Conflict and Culture on a Voyage to Mars

Conflict and Culture on a Voyage to Mars

A fictional voyage to Mars offers valuable lessons about resolving conflicts across differences. I recently watched Away, a beautiful miniseries about a near future journey to Mars. It was a suspenseful adventure drama, and, an inspiring model of effective...
Fault lines/Property lines in Conflicts

Fault lines/Property lines in Conflicts

Understanding fault lines and property lines can help us resolve conflicts. Fault lines—as a Californian I’m familiar with fault lines, the locations where tectonic plates meet and can shift, creating earthquakes. I live right on one of the smaller ones, the Steven’s...
Fight or Flight & other so-so responses to conflict

Fight or Flight & other so-so responses to conflict

Fight, Flight, Freeze—that what neurobiologists say are our ancestral (and current) unconscious response choices in a threatening or conflict situation. I recently came across a similar expression in a spiritual recovery book: blaming, running, or freezing.  In my...
Feedback, Hot Buttons, and White Fragility

Feedback, Hot Buttons, and White Fragility

Being open to difficult feedback, even about racism, can help you grow. Receiving feedback without feeling defensive or triggered is a challenge. I work with my students and clients to increase their resiliency and ability to get the best from feedback of supervisors...
Becoming Anti-Racist

Becoming Anti-Racist

“The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And that’s the only way forward.”—Ijeoma Oluo  Anti-racism brings hope....