The descending and ascending path of development
Valerie Livesay Valerie Livesay

The descending and ascending path of development

When we think (and talk) about development, we often think (and talk) about growth. But, over the past decade through my research and practice, I’ve come to realize that development is about not only the ascending, but also the descending path. Development occurs as we traverse, over and over again, the territory of our knowing, sometimes moving forward, sometimes falling back, sometimes just sitting in the being space, learning what new lessons it has to teach us.

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Toppling the Facade of Perfection
Fallback, Witnessing the Shedding of Me Valerie Livesay Fallback, Witnessing the Shedding of Me Valerie Livesay

Toppling the Facade of Perfection

Growing up, I loved my dad madly. I thought he was the best human around. He seemed to me to have endless knowledge about every subject. He held the bar for what it meant to live by an uncompromisable moral standard. He was kind and compassionate. And, he was exacting in his expectations of others, particularly his children.

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Signs that don’t wear signs
Fallback, Witnessing the Shedding of Me Valerie Livesay Fallback, Witnessing the Shedding of Me Valerie Livesay

Signs that don’t wear signs

Four months ago, I began to fiercely protect the sanctuary of my being space. Yes, it was 9 months ago that I left my job to set out on this path to being. But for the first 2 months, I was spending the summer with my kids. Then, what being looked like to me was being in the company of others…friends who are also colleagues in the field of adult development. We’re an international crew, so this takes a virtual form most of the time. My calendar was filled with zoom video chats. My husband would say I was the busiest non-working person he knew.

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