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Embracing the unknown
“The unknown is where all outcomes are possible; enter it with grace.” ~Message on a Yogi teabag I’ve always struggled with the unknown. The unknown is the gray area; a state of uncertainly; a question mark dangling over the future. The unknown leaves us hanging. The unknown leaves us alone with an overactive imagination. If I’m waiting for the results of a medical test, for instance, I envision all sorts of worst-case scenarios. If someone doesn’t answer my email or a text message, I tend to assume something is wrong. Of course, life is jam-packed with uncertainties, large and small. So when I read the above message on my teabag…
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How to be impeccable
“Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.” ~Don Miguel Ruiz Gossip. Who hasn’t been guilty of spreading it at one time or another? Though we all know better, we might be tempted to share private information that we shouldn’t share. Whether that information is true or not isn’t the point. The point is: If it’s not our business, it isn’t ours to share with others. Before we speak — about anything — it helps to question our own…
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Transitions
“It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.” – William Bridges September is a month of transitions. A new school year begins; summer activities wind down. As the light changes and temperatures drop, we prepare our homes and gardens for winter. We begin to stock the pantry with everything we need for cool-weather comfort recipes. In my “Aging with Grace & Courage” workshop last night, a woman remarked about the bittersweet aspects of autumn. She feels a little sad when fall comes, she said, even though she appreciates the beauty of the season. I knew exactly what she meant. A reminder of our own aging,…
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Changing with the seasons
“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future. The past is closed and limited; the future is open and free.” ~Deepak Chopra Change isn’t easy. I was thinking about this yesterday while cleaning and organizing my closets for the fall season. Change is hard for all of us because some of the things we keep (or cling to) aren’t necessarily bad things. And I’m still in favor of saving a few treasures for sentimental reasons. Seasonal closet cleaning is an apt metaphor for all kinds of change. Some of…
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A no-regrets guide to caregiving
“There are only four kinds of people in the world: Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” ~Rosalyn Carter As our loved ones age — and as we age — caregiving becomes a reality we must face, one way or another. I learned during the first year of my widowed mother’s illness that caregiving duties can take a toll on you, especially if you’re not prepared. Written in retrospect, my “No-regrets Guide to Caregiving” appears this week online in The Oakland Press, and in the September print issue of Vitality. You can read it here.…
