Another Life Lesson From My Dog
I have 2 dogs, both rescues. One of them is a German Shepherd mix, aka Baer, who had been tethered to a pole in a person’s yard with very little freedom of movement, for the first couple of years of his life. No big surprise, then, that once I adopted him, his great joy was […]
Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys
One of my pet peeves (I, who spend entirely too much time driving the California freeways) is drivers who don’t use their turn signals. Come on, when traveling down the freeway, the last thing you need is some driver cutting in front of you without even the hint of a warning. Namely, said turn signal. […]
SMILE! You’ll Live Longer
I don’t think my ballroom instructor/dance partner was concerned with my longevity when he barked “You gotta smile!” at me as we practiced for an upcoming competition. I’m like “Really? Besides remembering my patterns, keeping my upper body lifted, my feet grounded, my legs long, my head up and my elbows wide, all of which […]
Take Back Your Life!
One of the unexpected consequences of the pervasiveness of social media in our daily lives is the bleed-over into our real lives–the lives we experience in direct contact with other humans, instead of via any of the currently popular social media platforms. We have become, without necessarily realizing it, much more aware of how others […]
Love Is Like Fairy Dust
You can sprinkle love anywhere! Anytime. Just like fairy dust. It’s not love as in “hugs and kisses,” as nice as those are, it’s love by a different description. Namely, “to delight in the presence of.” Nice, huh? You won’t find that definition in any dictionary. I heard it many years ago in a seminar […]
Three Surprisingly Powerful Words: Tell Me More
The first month of the New Year is traditionally when we give thought to what we might want next in our lives. As in wanting to change, or achieve, or hoping will be different. Such as the idea of better relationships with family, friends, loved ones, even pets. Starting with having less conflict or arguments […]
Life Is Meant For Joy!
Really? With bills to pay, rent to cover, kids to corral, too much to do in too little time, especially with the Holidays upon us and all the extra stuff that needs tending, doing, paying for? Joy? Give it a rest. Well, I would, except joy is our basic nature. It’s what everything else we […]
Ho-Ho-Ho, the Joy of Saying “No”
Ah, the upcoming Holiday Season–starting with Thanksgiving and ramping up through Christmas, with no let-up until the beginning of the year. For those who are already tired from a year’s worth of work, kids, parents, chores, and everything else, the Holiday Season, despite the many joys it may bring, can feel simply exhausting. Overwhelming. Cringe-worthy. But what’s […]
Label Yourself for Your Good
The mind-body connection is real. It’s not just a cute phrase, the brain actually releases certain hormones and other chemicals in direct response to our thoughts: endorphins, for example, when we’re happy, cortisol when we’re stressed. These hormones and chemicals impact how we function, how we thrive – or don’t. This is why what we […]
Be A Champion in Your Own Life
The Paris Olympics were superb. The opportunity to watch the very best of the best athletes at the top of their game was phenomenal. Yet as I was enjoying yet another spectacular gymnastic move or shot-put, I realized how much we can all learn from these amazing individuals. No, not how to be a gymnast […]