Becoming Your Most WISE Self

Zeab, a 16-year-old wolf cared for by Mission Wolf. Photograph taken by Kris Tolman It happens. My months of planning and dreaming for a beautiful life-changing retreat in Yellowstone came to a screeching halt. Two weeks ago, I was getting ready for a long road trip to Gardiner, MT to meet with my retreat partner, to finalize the details of our new business venture when his email arrived in my inbox. Life had happened to him. He was having to make some tough decisions and one

Photograph taken at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park, October 2025. Recently I have been reading a book about indigenous peoples’ wisdom called, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It begins with an origin story, Skywoman Falling. The story changed my perspective of how I think about the world, my presence in it, and increased my joy and gratitude for my life on this planet. Skywoman Falling tells the story of a woman who fell out of a hole in the Skyworld clut

Image generated by ChatGPT. My daughter knows I like brownies. She likes to make them for me because she knows I like them and it is her way to tell me she loves me. A few nights ago, she made brownies for me after dinner. That night I ate two brownies. The next day I had another one or two brownies. And the rest of the week continued like that until I had finished all of them. I felt terrible about myself and was feeling depressed because I can’t eat what I want and still fi

This article explores how many people live according to a “socialized self,” shaped by external expectations, until a disruption reveals a deeper misalignment with their authentic identity. Through this often difficult process of deconstruction, individuals can begin to reconnect with their inner WISE self—an internal compass that guides them toward a more authentic, aligned, and purposeful life.