Tag Archives: meaning

In love with the land – the real clash of civilizations

Posted on 5 April 2022 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

What does it mean to love the land? Two very different things, apparently. Today I was reading Ezra Klein’s column in the New York Times, where he was talking about anti-liberalism. Remember, we have multiple meanings for “liberal,” and this … Continue reading →

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Why we keep hanging onto the past – and what that costs us

Posted on 10 December 2021 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

For a couple days this week, I found myself highly motivated to hold my head relatively still, so as not to aggravate the massive headache that had wrapped itself relentlessly around it. I needed a fairly mindless way to pass … Continue reading →

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America’s Irony Problem

Posted on 28 October 2020 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

Irony can be a lot of fun.  And it’s everywhere, from the most scathing sarcasm to the gentle wit of Kermit the Frog. We love to laugh at satire and parody.  The “mockumentary” has become a popular film genre – … Continue reading →

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Stories-About-Us: How They Work

Posted on 10 July 2020 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

In my last few blog posts, I’ve been focusing on our “stories about us” (“metanarratives”) – the topic of the book I’m writing. I hope the book will reach a broad audience, because it’s vital information we all need to … Continue reading →

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Mindfulness IV: Making Choices – Ethics and Mindfulness

Posted on 3 July 2014 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

Ideally, mindfulness would make us more conscious of the world around us and more sensitive to the way our actions affect others. But is that necessarily so? Caveat Four: Mindfulness doesn’t always lead to “goodness.” Here are some possible ways … Continue reading →

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Mindfulness III: When Mindfulness Sets Us Adrift

Posted on 2 July 2014 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

One benefit often mentioned for mindfulness is the value of shaking up one’s complacent perspective on life. Jon Kabat-Zinn explained that “we lock ourselves into a personal fiction that we already know who we are, that we already know where … Continue reading →

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Doing uncomfortable things: Two approaches

Posted on 29 September 2013 by Laura Akers, Ph.D.

Back when I was about to have my first baby, the hospital educator taught us about two philosophies of natural childbirth.  In the Lamaze method, the mother-to-be focuses her attention on specific breathing patterns, along with pleasant memories or her … Continue reading →

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