Posts by Maria Hill
Rethinking Sovereignty
Sovereignty is associated with autonomy and individualism. It is rooted in ideas about self-reliance. According to Merriam-Webster, sovereignty is: : supreme power especially over a body politic : freedom from external control : AUTONOMY: controlling influence : one that is sovereign especially : an autonomous state Note how often sovereignty is tied to political power. A secondary definition is about autonomy which means the…
Read MoreHealing Legacy Authoritarian Trauma
Many people think hierarchies are the normal and natural way for people to organize. For thousands of years, humans have lived in hierarchical, mostly authoritarian societies. The mindsets, beliefs, and practices of these cultural arrangements have been passed from one generation to another, including assigned rights, privileges, duties, and obligations. Hierarchical societies made sense at…
Read MoreA Different Perspective About Pleasing
” I am such a pleaser.” I hear this all the time. It sounds like an indictment, a disparagement, and a shame. Perhaps it is not the entire truth – let’s see if we can get some perspective. So many people treat pleasing like it is a character flaw. At the same time, if we…
Read MoreThe High Cost Of Neglect
During times of great change like now, we are bumping up against issues and problems that have been neglected for a long time. Often what has been neglected is also what has been taken for granted. Neglect is not a simple matter. Sometimes we neglect something because we need to. During a crisis like a…
Read MoreA Joy Pyramid Would Benefit Sensitive People
Most people have heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, created in the 1940s. Maslow offered us a way to visualize personal growth as a process achieved through the satisfaction of a series of basic needs. We all have certain fundamental needs that are always there and foundational. The need for food, safety, and connection –…
Read MoreA Revolution In What It Means To Be Being Human
We are in the midst of a revolution in what it means to be human. The modern explosion in knowledge and complexity has had wide-ranging impacts that have become the foundation for a revolution in human life. Knowledge, especially knowledge from scientific investigations, is one of the most important developments of the modern age. It…
Read MoreMoving From Surviving To Thriving
e all know change and experience it all the time, the stages of the day and the seasons of the year being great examples of natural change. There are times when other changes are more extensive, more far-reaching, and have a more significant impact, like the times we are living through right now. Cultures are…
Read MoreJoy And Strokes: A Change That Makes A Difference
Animals are wonderfully direct. They see good, they act on goodness and all is well. If you are good for them they will let you know how much they appreciate you. There is no conflict. Humans and their desire for control complicate many social interactions and personal choices. As a result, many people feel…
Read MoreHow Does A Joy-Based Life Feel?
What does a joy-based life feel like? It can be hard to get your arms around the idea that a life filled with joy is possible, given the conflict, war, and destruction in our world. Joy has the potential to shift us from living a fear-based life to one that honors the good in ourselves,…
Read MoreThe Dream Of A Joy-Filled World
Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash Deep inside each of us is a dream. It is a dream we have inherited. It has existed for thousands of years inside the hearts of billions of people as they played their part in our evolution. Life over the many centuries of human life has been incredibly difficult, yet our ancestors…
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