The Emotional Landscape of Duty vs. Desire
When we navigate the space between what we must do and what we truly want, we rarely feel one emotion at a time. Instead, a tangle of feelings often arises, each pulling us in a different direction. Among these, anger, sadness, longing, and determination are particularly common — and deeply instructive. Anger: The Fire That Signals Boundaries Anger is often the first emotion to arise when we feel blocked, restricted, or powerless. It can flare suddenly, or simmer quietly beneath the surface. Anger tells us: something matters, something is being ignored or violated, and we need to pay attention. Constructively […]
Charting our own course
Families of Origin: Charting Our Own Course We all set sail from somewhere. Our families of origin — the people and environments that shaped our earliest years — are like the harbours we first departed from. They give us our first sense of direction, teaching us how to navigate life’s waters. Some beginnings feel safe and steady, while others may be marked by stormier seas. For most of us, it’s a mixture of both. The Currents That Carry Us The voices, habits, and patterns we grew up with often flow into our adult lives. We may hear echoes of the […]
The work that happens in between
August sits on a threshold. Not quite summer, not yet autumn. The evenings cool, the light shifts, and the air carries a sense of change approaching. It’s a month of almosts, a reminder that life is often lived not in the clear beginnings or endings, but in the long stretch of “in‑between.” This space can be uncomfortable. It asks something of us. The truth is, the real work happens here—before the goal, before the harvest, before the breakthrough. And that work is hard. It takes determination to keep showing up when progress feels slow. It takes resilience to weather the […]
The endless list…
There’s a deep kind of tiredness that goes beyond needing sleep. It’s the quiet exhaustion of always being on — always doing, managing, caring, and putting others first. If you’re someone who carries many responsibilities — as a parent, partner, caregiver, or simply the reliable person in your circle — you might find yourself feeling stuck. Maybe your life looks calm, safe, and predictable from the outside, but inside, it can feel stagnant, numb, or even confining. In those moments, you may find yourself longing for something simple yet vital: Passion. Excitement. Aliveness. […]
Why is saying no so hard sometimes?
🌿 On Boundaries: Why They Matter, and Why They're So Hard For many of us, the word boundaries can feel uncomfortable. It might carry echoes of conflict, rejection, or the fear of seeming selfish. But boundaries, at their heart, aren’t about pushing people away — they’re about staying close to ourselves. Boundaries are the quiet, […]
A new chapter – hello from Still Point Journal
Welcome! So here we are, at the start of something new. I love the feeling of not knowing how it will turn out, this will hopefully be a space to muse, reflect and think out loud. There will be probably be many twists and turns, just as in life, so it will be on the […]