Returning
I am not lookingto be certain. I have seenhow quickly certaintycan become a wall. And how easilywe forget one another,each of us alonein what we think we know. NowI find myself drawntoward something quieter. Not a conclusion. Not a victory. Not even an answer. Only a remembering. As if beneaththe noise and division, beneath fearand […]
Conversation, Part 2: The Cancer in the System
On organizations, fear, leadership, and the loss of human presence Part 2 of my conversation with Vern Ho on Life, Leadership, and the Courage to Be Human As our conversation continued, Vern began speaking less about his illness directly and more about the deeper patterns he believed were affecting organizations, communities, and society itself. Again […]
Conversations, Part One: The Gift of a Shortened Future
Conversations with Vern Ho on Life, Leadership, and the Courage to Be Human On illness, family, congruence, and learning to live before it is too late In October of 1995, I sat down with my friend and mentor, Vern Ho, for a long conversation about life, leadership, illness, and the state of our society. Three […]
What Helps Us Return
On Presence, Dehumanization, and Remaining Human in Polarized Times by Chuck Craytor What happens when fear, rage, humiliation, loneliness, and the longing to belong go unattended? Last fall, a client shared a reflection with me following an act of political violence that had deeply disturbed him. For reasons of confidentiality, I cannot share his words […]
Departure
I first wrote Departure nearly 30 years ago and have recently returned to refine it. I’m sharing it again here as the opening piece of a new series, The Work of Being Human. For me, it remains a living reflection on what it means to keep crossing into life. Departure A five-year-old boy, suitcase in […]
How Do You Create and Sustain Hope in the Face of Adversity?
How do you create and sustain hope in the face of distressing circumstances? The world is woven of interconnected threads–we are each linked together. These links are not limited to the human world; they extend to the natural world and all existence. You exist in relationship. In the most challenging times, you have an opportunity […]
Being the Master of our Mind
Early this morning, I was lying in bed with thoughts of the current crisis in this county. These are simply some wandering thoughts that came to me long before sunrise. It truly is a crisis in the sense that the impact of the coronavirus will likely have a devastating effect on our economy nationally and […]
Connection
I put this slideshow together as a practice in appreciation. An opportunity to appreciate a few of the people in my life and relatively recent experiences. It was also an opportunity to practice putting a slideshow together. Some of the photos were taken close to home and others are from work in Moldova and Uganda. […]
Moldova and Uganda – Part 1
I returned recently from my trip to Moldova and Uganda. The purpose of these trips were to conduct psychosocial assessments and to explore possible future projects. In addition to conducting assessments I was intent in deepening my understanding of the culture and the people in both countries. Rather than write up my whole experience in […]
To Notice
The desire to be noticed is human. Perhaps it is in our DNA. Perhaps it is part of the attraction of Facebook? We so desire to be noticed, appreciated, and to know that our time here has made a difference. So if you notice that you have some urge to be noticed, let go of […]