Articles - Jacob Nordby

Jacob Nordby

Porous to Life

I only know one way to keep or regain a passion for life. The word is porous. Porous. Permeable. Able to be penetrated by. Capable of being drenched all the

Guidance

When Life Feels Heavy, Ask This Question

The modern world has been scorched by wars, famines, cruel regimes, financial disasters, and plague – and our species has survived these tragedies by asking one crucial question, which we will examine in a moment.

Jacob Nordby

Embracing Change and Creative Living Through Self-Discovery – with Jacob Nordby on the Self Directed Podcast

Cecilie & Jesper Conrad, parents to four, have been full-time traveling since 2018 & unschooling for +10 years. Every Thursday, they host insightful conversations on their Self Directed podcast with

Jacob Nordby

How to Use Simple Nervous System Practices to Reduce Anxiety

Have you ever felt suffocated by anxiety?

I have.

Anxiety can be all-consuming, dragging us into a relentless fight-or-flight mode. It magnifies life’s challenges, pushing us toward destructive behaviors in a desperate bid to cope.

But here’s the glimmer of hope: we can harness the power of our autonomic nervous system to ease anxiety and other tough emotions like anger and sadness.

Jacob Nordby

An open letter to Christians from a former believer

I grew up as deeply Christian as one can be — and not just because I was raised in it. I was a true believer, deeply committed to walking through life under the guidance of the Bible.
I’ve read the Bible several times and memorized large sections of it, many of which I can quote to this day. I’m not your enemy.
I appreciate the spirit you take into the world. And, you bear responsibility for what is being shoved into the world under the name, “Christian.”

Jacob Nordby

The “Other” Intelligences We Need to Develop ASAP

In times past, intelligence was measured by the ability to accumulate facts, retrieve them at will, and apply them as needed (often enough, when it was not needed, too *cough*

Creative Cure

Standing in the Middle: Navigating the Woke Culture Wars with Courage and Grace

I’d like to take a minute with the whole “woke” thing. Like so many words that have been crammed into meanings to become wedges and weapons, woke acts as a trigger for many.

I saw a guy at the airport wearing an anti-woke t-shirt. His presence felt heavy and angry — this could have been projection on my part and I don’t think that was entirely the case.

My heart hurt for him as it does for so many men of my generation.

The ground is shifting beneath our feet profoundly. Those of us on board with the shakeup of outdated-but-familiar ways of being have still experienced a lot of discomfort as we’re required to take ownership of how imbalances have benefited us and propped up a sense of self that is now required to change as wrong things are righted.

Jacob Nordby

Our Inner Uglies and Why We Can’t Afford to Hide from Them Any Longer

In individual psychology, there’s an experience called by different names, but the more poetic and evocative term is “shadow work.” This is a process during which a person begins to face the denied, disowned, rejected, and suppressed parts of her or himself—and integrate them.

The psyche cannot be whole or healthy without engaging in this process in some way. A person must gradually begin to invite their orphaned parts home and welcome them into the inner family or they will always struggle with a sense of falseness or feel lost at odd times. If left unintegrated, these orphans often become saboteurs, thwarting a person’s best efforts to create a life they desire.