Momentum Of The Day

September 21st, 2017
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go-outside-and-play

My car has been in the repair shop for the past 24 hours so public transportation is my way to get home for awhile.

When I got off the Metro last night, I decided to do without riding the bus and instead walk the rest of the way home.

It’s a little over a mile from the Metro stop to my home but it was a warm evening and I wasn’t in a hurry and I thought the walk would be good for me after sitting at a desk most of the day.

Right away it felt good to move … Read More

Take A Deep Breath

January 29th, 2017
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  Dear Resilient Friends: I have been away for awhile but have not forgotten about you.  2017 started off in a difficult direction for my family.  Both of our parents have been ill, requiring hospitalization and additional involvement from me and my five siblings.  We are striving every day to do our best to give loving care and attention to both parents, splitting our time between the hospital and our parents house often amidst a swirl of new medical terms and medicines while we carry on with our jobs and other personal responsibilities. We are trying to ease their pain… Read More

Me As Buddy The Elf

December 20th, 2016
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Photo Courtesy of Country Living This holiday season I feel a bit like Buddy from the popular Christmas movie, Elf. Remember the scene where Buddy the elf, who is magically played by Will Ferrell, travels from the North Pole to New York City to find his father and explains to his new family that elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup? That would be me this holiday season.  Except for the candy corn, which I have never liked because I think it tastes like some kind of plastic or wax.… Read More

Guess Who’s Breathing?

January 29th, 2016
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  I am.  You are.  Everyone is. If we don’t breath, then we’re in big trouble, right? But we can change the rhythm of our breathing depending on what’s happening to us. It sounds so simple doesn’t it?  Just change.  But I have found it takes practice.  It takes being aware of what I’m doing. Many times, without realizing it, I find I am walking around almost holding my breath because I am dealing with two or three things at the same time.  Sometimes I’m at work or I can be at home but I am not fully breathing when… Read More

Creating An Oasis of Calm

February 16th, 2015
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When I read the above sign, I knew I was in the right place. Isn’t it just great? I love the simplicity and comfort of this message and the fact that it was posted on a black bench in the lobby of a local yoga studio where I took my first lesson over the weekend made the idea behind the message even better. I was in a new place about to begin a new experience but felt immediately welcomed. Taking off my shoes became the first step to creating a calming place for myself.  As I pulled my boots off… Read More

Truly Breathing

October 8th, 2013
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Breathing, centering, finding my inner peace.  That is what today is about. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, author, poet and peace activist. Just typing the combination of those words makes me feel calmer. I know that somewhere, under all the rushing and running around and multi-tasking is a peaceful inner core, and my aim is to find it. But first I have to create the conditions to get to it. What is the hurry? With the help of Thich Nhat Hanh’s quote below, I will decrease the speed with which I am living my life.  I… Read More

Within The Morning Light

August 8th, 2013
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I am an early riser.  I find the morning to be peaceful and so quiet.  I use my morning time to collect my thoughts about what I think is going to happen during that particular day and pray for other things that I hope will happen. So the morning is when a lot happens for me.  With my trusty cups of hot tea, I appreciate the solitude of the wee early hours of the day.  Quiet allows me to think and to breathe and pull myself together. I am always writing down blog ideas and collecting different points of view… Read More

Positive Vibes

May 24th, 2013
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I remind myself every day, all the time in fact, that I have a choice in how I decide to view the world. I can be negative about things, which is self-perpetuating and draining and doesn’t really get me anywhere. Or I can choose to think positively about the amazing and beautiful world around us. Positive thinking brings about positive energy which keeps me going and continually connecting with others. Abraham Lincoln once said, “Most folks are about as happy as they choose to be.”  Each day, I think it takes a conscious effort to emphasize the positive and disregard… Read More

Breathing

March 27th, 2013
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“Breathing in, I calm my body, Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is a wonderful moment.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh… Read More