We’ve got 4 weeks left!
December is a month of highs and lows, stress and relaxation, endings and beginnings. It’s crazy! And we can make it even crazier and do something life-changing by taking this idea and wrapping it up as a gift certificate! GIFT CERTIFICATE: “I have hereby received (from myself) the gift of an hour a week in […]
Not just in November…
We often need the reminder that gratitude is an attitude we carry with us throughout each day, not just in the few minutes we spend noting items in a gratitude journal and not just one day in November! I’d like to suggest a few simple techniques to spread gratitude around as we enjoy each day. […]
Remember Forrest Gump?
Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven and is met by St. Peter himself at the Pearly Gates. But the gates are closed. St. Peter says, “Well, Forrest, it’s certainly good to see you. I must tell you though that the place is filling up fast and we’ve been administering an entrance exam for everyone. […]
The day after…
Politics! Politics! Politics! Why were we so cranky? Could it be overload? Is it that “enough” had become “more than enough?” Is that why we were so quick to snap at a family member or co-worker when the conversation turned to the election? Maybe it’s because: After all, for most of us it has felt […]
Remember this Zen story?
Words matter, even when they are few! A man joined a monastery in which the monks were allowed to speak only two words every seven years. After the first seven years had passed, the new initiate met with the abbot who asked him, “Well, what are your two words?” “Food’s bad,” replied the man, who […]
Remember this old saying?
There’s a fable behind the phrase “this too shall pass” which has origins in Sufi and Hebrew folklore that feels like deep wisdom to me. I hope this story anchors it for you too. One day King Solomon asked Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister, “Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want […]
What’s YOUR perspective?
Once there was a person who wanted to relocate to a new village. Wondering if he’d like his new town, he went to consult the Zen master, “Do you think I will like this new village? Are the people nice?” The Zen master asked: “How were the people in the town where you come from?” […]
Pessimistic squirrels?!
Nooo! I don’t want to believe it! I’ve prided myself on being an optimist! And I just know that it is good for me to think optimistically!! But… research published by the American Psychological Association showed that pessimists, because of their penchant for seeing life through a grim lens, take steps to improve their health […]
Are we asking the wrong questions?
Asking “why” is often the wrong question. Of course we know our brain loves to solve problems and can figure out how to make a pumpkin pie, sail across oceans, or build a house. It is a wonderful tool for problem solving and creativity. But… when we are trying to understand ourselves, to find a […]
Stuff happens.
I am not the only one. You are not the only one. We are not the only ones to experience stress, difficulty, frustration and painful experiences. What happens to me or you happens to ALL of us. There is no conspiracy against us. We are not the laboratory rats of the universe. My age may […]