Last month, I was chatting with a colleague at the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency (MVAA) and he asked, “Have you heard about any resilience summits in Michigan?” “No, I haven’t. What have you heard?” “Nothing – and that’s a problem. People really need this support right now. Would Worldmaker consider hosting one this fall? We
The first week of September was the season-opening at my family’s orchard. The Big Apple orchard is our happy place. Most of the time, it feels like we’re throwing a community party, with “new friends” welcomed to pop in, of course. We have had visitors from as far away as the UK, Europe, and Australia.
It has been a slog. Planning (and replanning) an international symposium and service trip in Zimbabwe and South Africa through a global pandemic. The list of setbacks has been long, and what we’ve experienced reflects just a sliver of the direct impacts on the people themselves: Major hotel goes into receivership, causing reservations to go
Years ago, I interviewed Marci Shimoff upon the release of her book Happy for No Reason. Her story about interviewing a woman named CJ for her book has stayed with me ever since. CJ had been very depressed for 15 years. She’d had lupus, an autoimmune disorder. She was in a great deal of pain
After a recent 60 Minutes segment on treating childhood trauma, I had the opportunity to attend a virtual screening of KPJR Films award-winning RESILIENCE: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope. This film chronicles a rising movement to build collective strength by using trauma informed practices to disrupt cycles of violence, addiction, and
A recent 60 Minutes segment with correspondent Oprah Winfrey, has served to powerfully broaden our national conversation around Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the impact of childhood trauma, and the possibilities of human resilience. Oprah traveled to her childhood hometown of Milwaukee, where she learned about the body of research that shows how trauma experienced by
In the wake of the Las Vegas shooting, my heart goes out to family members and friends of those killed or injured. I also uphold those who personally experienced this act of terror and those on the frontlines who worked relentlessly to ensure safety and provide care. Many others are experiencing the secondary impact
Recently, I was fortunate to spend time with Dr. Jacob Eisenbach. His Holocaust survivor story includes a profound message of nurturing hope and joy amidst even the greatest atrocities of life. After practicing dentistry until the of age 92, he is now an educational speaker with a mission to end genocide. In addition to celebrating
