“Comparison is the thief of joy” – Theodore Roosevelt Comparing situation A with situation B is a big part of how we make it through the day. Overuse of this often unconscious process, however, can feed anxiety and feelings of being “less than” or “better than” that […]
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The other day I mentioned that I felt guilty after taking a nap. Luckily I have some kind friends who answered with loving responses, encouraging me to rest. If only our culture would do the same. If only we were allowed, like bears, to turn off […]
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In Dickens’ timeless Christmas Carol we meet Ebenezer Scrooge, a joyless bachelor who just can’t seem to muster one drop of generosity for any being on earth, not even his amiable nephew, Fred. In spite of Ebenezer’s outright hostile response to his nephew’s invitation to Christmas dinner, Fred remains steadfast in […]
Read MorePlan. Come back to now. Plan. Come back to now. focus on something pleasant. One small, likable thing, Before you once again plan, and again come back to now. Why bother coming back to now? Now, full of imperfection, distraction, uncertainty, worry? Because now is the […]
Read MoreLet things be unfinished. Stop folding the laundry and go to bed. Leave the dishes and take a walk with a friend. One of the central tenets of the Japanese art of Wabi Sabi is that nothing is ever finished. Think about this idea for […]
Read MoreLet things be unfinished. Stop folding the laundry and go to bed. Leave the dishes and take a walk with a friend. One of the central tenets of the Japanese art of Wabi Sabi is that nothing is ever finished. Think about this idea for […]
Read MoreYou have the right to change your mind. Summer is about to end. Schedules are filling up. Did you over-commit yourself? Did you sign up for a class you don’t like? Join a committee that is cutting into family time? Say yes to a second date […]
Read MoreDan Siegal talks about the “river of wellness.” On one bank we have rigidity. This is behavior that is inflexible, guarded, unforgiving. On the other bank we have It’s hard to swim in the middle of the river if we try to pack too much into […]
Read MorePracticing letting go is one of the foundations of mindfulness. What does it mean to let go? It could mean letting go of a disappointment from the past, a relationship that’s not working out, or it could mean letting go of a plan to change someone […]
Read More“Let’s just get this over with.” This may be an appropriate sentiment when you are having a root canal, but did you ever notice this mindset seeping into daily life? The self-talk may sound something like this: “I can’t wait until it’s Friday!” “Will this winter […]
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