MSI Press Blog

  The following was sent out in email by Julia Aziz yesterday. Good reflection! I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired of the "new year, new you" rhetoric.  While I'm a big believer in the power of setting intentions and making commitments to the small steps of change, this whole "ready, set, go" of the new year feels more like pressure than inspiration. I'm personally feeling more of an ease in, see what happens, take it one step at a time kind of vibe. With sadness, disappointment, and weariness so rampant right now, it's hard to get excited about the future. It reminds me of a question my aunt Judy asked me last week: "how do you know what to do for people who are suffering when everybody is having such a hard time?" I told her I don't see it as my job to fix anyone or to make their problems go away. Thank goodness for that, as there are plenty of people out there who will tell you they have the magic solution if only you f

  The following post comes from Jula Aziz, author of Lessons of Labor -- On getting triggered: Anger, guilt, blame, and the feelings we don’t want to feel OCTOBER 24, 2023  /  JULIA AZIZ I’m curious, who showed you how to feel and process anger in a healthy way? (Just kidding, that’s not a fair question!) Depending on our background, we may have learned to numb or suppress negative emotions, beat ourselves up, or lash out, but it’s pretty rare for an adult reading this today to have grown up in an environment that modeled well how to work with feelings like anger, guilt, shame, or fear. It’s something we as a species are still learning. We continue to trigger negative emotions in each other all the time though–that’s just being human and living in society with other humans. Part of growing into adulthood is learning how to respect what we feel while also respecting other people’s experience, and while that may sound extremely basic, it’s often extremely missing. You may have heard the

Julia Aziz has penned a column for the Power of Moms web journal, titled "Motherhood: A Choose Your Own Adventure Story." She begins: Do you co-sleep? Schedule feedings? Baby wear? Cry it out? The questions start from the beginning. Whatever the age and stage, mothers are often asked to take a philosophical stance on child-rearing and debate issues so seemingly serious they sometimes damage friendships between women.  Read the rest of the article HERE . Read more posts by and about Julia Aziz and her book, including book excerpts,  HERE . Listen to a podcast interview of Julia by Dr. Betty Lou Leaver, Managing Editor of the MSI Press HERE .

Julia Aziz Julia Aziz is a licensed clinical social worker and a mother of three children. She is also an accomplished speaker on topics such as “The Soul of Service,” “Holding Intention While Jugging It All,” and “Motherself,” a monthly mother’s group. In addition to this personal and professional experience in working through motherhood transitions, she has also written for and served as general editor for  Dovetail Journal  for interfaith families. She shares her motherhood observations, both professional and personal, in her book,  Lessons of Labor: One Woman’s Self-Discovery through Birth and Motherhood . Read Julia's posts and information about Julia on this blog. Click HERE .

Today's blog post is provided by Julia Aziz, author of Lessons of Labor. It’s been interesting to watch all the expertise being shared in a situation that almost no one alive today has ever lived through. Yes, decisions need to be made quickly in a crisis, and we have to use the limited information available to make them. Leaders, especially community-minded, heart-centered, intelligent leaders, are genuinely needed to set the tone, and there’s a lot of societal pressure on leaders to speak with the voice of authority. But what I’m not hearing enough of in the general discourse is, “I don’t know.” Read the rest of this very interesting post HERE . Meet Julia Aziz. Listen to Julia (podcast) on March 20, 2020. Read more posts by and about Julia and her book, Lessons of Labor, HERE .

  Julia Aziz, author of Lessons of Labor , writes: Is it just me, or does it feel like the phrase "impostor syndrome" is getting confused and over-used? To clarify, I want to explore what it's like to feel like you're faking it. Maybe people assume you know what you're doing, but you secretly fear that you don't.  First Things First: Being New is Normal If you're new at whatever you're doing and feel like an impostor, then you're probably an honest person on the right track. When we're first learning anything, it's all skills practice. We follow what we've been taught and practice the tools handed down by those more experienced than us. Over time, we integrate what we've learned into our own personality and style until it becomes our own. Everybody gets there by mucking it up along the way.  Impostor Syndrome is for Everyone Impostor syndrome doesn't just affect newbies though. Everyone has days or weeks, even years, where they&

  Julia Aziz's latest post focuses on "beautiful mistakes and life u-turns." She writes: Life is messy! It just is. The artistry of my life–my decisions, the ways I fail, the ways I grow–doesn’t match the artistry of yours, and thank goodness! Our messes make us unique. I think of a flower with a torn petal. Shall we toss it to the wind for being imperfectly symmetrical, or will we cherish its fragile beauty?  You can read the whole post  HERE . You can read more posts by and about Julia Aziz and her books HERE . 

I think I'm done with "How are you?" as a casual way of greeting someone when we're passing by. It seems like that phrase should be reserved for when we are truly wanting to sit down and listen to one another. I've never figured out how to give an authentically brief answer, and what a loaded question these days! Some serious collective shadow work is being done by and through us now. When I say "shadow work," I mean facing the parts of ourselves we've disowned or pretended didn't exist, both on an individual level and a systemic one. My true essence, like yours, is love. Also, there are times I have been inconsiderate, pushy, dismissive, greedy, stubborn... all the painful things humans can be. These shadow parts need compassionate attention, for they come out in deadly ways when ignored or denied. When anger is safely raged, felt, and released, it can become empowerment, a clarifying of needed. Unworthin

Julia Aziz, author of MSI Press book, Lessons of Labor, recently posted the following article on her blog: Are you pretty hard on yourself? In my experience, when something goes awry, some tend towards blaming external circumstances and other people, while others almost always point the finger inwards. If you are one of the latter, you may have been taking the blame for long enough, and perhaps it’s time to take responsibility instead. Here’s the difference... Read the rest on her blog. Click HERE to go there. Note: Amazon currently has Julia's book on sale for half price...get it now before it goes up. Follow Julia on her blog at Julia S. Aziz .

  For your listening pleasure -- and erudition, here is a roundup of podcasts produced by Julia Aziz, author of Lessons of Labor.   Julia Aziz - Top podcast episodes (listennotes.com) Read posts about Julia and her book  HERE . Link to reviews of Julia's book  HERE . Read more posts about motherhood  HERE .                                  Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newslette                          Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

It's not easy to know what to do with yourself when you're grieving, anxious, angry, ashamed, or just feeling stuck. This little book offers a simple practice for releasing and relieving negative emotions, to help bring about a more compassionate, centered way of being with whatever is happening. Written by a psychotherapist and Jewish interfaith minister during pandemic times, The Little Book That Listens is like a series of Oracle cards with messages that comfort, encourage, uplift, and redirect. The power of self-healing is here for you. Currently on pre-order: on sale soon at Amazon . Read posts by and about Julia Aziz HERE .

I've been getting to know Tony, our new mail carrier. Though his day job takes up most of his energy, his passion is screenwriting, and he recently enrolled in a screenwriting course at the nearby community college. His ideas are beautiful, like a Pixar version of why bad things happen to good people. What he went through as a kid made him into a mystic, and he wants to offer hope for young people that are struggling. Tony and I originally connected because a Sports Illustrated had been mistakenly delivered to my house. I was on my way to walk it over to the neighbor’s house when I met up with him. Tony later told me he was afraid I was going to yell at him since that was how residents often approached. He was very surprised when I came up to him with an easygoing manner, and he wanted to know why I was like that. Now the fact that friendliness is an anomaly is something to think about in and of itself. But more importantly, we've got to stop yelling at the mailman! I know

  From the author of  Lessons of Labor: One Woman's Self-Discovery through Birth , Julia Aziz - Lessons of Labor  was conceived a few hours after my first child was born. Battered, bleeding, and still in shock over what childbirth had really been like, one thing was clear to me: I had to write everything down, and I had better do it soon, before I forgot. My birth experience was not particularly unusual in any way, but my internal process felt like a long meditation retreat I had done some years earlier: every personal demon I had ever struggled with had somehow come to face me in the past twenty-four hours, and I was reeling from the experience.  Of course in the months to come, I came to see that giving birth, which I had given quite a bit of thought and preparation to, was actually easier than postpartum anxiety, insomnia, hormonal changes, and newborn care. As I began to inexpertly stumble along the path of motherhood, I noticed those personal demons were coming along for the r

Parenting has its joys; it can also be demanding when all does not go as planned or hoped, as in this picture of parents with their son and two emergency room specialists, raising up (literally) their physically challenged daughter. MSI Press offers several unique books on parenting--for the everyday difficulties and the unique challenges. Take a look! 3 65 Teacher Secrets for Parent s by Cindy McKinley and Patti Trombly See posts by and about Cindy and Patti, including book excerpts, HERE . Courageous Parents   by Dr. Haim Omer Read posts by and about Dr. Omer, including book excerpts, HERE . How to Be a Good Mommy When You're Sick by Dr. Emily Graves Read posts by and about Dr. Graves, including book excerpts, HERE . Lessons of Labor by Julia Aziz See posts by and about Jula Aziz, including book excerpts,  HERE . Life after Losing a Child by Pat Young and Joanna Romer See posts by and about Pat  and Joanna. Noah's New Puppy by Richard R

  WHEN YOU DON'T LIKE TO MESS UP OR MAKE MISTAKES by Julia Aziz Do you worry about things you said or did and how other people may perceive you? Do you battle niggling feelings of not being good enough?  If you resonate with the term “perfectionist,” “people pleaser,” or “impostor syndrome,” you’re most likely a highly conscientious, caring individual with an acute sensitivity to nuance. You may also struggle with an  inner tension that won’t let loose, a guard and self-critic whispering “sour nothings” that something is wrong with you . On the outside, all may look manicured and pretty. On the inside, trying to maintain control and tame creativity can be an exhausting drain of energy.    Read the rest of Julia's blog post HERE to consider her suggestions for coping with perfectionism. Julia authored Lessons of Labor; read more posts about Julia and her book HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested