We know all relationships end, no matter how much we want them to last. We experience this self-evident truth when there is a breakup with a partner or friend, a valued employee leaves, or the ultimate ending, the death of a family member. All endings are inevitable and necessary to make way for new beginnings....

As I see it, the preeminent question for our time is – how will we cultivate peace in ourselves, with others, and in our world? Peace feels out of reach right now. Every day the news brings us a drumbeat of despair and desperation—so many lives lost to war, and so much vitriol in our society. Detaching from the news does not change the reality the world is in deep pain. For me, when I see children suffering and dying, it breaks my heart....

I am writing this blog in a dwelling that sits within a mile of the Squamscott River named for the Indigenous Peoples who were the original inhabitants of the land. The Squamscott people were part of the Algonquin tribe who lived in this area of coastal New Hampshire for thousands of years. They walked this land, fished in the waters of the tidal river, and grew crops to sustain their small villages....

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events in this post are used in a fictitious manner, with the intent of providing a learning experience....

There is a lot at stake when organizations decide to invest in coaching. All companies want to see their leaders succeed and increase their effectiveness, and yet not all leaders are read to change....

There is only one aspiration for a silent retreat, and that is to be fully present and aware. By doing nothing in silence, without the usual distractions of our complicated lives, we can allow everything to be experienced fully—thoughts, emotions, and sensations—in the moments we sit, walk, eat, or hike in the woods....

The end of the calendar year, which coincides with winter in the northern hemisphere, is a natural time for reflection. With the holidays concluding things slow down, activity lessens, and a quiet emerges. Silence is here...

Wendy Palmer, author, aikido master, and teacher to leaders and coaches worldwide, passed last week. She is now an ancestor to her community and all those who will discover her legacy of Leadership Embodiment....