Is it Possible to Become Resilient to Stress?

Yesterday I was shopping at the mall and overheard a conversation between a salesperson and a grandfather pushing a beautiful 18-month-old girl in a stroller while her mother tried on clothes.

“You won’t find many kids like this one,” the proud grandfather was saying as we all watched the healthy infant smile and coo and stretch her feet and clap her hands. She was the picture of contentment and ease even though there were now three strangers (including me) gathered around her. She wasn’t just performing, either. She was looking me straight in the eye with pure love and delight.

The Double-Edged Sword of Resilience

We’ve all been inspired by stories of women who faced extreme adversity as children yet grew up to do great things—think Maya Anjelou, Oprah Winfrey, Eleanor Roosevelt. It turns out that such natural resilience (i.e. the ability to thrive whether living in a supportive environment or not) may be found in our genes.

In his thought-provoking NY Times Sunday Review essay,“The Downside of Resilience,” researcher Jay Belsky reports that children with certain genetic predispositions to depression or ADHD are more influenced by their environment than others.

Balancing Praise and Criticism

Like many girls of my generation, I was raised to be nice and not make waves. I also happened to be an extremely sensitive child, which on the one hand was useful as I developed my skills as a writer. Writers, after all, need large reserves of empathy to understand the people they write about.

On the other hand, writing for publication requires you to develop a tough skin, to become impervious to praise and criticism. Writing is a profession that subjects you to rejection, revision, and in some sense, criticism, on a daily basis. Of course it also subjects you to praise and accolades when you hit it right. A rather tortuous career choice for someone who cares too much about what other people say about them.

Moms Say: Taking Time to Meditate is Good for Kids

Having watched the “Mommy Wars” from the safe perspective of one who has no children of my own, I do wonder how moms these days keep up with their jobs, their marriages, their kids, staying fit and posting on Facebook every day.

In a sometimes funny, sometimes poignant piece in the Sunday Review opinion column of the New York Times, Heather Havrilesky, journalist and mother, comes down squarely on the side of “enough is enough is enough.”

What Makes Great Literature Great?

What makes great literature great? Why do some short stories, plays and novels strike a universal chord and impart relevant and meaningful wisdom hundreds or even thousands of years later?

According to a new book on literature and language, it all comes down to the consciousness of the writer. If the writer is able to fathom the depths of silence within herself, she can convey that depth of wisdom to others through her writing.

Educating from the Inside Out in Thailand

A University that Develops the Full Potential of Students

(Part three of a three-part series)

Gail Connellee didn’t expect to go back to school in her 60s. She already had a BA in education and worked as a counselor. But when she heard about the opportunity to earn an MA degree at the Rajapark Institute in Bangkok, Thailand, she decided to return to the classroom.

The Family that Meditates Together

I grew up in the era when families ate their evening meals together (think the Donna Reed Show and Leave It To Beaver). Intuitively, it makes sense that it’s good for kids to share the family meal as an anchor in the day.

It turns out science backs up this notion. First of all, there are benefits for digestion and healthy eating itself. A study by Harvard Medical School has shown that children who eat with their parents eat less junk food, eat more fruits and vegetables, and ingest more of the nutrients needed for their developing nervous systems and to fend off heart disease and cancer later in life.

Educating from the Inside Out in Thailand

The Story of Two Students

(Part two of a three-part series)

The word “education” comes from the Latin verb “educere” which means “to lead out.” For children in many parts of the world, an education is a way to lead their families from poverty to prosperity. In Thailand, education for girls means the difference between a life spent working in a respected trade or profession and living on the street.

Educating from the Inside Out in Thailand

Acharn Yai (Aunampai Passakchai), Buddhist Nun, Talks About Meditation, Academics and Peace (Part one of a three-part series) I was deeply moved while writing two previous blog posts about the […]

Finding Her Personal Voice: Artist Mindy Weisel’s Journey

For a writer, finding your personal voice is one of the most important parts of mastering the craft. It turns out that this is also important for visual artists such as Mindy Weisel.

An oil painter who in recent years has turned to glass as a medium, Mindy Weisel has shown her work in solo shows in prestigious galleries and is the recipient of numerous awards. Her art appears in the Hirshhorn Museum, the National Museum of American Art, the Israel Museum, the U.S. Embassy, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and the Archives of American Artists at the Smithsonian Institution.