The Problem Of Instant Replay
I couldn’t escape the conclusion that telling and retelling the story was making me feel worse – every time. I had to ask myself – what is the point of retelling the story?
What Would It Look Like If It Were Easy?
My daughter and I were having a fun conversation exploring ways to approach some challenges. She threw out the question, “What would it look like if that challenge were easy?” I can’t stop thinking about that question.
Life Hacks for Weathering the Journey of Transformation
Despite my well-honed problem solving skills, I’ve discovered a whole slew of problems that aren’t really meant to be solved. Instead they seem to be journeys that must be traveled. Often these are journeys of pain and loss. Thankfully there are a few life hacks that seem to lessen the suffering and speed up the process of transformation.
“I Don’t Want to Feel That” – Transforming Discomfort Into Ease
We hear all the time that aging comes with increasing discomfort. But is it possible that it could be just the opposite? What if, as we age, we get increasingly skilled at transforming discomfort into ease? What if each year brings more ease and contentment?
Love, Loss, and a Bigger Stronger Love
What was grief doing here on the morning of a day like this? It had no business at a wedding. But here it was. Mindful of Rumi’s poem, 'The Guest House,' I knew grief, if present, must have an important message and/or role to play. I knew it wasn’t to be ignored or pushed away. What did it mean and where did it come from?
Resisting Resistance – Embracing Change
I’ve got to be honest. I resist autumn. I just never want summer to end. You’d think I’d realize that resistance does no good. Summer ends, every year, no matter what. So this year, when I started to feel that resistance bubble up – I thought – time to try a new approach. Let go. Release the tension. Relax into the present moment. Open my heart to exactly what’s happening right now.
Samskaras – The Untruths That Cause Suffering
Some of us are well aware of our pitfalls – our traps of thinking that trip us up over and over. Some of us have been working for years to try and rid ourselves of these traps. And yet, we keep getting caught in the same old, same old samskaras. So we commit to trying harder to rid ourselves of this darkness, believing that’s it through pushing ourselves that we will overcome.To be honest, I don’t think that works very well. Fortunately a wise teacher recently suggested a different approach.
Imagery Plus Gratitude – Unleashing Your Super Power?
I’ve always been intrigued by the power of a placebo. What the placebo suggests is that the mind is a powerful influence on the body. But the question is how to harness the power of the mind and maybe even the power of imagination, for the benefit of the body?
The Difficulty of Choosing Stillness
Honoring stillness has always been a difficult choice for me. When I experience it I absolutely love it. Stillness is calming, and grounding, and balancing and ultimately leaves me energized and clear headed. So why is it so hard to choose? Why is it hard to carve out time to be still?
Just Beyond Comfort – Peak Experiences Await
I‘m attracted to comfort. There’s a magnetic pull towards comfort that’s so pervasive I’m hardly aware of its influence. What I’m discovering, however, is that my peak life experiences are never found squarely in comfort. They aren’t found in discomfort either. Rather, my peak experiences are found somewhere balanced on the edge. Peak experiences are those times that excite me and scare the heck out of me. It’s something I want to experience, but I’m anxious or scared – not sure I’m up to the challenge or discomfort. It’s usually something I’m excited about and boldly say, “Heck yes! I’m all in.” And then days or weeks later wonder, “What was I thinking? Why did I agree to this? Am I really going to do this?”