Are We in the Emerald City, Dr. Oz?

“But isn’t everything here green?” asked Dorothy. “No more than in any other city,” replied Oz; “but when you wear green spectacles, why of course everything you see looks green to you.” — from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ by Frank L. Baum Dr. Oz has many wondering if he is the doctor he swore to…

Dr. OZ

In Oz We Trust

The Hippocratic Oath (Greek ὅρκος horkos) is an oath historically taken by physicians. It is one of the most widely known of Greek medical texts. It requires a new physician to swear, upon a number of healing gods, to uphold specific ethical standards. Dear Dr. Oz, You may remember me as I previously reached out…

Star Light, Star Bright

Star light, star bright, The first star I see tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight. Last week, I wrote a blog about the Germanwings crash called, “The sky was black, my breath was steady.” This piece was a call to action as the cause of mental…

Night Sky Stars

The Sky Was Black… My Breath Was Steady

“Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” – Martin Luther King Jr. (Nobel Lecture, The Quest for Peace & Justice – 1964) “How could he have done this?” is what everyone asks. It must be terrorism, one early article…

Rose

Sacred Sisterhood of Healers!

I don’t know how many people learn about the revolutionary Dorothea Dix in school any more, but for people involved with mental health advocacy, she is a shining light and one of the great women of history. It is poignant for me that I will be spending the last three days of Women’s History Month…

Omega Mindfulness & Education Conference

Quiet Revolution = Peace

We recently attended the Omega Mindfulness & Education Conference in New York City where we were inspired by connecting with our community of flawless activists. The conference began on a bittersweet note as we immediately bumped into an educator we have known for years who shared tragic news of a student who lived with serious…

Dear Dr. Phil — Is the 3rd Time a Charm?

Dear Dr. Phil, Maybe you remember, we’ve been in touch a few times before. Back in 2013, I shared some thoughts with you about the use of language around mental health . My point was simply that the widespread and unconscious use of discriminatory language to describe people with brain health challenges has blurred our…

Get Your Flawless On!

Our core message at the Flawless Foundation is “Seeing the perfection in every person.” Of course, this means different things to people. For some it means forgiveness and compassion. For others, it means a true open-mindedness about people and understanding of what they think, feel and experience in their lives. For me it means many…

sunset-sunrise

Sunset~Sunrise

I was very contemplative on my recent flight home from Colorado, traveling back from a week with my Mom as we try to manage some challenges that often go along with a vibrant life that is in it’s eighth decade. There were many poignant moments and beautiful sunsets in our time together this trip and…