 Newsletter
My younger son says he remembers little of what happened, and I consider that a blessing. Somehow, we managed to insulate him from the trauma.
Continue ReadingFear of abandonment. What people-pleasers should know
Since I wrote last month about fear of conflict and anger—the main drivers of my (fading!) people-pleasing—I’ve been mulling over the fear of abandonment, curious if it also fits into my puzzle. Here’s what I learned.
Continue ReadingJune 2021 Newsletter
A friend recently sent me a picture of Matt, circa 1994. He was about eight–the age when everything started to fall apart. I can almost hear his goofy laugh, and it reminds me that we did have good times, we did have a special bond, he did feel loved. Sometimes in writing my memoir, I lose sight of that.
Continue ReadingMay 2021 Newsletter
Maybe my new grand-puppy should watch my new one-minute Hello video on my website. And what about you? If you and I have only met through the written word, here’s your chance to hear my voice and see me in (sitting down) action.
Continue ReadingFear and Anger and What Happens When They Intersect.
Anger has always been a tricky emotion for me. I feel it, and I know it’s normal and healthy, but I don’t always know what to do with it or how to express it in a constructive way.
Continue ReadingCan people-pleasing be inherited?
Neither my mother nor my father would ever say a bad word about anyone. If they had nothing nice to say, they said nothing at all. It was an admirable trait, and my parents were formidable role models.
Continue ReadingWhat Does it Mean to Be Emboldened?
In the process of adding new content to my website, I came up with a phrase that grabbed me. As a writer, I loved the alliteration. As a recovering people-pleaser, I loved how it made me feel. I was smitten.
Continue ReadingJanuary 2021 Newsletter
Agents want to know that an author is connecting with her audience. To that end, and because I love facilitating conversations about people-pleasing, I’ve launched a few projects I’m excited to share with you.
Continue ReadingLet hope choose you.
I had this blog almost ready to send Wednesday morning. It started like this: “I choose hope in 2021, in spite of everything that could still go wrong—COVID, political turmoil, record snowstorms like we had here in upstate NY last week, failing to get a book deal.” Had I sent it, I would have felt foolish. That afternoon, watching the siege of the US Capital unfold, my hope was overpowered by fear and bewilderment. Yet hope still chooses me.
Continue ReadingLiving Life Small Leaves Room for Growth
Living life large seems to be what society values. Why didn’t it feel right for me?
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