Blogs

Photo Credit: Tanya-Barrow

If you’ve ever thought:

• Why do I keep saying yes when I really want to say no? 
• Why do I know what to do but can’t seem to follow through? 
• Why do I keep ending up exhausted, resentful, or overwhelmed? 

There’s a good chance you’re dealing with something most people never name directly.

Self-abandonment.

I don’t say that lightly. It’s strong language, and I use it on purpose because softer language can sometimes let us off the hook because we think “it’s not that bad.” When we say things like “I’m not following through” or “I need more discipline,” we miss what’s actually happening.

We’re leaving ourselves. Abandoning what we know we want or is in our best interest.

Read the rest at your own pace here.

Interested in affordable housing and community development? Looking to be more involved in your community? 

LISC Connecticut's Housing and Community Development Leadership Institute (HCDLI) is looking for individuals to join the program in Bridgeport this May! The HCDLI is a free professional development program aiming to build a pipeline of emerging and seasoned leaders within the affordable housing and community development sector. Starting May 5, the HCDLI will convene a cohort in Bridgeport for an intensive 8-week program focused on helping participants build a foundation in the sector through core content trainings, advanced professional development opportunities, and networking. 

There's still time to join the Bridgeport cohort and we'd love to have you! Submit an application before Friday, May 1. Learn more here!

Photo Credit: Itstock

Practical strategies to manage email, meetings, workload, and expectations without burning out

Why Knowing Isn’t Enough

By now, you probably understand that boundaries matter. But knowing that doesn’t automatically change your behavior.

The real challenge is this: following through when it feels uncomfortable.

Because setting boundaries at work isn’t just a logistical issue. It’s an emotional one. Guilt, fear of judgment, and anxiety about consequences are what stop most people from taking action. And your livelihood might be at stake in the workplace, which is different than in personal relationships.

Read the rest at your own pace here.

As food justice leaders experience attacks on their work, they need spaces that allow them to show up as their whole selves. They need reserves of resilience to tap into through difficult times. We need to put joy and connection at the heart of our work to build new systems rooted in justice and liberation.

We must meet this food crisis together, and for that we need leadership from the nonprofit, philanthropic, government and private sectors. The Seeding Power Fellowship is designed to reduce isolation, practice communication and collaboration, and deepen relationships. It provides not only leadership development, but critical movement infrastructure to build a responsive strategy and create a just food system.

Community Food Funders is currently accepting applciations for the 4th cohort of Seeding Power. The application deadline is April 30, 2026. We invite applications from movement leaders and philanthropic partners (funders) in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Please check out our website to decide if this opportunity is right for you!

https://communityfoodfunders.org/seedingpower/

Reclaim your time, reduce stress, and stop over-giving by shifting how you think about responsibility, control, and work-life balance

The Lie That Keeps You Overwhelmed

Most people who feel overwhelmed at work think the problem is their workload.

Too many emails. Too many meetings. Too many demands.

But that’s not actually the root issue. The real problem is a lack of boundaries, combined with a belief that you don’t have a choice.

I see this with clients all the time. They feel pulled in a dozen directions, stretched too thin, all while building a smoldering resentment. They project competence and confidence on the outside. Meanwhile, they feel like they’re falling apart on the inside. Sometimes they keep it together until the meeting ends, then they run into the bathroom to cry because they can’t hold it together any longer.

What changes everything isn’t the workload. It’s realizing you have way more control than you think.

Read the rest at your own pace here.

Featuring work by Amy Arledge

With work that is multifaceted in both theme and construction, artist Amy Arledge returns to City Gallery in ECLECTIC, an exhibit of encaustic and assemblage works. The show will be on view from May 1 - May 31, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, May 2 at 2-4 p.m.

“Nature is an endless source of fascination and inspiration for me,” says Arledge. “It is a common thread in all of my work, whether through actual depiction or in abstract shapes and colors.”

Arledge’s primary medium is encaustic — a combination of purified beeswax and damar, a tree resin that adds durability to the beeswax. The word encaustic is derived from the Greek enkaustikos which means to burn in. Encaustic was used in Ancient Greece and Egypt both as an artistic medium and a building tool. “I’ve painted with encaustic for several years depicting landscapes, seascapes and the non-objective,” explains Arledge.

Her assemblages originate from found objects, often wood, which resemble something in addition to what they actually are. She adds color, additional items, and sometimes wax to accentuate what she sees and give them personalities.

Arledge’s work has been included in numerous solo and group shows including Artspace (New Haven), ARTview (Washington, D.C), City Lights Gallery (Bridgeport), Creative Arts Workshop (New Haven), John Slade Ely House (New Haven), Kobalt Gallery (Provincetown, MA), Lemon Street Gallery (Kenosha, WI), New Haven Paint and Clay Club  Annual Juried Exhibition), Periodic Table of Elements Printmaking Project (Concord, MA), River Street Gallery, New Haven CT), Slater Museum (Norwich), The Institute Library (New Haven), Whitney Center Art Gallery (Hamden), and Yale Medical Library (New Haven). Visit her website for more information, amyarledge.com.

The exhibit ECLECTIC and the opening reception are free and open to the public. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Gallery hours are Friday - Sunday, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., or by appointment. For further information please contact City Gallery, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.

The Moment Everything Changes

Two years ago, I coached a woman on the podcast who was overwhelmed by her living situation. She was doing all the work, her roommates weren’t contributing, and nothing changed despite repeated conversations.

When we got off the call, I didn’t think I got through to her. She messaged a few months later that she’d moved out. As a result of our call, she finally realized, “I can’t change them, but I can change me.”

It wasn’t after another conversation, or trying harder or explaining herself better. She made a decision, then followed through on that decision.

That’s what healthy boundaries look like. 

They’re not about getting other people to change. They’re about deciding how you’re going to live and then living that way. And yes, it feels scary and awkward. She said it felt “scary in a good way,” which is often exactly how it feels when you start taking your life back.

One of the most impactful and effective types of boundaries you can use to take your life back are digital boundaries.

Why Digital Boundaries Are Essential for Time, Energy, and Focus

Most people think boundaries are about saying no to others, but the deeper work is about reclaiming your time and energy. Your time is finite. Your energy is limited. And without clear digital boundaries, both can get drained when you’re constantly being interrupted.

Your phone, notifications, email, and social media are designed to grab your attention. Without boundaries, you end up living reactively: responding to texts, alerts, and demands instead of choosing how you spend your time.

Read the rest at your own pace here.