Blog

By Riyad A. Shahjahan “To be able to face our fears, we must remember how to perform ritual. To remember how to perform ritual, we must slow down” (Malidoma Somé) Given the everyday distractions of social media, feelings of inadequacy/unworthiness, and/or world wide events, how can I as a scholar/writer write? How can I write in the midst of privilege and oppression? How can I focus on my “work” for today? In my numerous conversations

By Riyad A. Shahjahan When someone calls me “lazy” or I am identified as “being lazy”, I feel tremendous guilt. I also feel morally inferior. The word “lazy” hits me at the core of my body. But, why does such a word have so much power? An etymological and historical perspective offers some insight to my feelings. If you check a dictionary to find out what “lazy” means, you will get the following definitions: “unwilling

By Kimine Mayuzumi “We often become so busy that we forget what we are doing or even who we are” (Thich Nhat Hanh) As a parent, I sometimes feel like I am engaged in morning battles. Oversleeping for even 10 minutes makes it harder for  me to manage the morning breakfast table rushhour. And worst of all, I can become cranky, take my agitation out on the kids and start raising my voice because of