When I was in third grade, I was invited to Nancy Houston’s home to help her family decorate the Christmas tree. This was a big deal because my family was Jewish. Although I had seen a gazillion brightly festooned Christmas trees in New Jersey, the shopping center mall capital of the Northeastern United States, my … Read more
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Soaringwords (@soaringwords) In 2001, I took a writer’s workshop on liminality. It was delightful to spend several months pondering this concept and basking in luscious liminality. As a writer, I loved stepping away from my highly choreographed modern life filled with meetings, emails, and … Read more
Chanukah always falls during the darkest time of the year when the days are shorter. That’s why it’s so inspiring to light ascending candles for eight nights to bring hope and illumination into our homes and into the world. Sometimes a few simple words can create an enormous gateway for healing and transformation. Often, we … Read more
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Soaringwords (@soaringwords) It’s valuable to learn how to distinguish between the foreground and the background of situations. The poet Henry David Thoreau said, “The question is not what you look at, but what you see.” Each day, we are given hundreds of choices on … Read more
I am an exclamation point! One day my dear friend Raigan said, “Li, you are an exclamation point!” We both laughed. This kind sentiment and the laughter that ensued was a great gift from my cherished friend—and Raigan’s gift is one that has kept giving! Whenever I need an extra boost of energy, I remind … Read more
When astronomer Carl Sagan said, “We are made of star-stuff,” he wasn’t just being poetic or metaphorical. He was referring to the stellar origins of the chemical elements of life—such as the rocky and metallic material we stand upon, the iron in our blood, and the magnesium in our teeth. The carbon of our genes … Read more
Anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation tend to rise during the December holidays, which is why I am delighted to share some insights about High Quality Connections by my Positive Psychology mentor and friend Dr. Jane Dutton, the pioneering scientist who has promoted this important theory to help people experience greater well-being and better interactions. … Read more
Read the December 2022 Newsletter HERE Are you ready for something wonderful, abundant, comforting and true? Sign me up today! Seriously, I don’t know anyone who isn’t ready to step into a place of goodness, wholeness, civility, and hope. The poet Rumi’s words “What you seek is seeking you” were a defining call to action … Read more
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Soaringwords (@soaringwords) Here’s some food for thought based on scientific findings: Stop bending yourself into a human pretzel! Sometimes, when you constantly try to people-please, you end up contorting yourself into a pretzel. If this has ever happened to you, then maybe you know … Read more
Technology enables us to accomplish many things with ease and efficiency. However, sometimes I feel as if there are 500 tabs open in my brain and all of those projects are clamoring for my immediate attention. When we are overwhelmed with a mountain of unanswered e-messages, sometimes we can overheat and shut down—just like our … Read more