If you live in the U.S., or have friends that do…or use the internet…or just haven’t been in a coma for the past month, you know that this Thursday is our Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving is not just a time to express gratitude and spend time with loved ones, but also an excuse to overindulge in … [Read more…]
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…]
You may have noticed that I didn’t share my usual New Year’s Resolutions post this year–or perhaps you’re not tracking my writing that closely—in which case I’m shocked, and I offer you this chance to redeem yourself: 2016 2017 🙂 I’ve actually given up resolutions in favor of seasonal bucket lists. It’s part of my … [Read more…]
If you are reading this, you survived the madness that is Christmas. I hope you enjoyed it. I typically take the week between Christmas and New Year’s to look back over the year—the experiences, the accomplishments, the lessons learned, and the things I hope to improve in the coming year. For me, this is usually … [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…]