Tag Archives: self care
NOTE: Today’s blog is an excerpt from my book, Circuit Train Your Brain/Daily Habits That Develop Resilience. Writing this book has given a chance to review my relationships and people whose lives have intersected with mine. Your friends fall into different categories, with most of them joining you on your journey for a season or a segment of your life. Very few people have life-long friends, and that’s okay. Friends appear in our lives as mirrors or support for our…..
When I moved to Chicago, I noticed that I gravitated to the color orange, using it for furnishings, throw pillows and linens throughout my apartment. Orange symbolizes energy, vitality, cheer, excitement, adventure, warmth, and good health. In retrospect, I find it interesting that these are the feelings needed to start over in a new town. Perhaps my subconscious was my interior decorator? Color theory, in general, fascinates me. Have you ever considered the subliminal effects of color on mood? What…..
Just in case you needed to hear this today, it’s okay to be selfish. Women, in particular, are conditioned to be givers, peacemakers, feather-smoothers, and people pleasers. Most, if not all of these expectations are based on the sentiment that it’s not good for women to be selfish, or that being selfish is bad. The messaging is so relentless and pervasive that it’s easy for the distinction between selfish and self care can be difficult to ascertain. Some random thoughts…..
One thing about resilience — and where I’m going with my next book is — owning your choices and actions allows you to change them. It’s a foundational ballast of resilience and happiness. Both occur at this intersection. You can’t bounce back without a firm floor. If you’re not honest about how you failed or you’re not honest about how you arrived at that loss, you’re not going to be able to create a firm foundation upon which to build……
Doing something new requires being willing to be bad at something until you become skilled at it. It requires humility and a willingness to fail forward. If you’ve paid attention to your life’s journey, chances are good you’ve experienced plenty of versions of yourself, and have been resurrected from the ashes of various trials and tribulations to get where (and be who) you are now. “It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is…..
Today is National Peanut Butter Day. Nut butters in general are excellent sources of protein and brain-friendly fats. I usually take a few Justin’s packets with me on flights just in case I’m delayed in an airport or on the tarmac. I’ve also created a nutritious and delicious toast topping that I keep in the refrigerator at all times. I make it in small batches, storing it in a plastic, half-cup-sized container so that it stays fresh and in it’s…..
It has been a terrible, deadly year. Every year brings its share of death, poverty and sadness, but 2021 has been a catastrophic time for almost all of us on this planet. Not only has the death and pain been so widespread, it didn’t have to be this way. It was made possible and exacerbated by the cowardice and greed of a handful of people who valued financial wealth above the lives of millions of their fellow human beings. I…..
Welcome to the last week of 2021. Making it this far is definitely an achievement and something worth celebrating. New Year’s Day is traditionally a time when people set goals and intentions, designed to shape and change their lives. Like most people I know, including Yours Truly, they prefer to know where they are going. To use a hiking analogy: using a compass keeps us on course; and when visiting a new city, we rely on maps. There is a…..
Do you ever wonder why some people seem to bounce back after misfortune and crises while others don’t? There are a myriad of reasons, some of which are 100% beyond their control (genetic luck, geographic random location), but some things are not only controllable, but can be cultivated. Your happiness set point can be determined by many things, but these four things represent major areas: • Financial cushion • Health — mental, spiritual, physical • Community • Family These are…..
One of my life coaches suggested that I use my blog as a tool to teach other people how to notice the beauty in the world. Recognizing beauty in unusual places is one of the ways you can reset your Happiness Set Point®. Above is an image I shared on my Instagram, paired with the following caption: “I was starting to see that what looks like garbage from one angle might be art from another. Maybe it did take a…..