Go Ahead, Steer into the Storm.
I’ve been resisting the foul weather. By doing so, I've put myself squarely in the middle of the wrestling match with “what is.” I dig [...]
Feeling Overwhelmed? Finding a path to sanity…
Venice’s Acqua Alta is a great visual metaphor for me when I’m starting to drown in worry. Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore. I have [...]
Sweeping Out What Weighs You Down.
361 © Jed Smith, Watercolor The problem is, most of what weighs us down is hidden from our conscious minds. That’s what I’ve realized recently, with [...]
A Silver Teaspoon Says “Live Now!”
Funny how a simple thing can expose a lifetime of conditioning. And, in this case, it was a silver teaspoon that somehow had escaped from [...]
Reflecting on Life as Night Falls in Venice
Life and beauty aren’t always found in brilliant light. Maybe this is a brief, passing phase, but I’m finding myself increasingly fascinated with the “darker [...]
Dealing with the Angst of Elusive Answers
When did we become convinced that answers should be ready on command? In my case, I suspect it happened when I began to think abstractly [...]
Pope Celestine V and the Courage to Resign
The verb “resign” can be a loaded word. The word can connote giving up or giving in. When a person is said to have resigned [...]
Taking a Break from Multitasking
Actually, I’m recovering from an investment in the illusion that multitasking is even possible. You may have noticed that ItalyWise has been quiet for the [...]
Letting Your Story Unfold
I’ve recently returned from a major writers’ conference in NYC and my brain is still on fire with all that I learned from a vast [...]
Pull the plug on the narrator in your head.
The narrator in your head doesn’t like to shut up. It thrives on constantly voicing its opinions and judgments about whatever is happening. For me, [...]
The Transformative Power of Stillness
My mother always joked that I was the vagabond of the family. She learned not to be surprised when I pulled up stakes and headed [...]
It’s a Matter of Perspective, Isn’t It?
Recently I was reminded of the benefits of entertaining different perspectives. As I’ve indicated in previous posts, my art and photography often teach me lessons that [...]
Building a New Life, Stone by Stone
Building a new life means recognizing you may have to lay new stones and tear out old ones. This realization has been smacking me in the [...]
Ready To Take the Plunge and Hit Reset?
If you’re moving to Italy you’d best be prepared to hit reset. Why do I say this? Because, in my experience, many people can be so [...]
The Gift of Winter in Italy.
A confession right up front: for most of my life I’ve despised winter (even winter in Italy) and looked on it as something to just [...]
The Power and Perils of Being Liked
Being liked. Am I too motivated by approval? This question has been percolating for at least a month. In fact, I considered making this subject [...]
Learning to Dance with Both Life and Death
I believe spending time in cemeteries helps remind me to wake up to the intrinsic dance of life and death. That’s why I love, in [...]
Trapped in a Thought Bubble?
If you’ve been following my recent posts, you won’t be surprised that my photography often ends up prompting me to write about a subject that [...]