Tuesday is the official publication date for my new book, Phoenix Zones: Where Strength Is Born and Resilience Lives. I'm so excited to share it with you! With the book, I aim to acknowledge the painful realities so many face, as well as the honest hope many steadfastly maintain even in the worst circumstances. As one reviewer suggested, the book's stories of survivors – both people and animals – prove that violence can be defeated. I love that idea. I'm equally excited to share another new … [Read more...]
A Radically Hopeful Idea
As we get closer to the publication of my new book, Phoenix Zones: Where Strength Is Born and Resilience Lives, I’d like to share some of its principal ideas with you. An extra bonus? At the end of this post, I’ve shared a link to the first chapter, which I hope will get you thinking about Phoenix Zones in your community – and even creating one yourself! In Phoenix Zones, I pull together concepts I have spent my lifetime considering. I’ve worked in places where life is extraordinarily … [Read more...]
Preventing Violence Must Be a Priority — And the Conversation Should Include Animals
March 12th marks the 130th anniversary of the death of Henry Bergh — a diplomat, philanthropist, and co-founder of the child protection movement. At a time when children enjoyed few legal rights, in 1874, Bergh represented a ten-year-old girl named Mary Ellen who was starved, beaten, and confined by her adoptive mother. He and his colleagues won that case, launching a whole new era dedicated to advancing the rights of children. Mary Ellen eventually went on to join a caring family, get married, … [Read more...]
Can Fashion Be Ethical? Find Out How from Bead & Reel’s Founder Sica Schmitz
Recently, I wrote about what we can each do to create meaningful change – including through our purchases. For a more in-depth look, check out my recent conversation with Sica Schmitz, founder of Bead & Reel as well as a frequent speaker, writer, and sustainable stylist. A former Hollywood Costume Designer, Sica now uses her love of storytelling to help women create more loving stories about themselves through their closets, focusing on fashion that honors people, animals, and our … [Read more...]
Phoenix Zones: From the Abstract to the Practical
In my forthcoming book, Phoenix Zones, I write about how people and animals can heal in places where principles like freedom, love, and justice are upheld, as well as how staying true to these principles can mend society at large. I’m often asked what this approach requires of our everyday lives and choices – and what people can do now to create meaningful change. My quick answer is that it takes two main commitments: Refusing to be a bystander when someone else is in peril … [Read more...]
What We Can Learn from the Most Courageous Acts of Resistance
This month marks the one-year anniversary of what members of the media and activists have named the resistance. In the past year, the resistance has taken many forms, from marches to town hall gatherings, and it has covered a range of issues, including women’s rights. Over the weekend, people around the nation rallied to commemorate the first anniversary of the Women’s March, which was energized by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Lately, I’ve been reading about historical representations … [Read more...]
Finding Meaningful Resolutions in the New Year
It’s hard to believe we’re now more than a week into 2018, nearly a quarter of the way into the 21st century. With the turn of the calendar, many people have been busy making New Year’s resolutions. It’s a long-standing tradition that grew out of an ancient ritual. Babylonians are thought to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions – about four thousand years ago – though on a different calendar than the one we use today in most of the world. Their resolutions were often … [Read more...]
We Can’t Rise Without Each Other: A Hopeful Vision for 2018
It’s hard to believe we’re already near the end of 2017. It’s been a whirlwind year of ups and downs that’s found us testing institutions, weeding through facts and lies, and challenged by bigotry. Amid these difficulties, compelling problems have also received overdue attention this year. People have risen up – not only for themselves but also for others. We might even call 2017 the year of the Phoenix given the many positive stories that have emerged all over the world about individuals … [Read more...]
How Supporting Human Rights and Animal Rights Helps Us All
This Sunday, December 10th, is an important opportunity to join people from all over the world in expressing support for both human rights and animal rights. The date was first meant to commemorate the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which established the importance of respect for the freedom, equality, and dignity of each individual, regardless of “race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social … [Read more...]
How to Address Big Problems with Seemingly Small Acts
Are you at least a little overwhelmed and exhausted by the constant influx of difficult news and divisive rhetoric? I am. Though we often hear about more bad news than good, reality reflects a more mixed picture. For example, did you follow Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai’s #GirlPowerTrip across four continents? Before beginning her university studies, she and others made a powerful call to increase global funding for girls’ education. This incredible movement is just one … [Read more...]
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