I’m not sure how everyone else’s brain works, but I tend to think in pictures. I see things and do my best to explain what I’m seeing. This may be true for you, too, or maybe you see or feel words. There’s no right way, however you experience your brain is fine. But since I’m a visual thinker, I experience …
Our front porch is one of my favorite places. I watch the birds and people, I get quiet and usually end up deep in thought. Sometimes I laugh out loud, sometimes I cry. You’ve caught me in my teary moments. Even if I tell you I’m OK, you tend to look worried. But I am OK. I am crying, …
We were built to feel our feelings, even when feelings don’t feel very good. Anger, sadness, feeling left out – not enjoyable. But we all know these feelings intimately, they come and go throughout our lives. They are wonderful teachers, offering an appreciation for the happier moments and calmer times. They also create a sense of compassion and empathy …
In a moment it can feel really good to yell at someone, to release the anger through words. It’s like unloading heaviness onto someone else for awhile, like a momentary relief. But later we are left feeling guilty and ashamed, with the realization that we were irresponsible. We forgot to pay attention. We lost sight of what was real and most important.
Fear is human, and the acknowledgement of fear is essential. But it’s the choices we make while feeling fear that define our humanity.
I told my girls about the Paris tragedy. I explained that a few very angry people chose to harm and create fear, but their actions actually led to compassionate solidarity all over the world. They thought they were spreading hate, but instead they ignited togetherness and love. In an instant people remembered what mattered most. They stopped, became silent, prayed. …
My dad fell and has been in the hospital. Actually he’s fallen several times over the last few weeks, but this big fall led to him being taken away in an ambulance. In the emergency room the attending physician walked in and said to my dad, “You look much better in person than you do on paper.” Which made me …
As long as I can remember, I’ve been at the party. As a kid, I loved the party. The new stuff, the swirling ideas, the workings of the imagination. I played with all of it, I was the center of attention. Joy and dancing, ideas and beauty. As I grew, so did the party. So many guests and conversations, conflicting …
I have to work really hard to create a no-clock day. I have to say no to a lot of things, sometimes I even have to reschedule a thing or two. But it’s worth it, it’s always worth it. Having one day a month, or preferably one day a week, when there is no need for a clock feels like …
I love the energy of the turtle. The real turtle, but also the cartoon turtle that lives in my head – he slowly glides through the water, smiling at everyone he sees. He gets to where he needs to go at his own pace. I have a picture of this turtle on my vision board. As a human it’s not …
1. Quiet meditation (quiet time, going inside, call it what you want) When I don’t do it, I can tell. I get impatient faster and I get annoyed more often. It’s more difficult to recognize how I contribute to every situation, and even worse, it’s difficult to access that place deep down inside that recognizes the amazingness of life. 2. …
Like the rest of the population, I get a rush when I complete tasks and work toward my goals. I have dreams and a vision, and I get excited to move forward and check things off the list. But I simultaneously believe in wasting time. I actually don’t like that language very much – I prefer to call it “doing …
