I am currently holidaying in Moree, in NSW, Australia. Situated on the fertile black soil plains above the Great Artesian Basin, Moree has invited me into a slower rhythm. I’ve been spending generous time in the artesian pools – resting, decompressing, and, for me, gently settling my nervous system.

Moree has been particularly kind in this regard. It is a small town of fewer than ten thousand people – little traffic, minimal modern noise, and very little light pollution. In this quiet, I’ve found myself returning to my books with a depth of attention that feels nourishing rather than effortful.

One of the books I’ve been reading is Shame by Joseph Burgo. I’ve read several works on shame over the years, but this one resonates most deeply. Burgo does not frame shame as something inherently toxic to be eliminated, but rather as a roadmap – one that can lead toward authentic self-esteem. That perspective speaks to me profoundly.

I have never been comfortable with flattening emotions into categories of “good” or “bad,” or with bypassing their nuance and complexity. That approach has always felt like a subtle form of gaslighting – a retreat from genuine self-awareness in favour of moral neatness or emotional avoidance. Feelings, to me, are teachers. They ask to be understood, not managed away.

So it feels quietly affirming to encounter a voice that honours this depth – one that resonates not just intellectually, but at the level of the soul.

Thank you, Dr. Burgo.