Listen to an audio version of this blog post, narrated by Anne Bérubé. Simply select the play button on the media player above.

The river loses its name as it flows into the sea.

-Kahlil Gibran

The last 2 years have been a period of transition for me. I knew I was done with how I had been doing things for the past decade, but I didn't know how things would change or where I was going. I remember thinking: I'm ready to give it all up, if this is the invitation. I don't have to keep any of it, if it doesn't fit with where I am going.

I began to make space by letting go of some things, but I quickly realized that it wasn't enough. This wasn't just about a change in what I did and how I did it. It was a change in identity. A transition in identity is always a little more tricky, especially if you enjoy who you have become.

I had become a teacher, an author, a guide. I created programs people enjoyed, and they were getting results. I wrote books people read and...

This blog post was first published on Mar 14, 2020. 

Are you looking for ways to maintain emotional and spiritual stability amidst the overwhelming anxiety surrounding you?

It's not easy, but maintaining inner balance is what counts most right now.

The Importance of Choosing Your Path in the Present Moment

All the emotional healing and spiritual work you've done in the past has led you to this moment, where you can decide which path to follow. This choice is an ongoing one, made moment by moment. Will you choose to stay within yourself, dealing with the whirlwind of emotions, or will you let yourself be swept away by the collective anxiety, distancing yourself from your inner wisdom and security?

These uncertain times call for a focus on the present moment more than ever because here and now is where you'll find stability.

Five Questions to Help You Connect With the Present Moment

Here are five questions to help you assess your energy, gain clarity about the present moment, and...

This month, I was invited to be a guest on the podcast SecondWind with Joyce Buford.

The title of the episode is Why Highly Sensitive People are Prone to Experiencing Burnout.

In our conversation, Joyce asked me how I was using the word “burnout” in the title of my new book, “The Burnout Antidote: A Spiritual Guide to Empowerment for Empaths, Over-givers, and Highly Sensitive People.”

I told Joyce that I see burnout as a crisis in meaning. What I’ve noticed in the past 10-15 years is this: even if you’ve found your path and purpose and it brings you a lot of joy, you can still burn out. 

In the podcast episode, I talk about my own burnout journey, coming to understand how something that was aligned with my passion and purpose—one-on-one coaching, in particular—was causing my burnout. 

Highlights of our 35-minute conversation include: 

• Investigating the root causes of burnout
• Why do we hold on to trauma
• The power of...

Toxic Empathy
Psychologists make the distinction between “emotional empathy” and “cognitive empathy” or “social intelligence,” which is to appreciate what’s going on emotionally with another person without any contagion of feelings. Cognitive empathy allows us to understand that someone is suffering and still want to help, but without feeling what they are feeling. This distinction makes all the difference when it comes to serving and still conserving our energy.
Emotional empathy is a disembodied emotion, meaning that your attention is outside of yourself. You project yourself in the other person’s body, you feel what you perceive they feel.
Emotional empathy takes you out of yourself and places you in the other person’s shoes where you are disconnected from your inner world. You are out of your body and in an emotion that doesn’t belong to you. In the process, you contaminate your present moment awareness. In this state,...