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The philosophy of Wabi Sabi helps us to see the beauty in our own and others’ imperfections.  Thank goodness we’re all so imperfect then, since this makes us even more beautiful, eh? Our imperfections give rise to learning moments if one is teachable.  Since we often react without thought to how others treat us, I …

A friend of mine recently introduced me to the concept of Wabi Sabi, a concept originated in Japan, that teaches us to see the beauty in imperfection.  (There’s obviously a lot more to the philosophy; however, that is a simple overview.) We are all imperfect, and there is so much beauty and possibility in imperfection.  …

When we learn that 1) we don’t have to internalize others’ actions, and that 2) what others do don’t necessarily have anything to do with us, we may then think that we don’t have any responsibility for the way we act and how others take it. I could write a BOOK on how intertwined Latinas …

Ok, so assuming for a moment that you agree that we need to connect with others, exercise empathy and avoid hurt feelings, how do we DO that? It’s one thing to intellectually know that this is important, but we also have to learn to stay grounded at the moment that a strong emotion strikes.  One …

We all live in a busy world.  We have to pick up the kids from school, get a report done for the boss, check in on our committee work, go to church, buy groceries, and maybe even do our own homework.  All this in addition to making dinner, doing laundry, having ‘date night’ and trying …

By Guest Blogger Thelma T. Reyna, Ph.D. In my blog, “Ways to Help Us Avoid Feeling Hurt by Others: Part I,” I focused on controlling our emotional reactions toward others’ hurtful behavior. Here, my focus is on understanding the feelings and motivations of offensive people. Using empathy in this way, especially if used along with …

By Guest Blogger Thelma T. Reyna, Ph.D. Life is filled with pitfalls that trap us when we rely on pure emotion rather than cool analysis to make sense of things. Consider, for example, how many ways our feelings can get hurt in the course of a typical day: directly, such as by someone’s words or …

A former Simon & Schuster editor, Marcela Landres is the author of the e-book How Editors Think and specializes in helping Latinos get published. For more information visit: www.marcelalandres.com. Sweet Mary by Liz Balmaseda (Atria) Single mom Mary Guevara takes no prisoners when a cocaine queen steals her identity in this engrossing thriller. Ask a …

“It’s not all about You!” While this phrase is often hurled with venom, intending to hurt someone, actually the truth in this statement can also be immensely healing. Over the course of my life, I have had many events that were personally “hurtful” to me, that when I was able to view them later through …