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How’s your social life?
“The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.” ~Esther Perel, author and psychotherapist Are you looking for ways to increase your longevity? Gathering with good friends should be part of your lifestyle plan. Medical experts report that people who socialize regularly are healthier — both mentally and physically. Loneliness can shorten your life span, but keep in mind that difficult or unfulfilling relationships also undermine your wellbeing — and there’s plenty of research to support the fact. “Relationships defined by drama and conflicts that never seem to get resolved, be it with family, friends or neighbors, all can add a boat-load of stress to daily life,” explains…
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Mining for treasure
“I am a firm believer that every few years one needs to shake one’s life through a sieve, like a miner in the Yukon. The gold nuggets remain. The rest falls through like the soft earth it is.” ~Amy Poehler, Yes Please At the start of this year, I didn’t make traditional “resolutions.” Instead, I decided to make a few healthy changes. Just for starters, I had noticed that I can’t process alcohol like I did when I was younger, nor was my blood pressure benefitting from the salt I was shaking freely on my meals. So I stopped drinking alcohol, and I rarely reach for a salt shaker without…
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Germinating
“During the times we think we’re being ‘unproductive,’ the seeds of new worlds are germinating within us, and they need peace to grow.” ~Martha Beck Somewhere along the line, I bought into the notion that I need to be working on something 24/7. I feel like a slacker if I’m not writing an article, teaching classes, organizing my home, digging in the yard, or otherwise being productive. You too? We live in a culture that celebrates busyness — so it’s not surprising that most of us are ashamed to admit that we need some time off. We’re afraid to be still. Or maybe we’re afraid that we’ll lose momentum. Today,…
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When mistakes are made
“Sorry doesn’t take things back, but it pushes things forward. It bridges the gap. Sorry is a sacrament. It’s an offering. A gift.” ~Craig Silvey Mistakes were made…. Everyone who remembers Bill Clinton’s presidency associates that phrase with the Monica Lewinsky debacle. But it’s been around a lot longer. Commentator William Saffire once described the phrase as “a passive-evasive way of acknowledging error while distancing the speaker from responsibility for it.” In other words, “Mistakes were made” isn’t a real apology. As today’s quote suggests, a real apology is an offering. An apology elevates you in the eyes of the person you’ve hurt, while failing to take responsibility for your errors…
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A garden-variety mood booster
You’ve probably noticed that your problems fade to the background whenever you’re engrossed in something you enjoy. I’m a worrier by nature, but I’ve learned over the years that doing something with my hands — and I don’t mean typing or fiddling with my cell phone — works better than any drug prescribed for anxiety. From plotting to planting, gardening is my best medicine. I spent most of yesterday afternoon browsing around several plant nurseries, comparing the various selections of herbs, annuals, and perennials. The fresh scents and bright colors gave me a much-needed lift after so many days of depressing news stories about mass shootings and political turmoil. Though…
