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Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM
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Posts by Donna Harrington

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Reduce Shame, Enhance Love: Reflections on Self-Love and the Journey to Find It

Posted October 12th, 2015 by & filed under Student & Alumni Stories, Consciousness & Mindfulness.

It was during my second week at Southwestern College, the second meeting of Tuesday’s Psychology of Altruism class, that Ann Filemyr presented us with this lesson: “reduce shame, enhance love.” We talked about feelings of shame and the aching, overwhelming presence it can have in our daily lives. Shame that can continually haunt us whether…
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Several Levels of Generosity

Posted September 18th, 2015 by & filed under SWC Blog.

I value generosity on several levels: On the physical or material level, generosity could take the form of giving money, food, shelter, etc. On the emotional or heart level, generosity is about giving others my attention, love and compassion. At the level of intellect, am I willing to share my ideas and perspectives? And…
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When I Lose My Discernment

Posted September 11th, 2015 by & filed under SWC Blog.

Several times in the past, I've gotten excited about the latest spiritual practice I'm doing, and I've lost my sense of discernment about it. I start thinking "It's the best thing ever—everyone should be doing it!" I become a true believer, thinking it's the right thing for everyone; the world would just be a better…
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What is Empathic Presence?

Posted August 28th, 2015 by & filed under Consciousness & Mindfulness, SWC Blog.

When I started learning to empathize with others, at first, I found myself awkwardly guessing their feelings and needs (often, incorrectly). Gradually, I built my feelings and needs vocabulary, and eventually, I was able to guess feelings and needs more easily and more accurately. However, my empathic reflections still felt somewhat awkward and contrived. I'd…
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When My World Fell Apart

Posted August 14th, 2015 by & filed under Consciousness & Mindfulness, SWC Blog.

(This piece is based on a journal entry of mine from January, 2009.) The last couple weeks have been very challenging for me. I've been feeling anxious, off-center, low on energy, and afraid. Lots of things have changed in my life all at once. Watching Everything Fall Apart The nonprofit that I've been leading for…
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Letting Go of Control

Posted August 7th, 2015 by & filed under SWC Blog.

When we stop trying to control ourselves and others, what happens? Perhaps that depends on the extent to which we're resting in love. When we're resting in love, the distinction between ourselves and others evaporates. We start getting attentive to all needs that arise—both for ourselves and others. When we stop trying to control, we…
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