What is mindfulness? There is a lot of talk about mindfulness lately and several different definitions. Some of it may feel a little too hippyish or new-agey for some of you. But simply put, mindfulness is being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the present moment, without judging them as good or bad. … [Read more…]
If I were sitting across from you today and asked the question “Who are you?” how would you answer? If it were our first meeting, I assume you would start with your name, but beyond that basic title, who are you? If you asked me, I might say I’m a middle-aged woman, a mother, a … [Read more…]
A couple of months ago, Leanne at Cresting the Hill posed five tough questions that she’d asked herself for the first time. She also shared a link to the article that inspired her query, 50 Tough Questions You Never Ask Yourself, but Should, by Marla Tabaka. After thinking long and hard about the five questions … [Read more…]
I just started reading Time to Fly, a book of daily inspirations. Today’s entry was about the value of time and cautioned against the many time wasters in our lives. It got me thinking, not about the value of time—that’s a given—but about what constitutes a waste of time. Are you wasting precious time? Many … [Read more…]
We sincerely love beings and desire that they be well and that they be free from suffering, but we also accept that happiness and suffering are impermanent experiences that arise and fall outside of our control. This doesn’t mean that we don’t act on our love, or that acting is pointless. We act with kindness; … [Read more…]
It might sound a little selfish, but this holiday season I’m all about the present. Okay, not the present that comes in a pretty package—though I’m not opposed to that kind either—what I’m talking about is mindfulness, being fully present in the present. Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without … [Read more…]
Halloween is over. Thanksgiving is just two weeks away. We are officially in the holiday season. The season of joy and gratitude, certainly. But if we’re honest, for many of us, it is also the season of anxiety and excess. Too much activity…too much food…too much drink…too much spending…too many expectations. Just typing that paragraph … [Read more…]
If you think meditation is just for hippies or new-age spiritualists, bear with me for a minute while I try to change your mind. I am a busy executive, writer, wife, and grandmother who has personally discovered the real-world benefits of meditation in my daily life. But I’m not just asking you to take my … [Read more…]
Something frequently happens to me when I get behind the wheel of a car. I turn from loving and accepting to irritable and judgmental. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a road rager, but I definitely say things from the isolated comfort of my car that I would never say in another setting. For … [Read more…]
Several of you have asked how I came up with my blog name and what the significance is. So today I answer the question, “Why So What? Now What?” At the time I started my blog almost two years ago, I was going through a transition of sorts—from a lifelong go-getter with her eye on … [Read more…]