Overcoming Overwhelm
It’s the holidays once again. For those of us that like to please others this time of year can be particularly stressful. The word “yes” just keeps popping out of our mouth. We agree to help with the office party and the school play; to take our parents gift shopping or do it for them; and we accept four more invitations than we want to attend. Before we know it, we’re too tired, sick, or overwhelmed to live up to [...]
A Thought for the Holiday Season
"A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you."- John O'Donohue It is easy to take one another for granted. Our friends, family and co-workers become familiar faces and can all too easily drop into the landscape of our environment pushed back by our busyness, striving, or insecurities. What we miss in these hectic moments is not only connection but reflection. For better or worse we are mirrors onto one [...]
I Don’t See Dead People
I am not a huge fan of Halloween although admittedly I enjoy the candy. If I wish to be horrified I watch the news and would prefer that to a full-grown vampire, or blood dripping corpse at my door. Yet, what redeems the night every year for me is one kid. She shows up in different costumes but through the course of the evening she always appears. She is the child who looks up in your eyes when you open [...]
Stop Looking for Your Purpose
I have a colleague who recently told me she was trying to find her purpose. She also shared that last year she was asked to chair a board for a hospice that has grown exponentially under her leadership. I asked why she didn’t see that as a purpose. She quickly dismissed her efforts and said, “No, that’s too easy.” It should be easy. Purpose is the by-product of developing our natural gifts and giving them generously. Whether it’s helping people [...]
How I Set My Pace Today
I was walking up the beach early this morning. The water was calm and the air nearly still. Two women with English accents stopped me and pointed out to the ocean. The one women said “I am either seeing a whale–or the Loch Ness monster.” To which I quickly assure her it was definitely the Loch Ness monster. Moments later a large creature emerges not far from the shore, its long grey body appeared like a slow moving rock with [...]
The 3 Questions You Should Ask Yourself This Spring
Last week we past the Spring equinox. The Northern Hemisphere has begun its tilt toward the Sun, and the days ahead will become longer and lighter. The increased sunlight triggers birds to sing, flowers to blossom, and farmers to sow seeds for later harvests. With the force of nature with us, Spring is an opportunity to awaken and create new beginning. It’s a time to let go of our mental and physical clutter and make space for what the warmer days [...]