The Courageous “And”

Poet Anais Nin said, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” These words resonate deeply in our current times when the only constant is change. I am delighted to share a simple reframing exercise that can bolster your courage during uncertain times when so many outcomes are unpredictable. And the exciting news is … Read more

The Hidden Downside of Being Hyper-Busy

Years ago, my hometown of New York City was immortalized in a popular advertising campaign with the moniker, “The City that Never Sleeps.” Living in a perpetually active metropolis, it’s easy to be swept up in turbo-charged energy and unrelenting motion. Newton’s Laws of Motion states that “an object at rest remains at rest, and … Read more

A New Hope: May the Fourth Be With Your Mental Health

I love puns. They are simultaneously funny, corny, and clever. Two years after George Lucas launched Star Wars: A New Hope, the original film in the Star Wars franchise, a pun was born that has morphed into a global holiday. The origin story began on May 4, 1979, when a celebratory ad was placed in … Read more

Are You a Character Assassin or Character Defender?

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Soaringwords (@soaringwords) Are you a character assassin or a character defender? Do you spend your time obsessing about your character defects until you pulverize your sense of self worth into a pulp? If you are highly skilled at being self-critical, today I am happy … Read more

Holocaust Memorial Day: My family’s story of survival

[Image: Jacob Buksbaum’s painting of his mother, Sara, who survived Nazi work camps during the Holocaust.) Today, Holocaust Memorial Day, marks the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp 77 years ago. The following story is about my husband Jacob’s parents, who were forced into work camps during the Holocaust. This close connection serves as a reminder … Read more

The Secrets of Pond Scum

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Soaringwords (@soaringwords) Molecular Biologist Elizabeth Blackburn was studying pond scum when she stumbled across an incredible discovery about human psychology that has a far-reaching impact well beyond the petri dishes in her laboratory. As she peered through her microscope at the pond scum samples, … Read more

The Truth Behind Loneliness

All of us have experienced moments of loneliness and isolation. And the reason why loneliness is so painful is because of its twin emotion: shame. People feel a sense of shame surrounding loneliness because they think it’s a sign that they’re unlovable, weak, or inadequate in some way. However, shame actually stands for “SHOULD HAVE … Read more

Lessons from Bamboo

Did you know that bamboo is actually stronger than steel? This is because of something called tensile strength. Tensility is defined as the resistance to breaking or splitting under tension. In the case of these two materials, bamboo is actually stronger than steel because it has a more tightly packed molecular structure. Bamboo has tensile … Read more

How Negative Emotions Can Be Helpful

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Soaringwords (@soaringwords) I have a confession to make. Like so many people, I used to work really hard to stuff down my negative thoughts and feelings. This is a natural thing to want to do and there are so many strategies that people use … Read more

Beware of Energy Vampires!

What is an energy vampire? When watching a B-grade horror flick the ominous music always alerts the audience to the fact that a vampire is afoot. Within moments, the vampire pounces on their unsuspecting victim as blood gushes from the neck. Ouch! However, in real life, energy vampires often hide behind a veneer of charm … Read more