Those Confounding Gremlins

April 10th, 2015
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Off and on for about the last month, I have had what the awesome Dr. Brene Brown (author of the New York Times bestselling book Daring Greatly) calls “gremlins” in my head, talking to me in a way that makes me occasionally question the validity of some of my decisions and personal projects.

You know those gremlins.  The inner voices which can cause you to second guess what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.  Or they make you feel uncomfortable or afraid about life in general.  Sometimes I let the gremlins in and sometimes I don’t.  I try … Read More

Balancing Our Busy Brain

March 30th, 2015
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Hey there! It’s Monday morning already! Wherever did the weekend go?  It’s not as if I didn’t make myself productive because I did.  It just amazes me the speed with which Saturday and Sunday seems to fly by. I did learn something new this weekend that I would love to share with you.  During my yoga class on Saturday morning, my teacher talked about how doing new things makes our brain smarter.  Okay maybe you already knew this but I didn’t so please indulge me a bit because I think this is really interesting. Now I’m not a scientist, and… Read More

A Daring Thought

March 4th, 2015
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It’s winter here in my part of the world and that means weather has continued to be dreary and cold.  It’s also the middle of the week and I’m looking for inspiration to give me a boost and I can’t think of a better person to do that than the fabulous Brene Brown! If you don’t know Brene Brown, she is an author, mother, wife and also a Ph.D. research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work.  If you get a chance check out her TED talk.  It blew me away! Brene Brown has an amazing… Read More

Torch By Cheryl Strayed

February 20th, 2015
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As soon as I finished reading Wild, Cheryl Strayed’s fantastic New York Times best-selling memoir (http://crylaughheal.com/wild-by-cheryl-strayed/), I wanted to read more of Stayed’s work. I enjoyed seeing Wild the movie and thought it should have received more attention in terms of nominations but what I really wanted was to read more of Strayed’s honest and direct thoughts about the gritty aspects of life and loss, what happens to us through our friendships and who and how we love. I wanted to read more of the her words, and the way she chooses to put them together.  I truly have never… 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

A Plucky Poem of Resilience

February 11th, 2015
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// When I open my personal email early in the morning, one of my favorite things to see is an email from my son.  I don’t get them as much I did when he was in college because now I receive more text messages.  But still, receiving an email from him always makes me smile. The email that I write about today arrived over the weekend and in it my son wrote that a friend of his had seen the poem featured below and wanted to pass it along to me so that I could post it on Cry Laugh… Read More

A Stranger’s Human Thoughts

February 9th, 2015
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You never know what you are going to hear when you are getting your hair done. I was going about my usual weekend routine when a man reminded me that we as humans have more in common than we acknowledge.  Each of us are in different places and different phases, but most of us are trying to make sense of our lives, past and present, and each of us has something we are trying to work out and heal within ourselves. Grief, for all of its raw pain and turmoil, does teach us things about life.  I don’t mean for… Read More

Comforting My Peeps

February 5th, 2015
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“We are each other’s harvest; We are each other’s business: we are each other’s magnitude and bond.” ~ Gwendolyn Brooks  Care giving is on my mind these days as my siblings and I offer additional support to our parents. Giving care to those who are ill, to those who are babies, to those who are elderly and to those who are recuperating is one of the most selfless and loving acts a person can do for another.  Yet it can also be challenging for you, as the caregiver, are balancing so many mental and physical needs. The obvious ones are… Read More

Testing One Two Three

January 29th, 2015
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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