Health & wellbeing
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Embracing the unknown
“The unknown is where all outcomes are possible; enter it with grace.” ~Message on a Yogi teabag Later this morning, I’ll undergo a biopsy that was scheduled a few weeks ago and has been hanging over my head like an invisible question mark. At this point, I don’t know when the results will come back. Waiting is the hardest part. Most of us struggle with the unknown. The unknown is the gray area; a shadow of uncertainly; a blinking yellow light. The unknown leaves us at a crossroads without a map, and looms larger in an overactive imagination. Of course, life is jam-packed with uncertainties, large and small. Today’s quote…
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Everyday luxuries
“Using fine china, updating bedclothes to something ultra-soft and cozy, framing a favorite photo, or polishing a cherished piece of silver fosters such delight. And it doesn’t have to break your back or the bank.” ~Cheryl Richardson A few years ago, I decided to start using a set of my “good dishes” every day. The set isn’t particularly fine or precious, but it includes several handy serving pieces, mixing bowls, and accessories. Most of these were stored in our basement — until we hosted company for dinner. To make room for the whole set in the kitchen, I sold my old everyday dishes in a garage sale. Using my favorite…
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Mining for gold
“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 Fall signals the end of one year and prepares us for the beginning of another, making it the ideal time to launch a few healthy changes. This season, I’m making efforts to reduce or eliminate habits and behaviors that stress me out, slow me down, or otherwise impact my health — both physically and emotionally. Rather than dread the inevitability of aging, I want to move forward with…
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Putting yourself last?
“Sometimes you have to put your own needs first, even if that doesn’t please others. You are not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.” ~Shannon Olson When I was younger, I often placed the wants and wishes of others before my own — even in matters as simple as choosing where to go out for dinner. Like other women I knew, I allowed myself to remain stuck in second place. Everyone else, it seemed, had greater needs, better ideas, or bigger problems to solve than I had. Even if someone gave me “permission” to put myself first, I felt guilty when I did so. Thankfully,…
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Communication skills
“Lack of communication leaves fear and doubt.” ~Kellan Lutz Good communication can strengthen any alliance. Staying in touch, sharing how we feel, and expressing interest in the lives of others can go a long way toward building solid relationships. I’m an over-communicator by nature and by trade. After college, I had jobs that required meetings and follow-up phone calls. Later, as a newspaper columnist, my career was all about talking to people in print. (Early in my marriage, an in-law told me I “talk too much.”) But after years of living among both chatterboxes and quiet people, I’m usually more comfortable with the chatterboxes. While some folks believe it’s safer…
