Episode 10: Hatred is a powerful emotion, and as it is with anything powerful, it's a double-edged sword. It can be a astonishing force for good. No kidding.

We're seeing hatred everywhere, and it's a sign of trouble throughout our species. If you don't know how to work with your hatred, its power can wound and destroy. This is especially true if you've been manipulated into hatred, because this is a form of emotional abuse that destabilizes and weaponizes you.

And of course, being manipulated into hatred is never done with your health or well-being in mind. It's abuse.

But even if you have been manipulated into hatred (if you know what hatred signifies, and you know how to work with it), you can evolve, integrate, deepen, and heal.

The key with hatred is to turn inward and do your shadow work, because hatred signals a serious lack inside you that needs to be witnessed, welcomed, and integrated.

Hatred can be magical like that.

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Language of Emotions by Karla McLaren, M.Ed.: https://bookshop.org/lists/karla-mclaren-s-books

Owning Your Own Shadow by Robert A. Johnson: https://bookshop.org/lists/shadow-work-4ea99124-7347-4af8-9faf-915c6a0448aa

A Little Book on The Human Shadow by Robert Bly: https://bookshop.org/lists/shadow-work-4ea99124-7347-4af8-9faf-915c6a0448aa

Meeting the Shadow edited by Connie Zweig and Jeremiah Abrams: https://bookshop.org/lists/shadow-work-4ea99124-7347-4af8-9faf-915c6a0448aa

Episode 9: You don't need to avoid stress. In fact, avoiding it is a truly bad idea if you want to do anything worth doing, or be of help in difficult times.

And in fact, stress is a weasel word that hides the essential emotions that arise to help us deal with trouble. Learning to reframe stress, name it properly, and work with it intentionally can improve and deepen every part of your life.

And in times of trouble, it is our willingness to face difficulties head on -- with all of our emotional skills available to us -- that will make the difference.

Stress is not the problem. Your stress (which is really your emotions) is the response to the problem, and your response brings you gifts, skills, and genius that you can't get anywhere else.

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/316675/the-upside-of-stress-by-kelly-mcgonigal/

The Language of Emotions by Karla McLaren: https://karlamclaren.com/the-language-of-emotions-book/

Episode 8: There's something you can do right now to support yourself in this time of intentional chaos and intense polarization.

The Braver Angel's organization is a nationwide group of people who have come together to help us learn how to talk to each other again. And to learn how to disagree and be in conflict without tearing each other apart.

No one wins when we're pitted against each other like this, and Braver Angels will give you a place -- right now -- to reclaim the better angels of of your nature so that we can dream a better future and rebuild.

Braver Angels: https://braverangels.org/our-mission/

Find a local alliance: https://braverangels.org/braver-citizens/find-a-local-alliance/

Beyond the Politics of Contempt: https://beyondthepoliticsofcontempt.com/