Let’s talk about intrusive thoughts: A nuanced take on managing anxiety and risk while cultivating a wild and free childhood

In today's article I discuss scary thoughts, objective evaluation of safety, self-compassion, and how broader societal factors come into play in shaping risk tolerance.

Last Friday, as we walked up to our local pizza shop for “Pizza Friday” (endearingly pronounced by our youngest as “Pika Friday!”), I noticed the urge to keep the invisible string a little shorter. They gleefully galloped up the sidewalk as they always do, pausing before driveways and pointing out bugs and flowers they passed, blissfully unaware of far …