I am currently reading David Brooks’s book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.
What particularly captured my attention in his book is that he says that most people are either Diminishers or Illuminators. Diminishers make others feel small and unseen. Illuminators make others feel bigger, deeper, respected, and lit up.
Illuminators and Diminishers Read More »
Welcome, dear readers, to my first post in an ongoing blog series I’m doing with Breathing Spaces: Compassionate Conversations. I’m Cindy Gum, and it warms my heart to embark on this year’s journey of self-discovery and emotional care with each of you.
Before we delve into the theme of emotional self-care, let me share a personal moment. This morning when I began my journaling practice, I paused as I often do, but noticed how nurtured I felt as I sipped a quiet cup of coffee and it reminded me of the power within simple acts of self-care.
Nurturing Self-Care: A Compassionate Dialogue Within Read More »
My involvement in a walking support group with local healthcare organizations eventually led me to assume leadership of the program, growing it from just walking to other programs and a robust group of family caregivers. At the same time the grand funding ended for that program, I lost my mom. It was a devastating period of my life, but I came out of it with a clear mission: to ensure that others didn’t feel alone and to develop programs to guide anyone entering our ‘doors’ toward a new way of being. I envisioned a virtual haven for recovery, healing, and support. That was the beginning of Breathing Spaces.
Breathing Spaces: Your Haven for Recovery, Healing, and Support Read More »
We’ve been talking about the holidays for the past few weeks, including how to manage the stress of the hustle and bustle, and how lighting candles against the dark can remind us to keep hope alive. For many people -care recipients and caregivers alike – the winter holidays are not always joyful, however. The shorter days and diminished sunlight cause seasonal depression, which can lead to stress, ill temper, and exhaustion.
Don’t Be SAD – Avoiding Seasonal Depression Read More »
I recently watched the movie All the Light We Cannot See. It is a story about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as they both try to survive the devastation of World War II. It was a most moving movie but the thing that stuck with me was the theme and title of the movie. My interpretation of the title of the movie is just because you can’t see or imagine something good in a situation, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
All the Light We Cannot See Read More »
