Three ways to create a better-feeling life
In Monday’s post I wrote about the 10:1 ratio. It takes 10 positive comments to offset one negative. Think about this with your kids. Every time you say something negative or critical, it takes 10 more positives to buffer their psyche, according to educators. It’s just as important to find the pros in the workplace [...]
Change is easier if you stay curious
My grandmother died Wednesday. She was 95 and brilliant. She traveled the world and brought back ideas – instead of souvenirs – for the kids she taught in her English and Social Studies classes in the 432-person farm-town where she lived and worked. I’m already missing her. But, she was always so curious and interested [...]
Build psychological courage to get through tough times
I heard a guy talking about how he lifted a burning plank of wood and carried it outside so the whole house wouldn’t burn down. He caught fire and was seriously injured in the process but he saved the house and others inside. Now that, takes courage, I thought. I’d be more likely to run [...]
Be Brave: 3 Ways to Practice Courage
Deciding to have a child took about all the courage I could muster and even then I was afraid. Even then I didn’t think I had enough. Even then, I did it anyhow. It’s the same with writing this blog, being honest and vulnerable, it’s scary. It has required me to face some of my [...]
A little self-control eases edginess and aggression
Last night we had pizza for dinner and I wanted to eat the whole thing. This is no exaggeration. I wanted to power down every single slice. But, I exercised a little self-control, settled on a second slice and a big serving of salad and felt filled up rather than guilty. It doesn’t always go [...]
Six questions that can shape your life
For many, the art of asking questions is part of a spiritual contemplation. Contemplation is a spiritual practice that has been used for centuries to tease out universal truths and personal insights that can only arrive when we get quiet, align with our spirit or inner voice, and become aware. It works like this: you [...]
How the questions you ask shape your life
Who am I? What do I desire? What is the meaning of this? Should I have the red or the white? The sea bass or the steak? Questions. We answer probably a hundred a day (triple that if you live with a five-year-old) and ask dozens more. This kind of inquiry is part of our [...]
Forget about balance, find a way to center yourself
Stop trying for balance. Life is more like a teeter-totter moving up and down rather than sitting placidly suspended in the middle. But, no matter your circumstance, no matter how intense life feels, you can center yourself and move through the challenge with grace and calm. Four ways to get centered: 1. Root yourself physically. [...]
Get centered and ease the drama of daily life
I just finished a book project – or at least the really hard part. My daughter is at a friend’s house. My husband at work and for the first time in nearly five months I’m alone at home without a deadline looming. I’m trying to regroup and get centered again I’m letting things settle. My [...]
Three tips to make change stick
I just finished a 10-day detox diet. It called for the gradual elimination of different food groups – wheat, meat, sugar, and others – so that my body could have a break. Then, during the reintroduction of those foods, I was able to identify any allergies or other effects that help or hinder our bodies. [...]
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