Author Archives: Michelle M. Jacob

What’s Your Vision?

Having a vision for one’s life is important. In my Yakama culture, we have always known this. We have old traditions of sending a child to find their power in the mountains, blessed under the watchful gaze of sacred Pátu (Mt. Adams), everyone secure in the knowledge that each child would have exactly the experienceContinue reading “What’s Your Vision?”

Pacing is Everything

I did my longest run of the year recently. Long runs are beautiful, wonderful, challenging things. Hour after hour of step, step, step, breathe, breathe, breathe, trying to remember when to take in fluids, calories. Deciding how much effort to put into each uphill and downhill. In long runs, as in life, pacing is everything.Continue reading “Pacing is Everything”

Intelligence of the Heart

I love watching the beautiful deer. So elegant and graceful in their pretty brown fur coats, black noses sniffing the ground–Mother Earth–beneath a clump of trees who stretch up and touch the sky. Another deer, a larger youth, has two tall nubs, still covered in fur, sprouting atop his head. With time, he’ll grow anContinue reading “Intelligence of the Heart”

Warm Welcome

Yesterday in our Sapsik’ʷałá Seminar, Yakama Elder and “Super Auntie” Tux̱ámshish Dr. Virginia Beavert reminded us about the importance of welcoming students to our classrooms and welcoming guests to our meetings. She encouraged us to make sure people have water to drink and a little snack–something low in sugar, as so many people struggle withContinue reading “Warm Welcome”

Follow Your Path

In marathon training, as in life, we need to make decisions about whether we’ll follow a plan we’ve set out for ourselves. When conditions are such that no major changes or dramas unfold it can be, in many ways, easier to “stick to the plan.” However, when big changes come our way–when hurdles or detoursContinue reading “Follow Your Path”

Áwna Túx̱sha (We’re going home now)

This week I’m celebrating the launch of my new book, Fox Doesn’t Wear a Watch: Lessons from Mother Nature’s Classroom. This is the third book published by my company, Anahuy Mentoring, an independent Indigenous press and professional development company. I am honored to feature the beautiful work of Yakama artist Crystal Buck on the coverContinue reading “Áwna Túx̱sha (We’re going home now)”

Easy vs. Ease

Marathon training, like life, is sometimes easy. Sometimes there’s a magical alignment of vision, plan, and task completion that’s done with such abundant energy and gracefulness that anything and everything seem possible. And sometimes, well, it doesn’t. In place of clarity and alignment perhaps we have fuzziness and doubt. Yet, deep down, we know weContinue reading “Easy vs. Ease”