Writing Samples from the Chicago Writing Coach!

 Blocks to Star Quests Not everyone can find their star, let alone follow it; few know that such a star exists, and not many even care... Sadly, the pressures of society and the hardships that come our way can block our view of the heavens, clouding our belief in possibility or even in a divinely governed universe. Weighed down by the pressures of daily life, we no longer behold the stars, let alone see our unique star. Instead, our consciousness is clouded not only by the toxicity we take in from our environment but also by the negative thoughts that originate within us. On the one hand, there is the endless barrage of “bad news,” whether it be regarding wars, natural disasters, political shenanigans, or horrific crimes against humanity; on the other, there are our negative assumptions about life – “Something bad is about to happen!”; “It’s dangerous to be in crowds”; “If Covid doesn’t get us, some other disease will”; “The economy is about to crash”; “There’s no point making any effort as it won’t get us anywhere”; “Nothing good ever comes my way”; “Don’t trust anyone”; “If I don’t do the job it won’t get done”; “It’s best to leave things as they are or we risk failing…” This toxic mix robs us of our creativity and courage, reducing us to victims who “live and partly live” rather than “Heroes” who embrace life in its fullness. Unable to see in the dark, we focus, instead, on surviving and getting by. Life becomes static, boring, and rote.  Losing sight of our extraordinary potential for greatness, we waste countless hours surfing the net, engaging with social media, shopping online, watching TV, or deadening our brains in myriad ways—in other words, in what I call “statistical living.”  

Unlocking Epiphany Moments: A Primer for Life Coaches & Other Inner Guides

I come from one of the oldest established families in Morocco, descending from a long line of  lawyers, doctors, and judges. My father, like his father and grandfather before him, is a spice merchant who deals in spices from all over the world. As a little boy, I would hurry home from school to help my dad in one of his four stores in the souk. Perched high on one of the sacks of spices, I watched for thieves – for deft hands that would snatch handfuls of caraway, saffron, coriander and paprika from the open containers while my dad was talking to a customer. Eagle-eyed, I surveyed the mountains of red, yellow and brown spices, making sure that neither tourists nor street urchins would dare touch. Of course, I generously helped myself to the almonds, raisins, and pistachios – my reward for being an observant watchman! 

We tend to see things in black and white, missing the in-between shades. We look at others and immediately assess whether they are friend or foe, a threat or an ally, whether they can raise us up or drag us down. If they are dressed well and come with impressive credentials, we tend to respect them; if they are scruffy and occupy a low position in society, we might not give them the time of day. We like those who are most like ourselves ("our people") and turn away from those who are seemingly different -- or else treat them as novelties and oddities in much the same way as the conquistadors displayed indigenous peoples from the New World in the courts of Europe. We also see things from our vantage point, from the perspective of what will be most convenient to us.  God does not see this way.

Preaching & Teaching Laudato Si'

 “Well,” we might say to ourselves, smugly, “There’s no way I’m to blame for Global Warming and the rest of the world’s ills. Why! I even recycle newspaper and have stopped using plastic bags!” As long as this is our conviction, we will be poor ambassadors for the papal encyclical, Laudato Si’.' We may point the finger at BP for its contamination of the Gulf and at Shell Oil for destroying much of the Niger Delta, but then we turn a blind eye to our own squandering of energy. We may decry unfair labor practices in Third World factories, but we continue to purchase cheap clothing and electronics that have been made in the equivalent of slave labor camps. We express shock at the cruel treatment of animals in factory farms, but pile on the bacon and demand the beef! We lament the disappearance of bees and butterflies, but insist on spraying garden pests with a cocktail of Roundup and other chemicals….