The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward

Most of the time, we walk through life in the thicket of our everyday routine. We’re in familiar surroundings, but we’re so boxed in that it can be hard to see the full landscape. In moments of transition, though, we step into a clearing in our lives. The familiar surroundings disappear. In these big wide-open spaces, there’s a lot of uncertainty—b

In 2023, the US surgeon general released a report on loneliness arguing that “the mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.”

Meditation, he says, is “simply about being yourself and knowing something about who that is.” As I began developing my own meditation practice, I learned that by closing my eyes, straightening my back, and focusing my attention on my breath, I was able to carve out a quiet refuge inside myself—my own private chapel—where I could retreat when I nee

A good enough parent is one who cares for their child and tends to their needs without expecting perfection of either themselves or their child. In fact, Winnicott and others argue that a good enough parent is actually more effective than a “perfect parent” (whatever that means) because perfectionism has no place in a healthy relationship between p

Some dreams undoubtedly propel us forward, but others hold us back. The trick is learning to distinguish between the two—and, when you decide an old dream no longer serves you, finding the courage to slip its bonds.

Leaving my marriage was one of the hardest and most important things I’ve ever done. And there is, I am sure, a parallel universe where none of this ever happened. Where I never learned to listen to the voice that whispered inside me. Where I didn’t have the people around me who gave me the courage to do what I needed to do to regain control over m

“Sharing Rituals and Traditions.” At the top, Dee Ann wrote, “Rituals and traditions are heart tending!” and went on to explain, “Experts tell us that these kinds of shared experiences have a profound effect on family life. Rituals help bind us together, give everyone a sense of belonging and create memories.”

“Grief,” wrote the psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor, “is the cost of loving someone.” She wasn’t just waxing poetic; she was making a scientific observation.

We all approach mindfulness in our own way. But however we get there, the relationship we have with ourselves—with the true, authentic selves that live beneath our ordinary waking consciousness—is, I’ve learned, one of the most important relationships we’ll ever have.