One of the most difficult cultural messages to unravel in my own inner life has been the message of “the doer.” I, and most people I know, was taught  — you are what you do. This wasn’t overtly state of course, rather it was subtle programming that seeped in through watching the world around me: Be productive Cross things off your list Have a good time Don’t forget to smile. We’re taught from an early age to seek external recognition and praise for all these things that we

I, like so many, have been seeking for peace, freedom, and purpose in life. In relationship, in personal growth, in career, in writing itself I have searched, returning again and again willingly or unwillingly to right here, to now. When I was younger I  searched frantically for meaning in my family relationships dissecting each one, in love relationships attempting perfection or idealized romance. I’ve searched in work for meaning in the world, to create a better life. Even