It can be deadly to linger at the rear view mirror. I took the bypass because it's supposed to be safer. But even if it's a divided highway with light traffic, you still need to keep your eyes on the road--looking ahead with the occasional glanc ...
Oops! Being Present is Good Thing
I rounded the corner in the locker room and almost bumped into a man. Immediately a little red light started flashing and there was a mental traffic jam of thoughts... "Maybe it isn't a man?" Sometimes you cannot tell behind winter clothes and ma ...
It’s Quitter’s Day (10 questions to ask yourself before you regroup)
Yes, there is a Quitter's Day. It falls on a day in January when vast numbers of humans are abandoning their New Year's resolutions. In 2019, the fitness platform, Strava, did some research looking at 800 million activities recorded on their fitn ...
Is This the Time to Dance? (Hello New Year)
"There's a time for everything... a time to mourn and a time to dance."Ecclesiastes 3:4 We'd probably all agree it's rude for you to tell a distraught person to stop crying and move on. Well, maybe it'd be OK if you're a trusted insider. Maybe if ...
Anxiety and Cancer (how compassionate awareness helps)
"Hi Amy!" I had no idea how insensitively cheerful my greeting was. Amy looked a little puzzled, like she was trying to figure something out. "Maybe you didn't hear?" She looked down at her hors d'oeuvres plate and then back up. "My mom died ...
How to Make the Most of an Embarrassing Situation (little things matter)
This morning, Gabriel went to the Post Office to get his passport. He's adult enough to drive and almost adult enough to drink (why, tell me, is that a right of passage?). This adulthood stuff means that it's time to get a brand new adult passport. ...
How Being Present Can Help You Get to Sleep (the P.L.A.N.)
We've been having an almost magical stretch of calm in these parts, during which I've been able to "lay me down to sleep" and actually go to sleep. This is an especially welcomed development as it comes on the heels of a string a weeks where I w ...
A Radically Different Way to Pray for Your Kids (or maybe anyone)
If you ask about my favorite heroes, Mom will always top the shortlist. Mom is fun and creative. When our leap year sister turned 1 year old, Mom squeezed her birthday party kickoff into the moment between February 28 and March 1. Yes, she ...
When You’re Stuck in Avoidance Mode (one way to change your mindset)
"I'm not going to that lesson!" My youngest was emphatic. "Why not?" I asked, pretending ignorance. "I haven't practiced all week." He looked miserable. We were living in Northeastern Thailand (Isaan) at the time, studying language and ...
Sleep Like a Baby (a mindset shift to make it easier)
I don't need all of the latest sleep research to convince me that sleep is critically important to my health. One sleep deprived night and my brain goes into battery conservation mode, I feel like a sloth (except when my beloved pushes the wrong bu ...