emotional intelligence Archives - Bhavana Learning Group

Rethinking Boundaries: An Ontological View from Protective to Presence

Over the last decade, the subject of boundaries in coaching, management, and leadership development has become increasingly necessary, given distractions, fragmented attention, and demands on our time.

However, boundaries are often discussed in a way that feels narrow, emphasizing a cordoning off or separation, not connection or creation. In several of my previous writings, I referred to boundaries (here, here, and here) as essential for creating the space to become whole. In a recent series on compassion, I suggested that boundaries are one DOWNLOAD PDF

Compassion as Wisdom in Action, Part 1: Beyond Empathy

Jane sat slumped in the hallway, her scrubs stained and her eyes glassy. “I used to care,” she whispered, “but now I just want to quit.” After years as a trauma nurse, Jane’s empathy had turned into exhaustion. She felt everything—every family’s panic, every patient’s grief—but she no longer had the space to respond skillfully.

“Is this what compassion fatigue is?” Jane asked. What she didn’t know was that it wasn’t compassion that had drained her—it was empathy without spaciousness. It was care without clarity. What Jane was missing wasn’t more emotional fuel—it was wisdom.

In an era marked by chronic distraction, DOWNLOAD PDF