Yearly Archives:: 2015

Testing One Two Three

January 29th, 2015
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courage

If you never take the opportunity to challenge yourself, then you might not really be sure of what you are capable of accomplishing in your precious life.

Yesterday I was reading through some materials about resilience and I found the inspiring quote below. It blew me away when I first read it.  What a powerful thought!!

I am going to tuck this wonderful thought into my brain and bring it out the next time I find myself facing a daunting task (probably today!!).

More importantly, this thought is also for anyone who is facing a trying time.  Please let this … Read More

Reward Yourself

January 26th, 2015
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When I find myself in times of worry or stress, I often handle it by giving myself rewards. I focus on the stressful or worrisome tasks that I have to deal with and then in the back of my mind I tell myself that when I’m done with whatever it is for the time being, I will do something that will make me feel better about life. For me, rewards are sometimes a critical part of managing the darker sides of life.  Rewards give me a boost and make me feel as though I can carry on.  It can be… Read More

Hey There Sleepyhead

January 21st, 2015
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My siblings and I are caregivers and since the weekend we have stepped up our efforts to support our elderly parents. Without going into a lot of detail for privacy reasons, it was my turn to spend the night in the hospital this past Sunday night.  I have done this before but it has been a long time and I had forgotten the impact of the variety of noises that can keep you awake: the machines, the cleaning staff, the nurses, and the constant switching on and off of lights.  This is not a criticism of the hospital; they have… Read More

Mastering One Mighty Wall

January 16th, 2015
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Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, the two men who courageously completed the historic climb up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, were the topic of animated conversation yesterday in my office. People were wondering how they did it (can you believe it?), what kind of stamina it took to finish the climb (Dude you would have to be in incredible shape right?) and what your fingers would look like at the end of the climb (Totally bloody!).  This topic then lead people to talk about other people who practice extreme sports including some guy who wears… Read More

Permission To Feel

January 14th, 2015
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There are times when I read something that clarifies an issue for me or it helps me connect the dots of information I have spread about in my brain and when this happens I want to share it for the information might also be a great resource for you too! In this case, it is an incredibly insightful piece that I read in this past Sunday’s New York Times.  It is written by Patrick O’Malley, a psychotherapist from Fort Worth, Texas, and his opinion piece addresses why people tend to grieve the way they think others want them to grieve,… Read More

Moving Into Monday

January 12th, 2015
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I hear my stationary bicycle calling to me. “Come on.  You have calories and fat to burn off.  You need to get your heart pumping.  Get your butt in gear.  I’m here.  Where are you?” Ah, the rhythms of life!! It’s hard to get myself in the exercise groove but I remind myself that I’m doing something good for me.  There is a payoff: exercise is a must for the whole me; the mind/body connection and on top of that it’s healing. On some level, aerobic exercising or general movement such as walking, dancing, yoga or even running helps me… Read More

A Birthday Reveal

January 9th, 2015
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I’ve had 10 birthdays since my husband died and yesterday was the first birthday I celebrated when I didn’t think of him once during the day. I am not telling you this to sound sad or to express joy.  No way. I write of this today to say it’s confusing.  I never thought it would happen.  I’m not sure what it means, if it means anything.  I didn’t even realize it happened until the end of the day when I was getting ready to go to sleep. I still miss him dearly but I guess I am also reporting in… Read More

Resisting The Reaction

January 7th, 2015
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“Mom. You don’t have to react to everything.” These pearls of incredible wisdom came out of the mouth of my son when he was very young, maybe ten or eleven years old.  We were in the car driving to some sports activity and I was trying to squeeze in an errand or two before practice started.  The tight schedule led me to comment (read rant) about the lack of driving skills of those sharing the road with me and a few other hot buttons issues that we were talking about while I was driving. “Mom.  You don’t have to react… Read More

Laughing at Rush Hour

January 5th, 2015
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I am thinking, and yes, a bit envious, of one of my good friends this morning who is going to a coffee shop she passes every day on her way to work.  She never has time to go into this coffee shop because she is a punctual person and if she stopped for coffee then she would be late arriving at her office. But still every day as a member of the rush hour, she breezes by the coffee shop, and dreams of what it  represents: a lifestyle of unscheduled freedom. And today she’s going to check that coffee shop… Read More