Change and challenge
-
Facing down fear
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt This week, I finally tackled a fear that’s been eroding my peace of mind for way too long. In the fall of 2019, I had an unusual experience involving a medical test that nearly put me in a coma, then left me with a wicked case of post traumatic stress. Most of my doctors advised against…
-
Adjusting our perspective
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” ~Maya Angelou Writing my own life stories — and helping others write theirs — has been a lifelong fascination of mine. In the process, I’ve learned (and witnessed) how we often allow our experiences to define us. We might label ourselves as “survivors” who had the courage to overcome a personal challenge or tragedy. Or we might see our bad fortune as an excuse to throw a perpetual pity party. Writing about our lives (in a private journal or a workshop) motivates us to take a closer look at…
-
What does it mean to age well?
“It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.” ~Andy Rooney What does it really mean to age well? Our cultural view of aging is fraught with contradictions. It’s safe to say that each of us wants to live a good, long life — but we’d like to do so in perfect health with motivation and energy to spare. And while we’re at it, we’d prefer to erase our wrinkles and tighten those saggy chins and knees. We’d like to maintain the beauty and resilience of our youth while we earn the wisdom of our elder years.…
-
What thrills your soul?
“Dismiss whatever insults your own soul.” ~Walt Whitman Today’s quote got me thinking about everything that “insults my soul” — from unpleasant chores to road rage on the highway. Life presents everyone with all sorts of negative encounters, including filthy bathrooms in public places. And I won’t get started on our current (malodorous) political climate. There are dozens of other toxic behaviors we tolerate and things we cling to, even when they’re long past their expiration dates. We might practice habits that no longer serve us or do more harm than good. We might allow people to mistreat us, or take us for granted, just because that’s the way they…
-
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…
