- Friendship and relationship advice, Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Musuem, Health & wellbeing, Spirituality
It’s all so complicated …
“Life is actually quite simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” ~Confucius Human beings have a knack for crafting lives of infinite complexity. For starters, we shame ourselves if we’re not always busy or productive, yet we expect everyone else to be available on demand. We overburden our schedules with more commitments than we can easily manage. Then we spend hours chatting on the phone or responding to followers on social media — and wonder why we don’t have a spare moment to meet real friends for coffee. This summer, why not aim for simplicity in every aspect of our lives, from household chores to social connections? Isn’t it…
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How to brighten your dark thoughts
“I once had a garden filled with flowers that grew only on dark thoughts, but they needed constant attention, and one day I decided I had better things to do.” ~Brian Andreas To prepare yourself for disappointment, do you usually expect the worst rather than the best outcome? Sometimes it’s not a bad idea to lower your expectations. But if you’re not careful, pervasive gloomy thinking can become a habit or a way of life. And when you lower your expectations along with your mood, sometimes your standards get lowered at the same time — which is never a good thing. Negativity is lazy and self-destructive. Positivity takes tremendous effort, which is why so…
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Social studies
“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 on a regular basis should be part of your lifestyle plan. Medical experts report that people who socialize regularly are healthier — both mentally and physically. Loneliness can actually shorten your lifespan. That said, keep in mind that difficult or unfulfilling relationships are harmful to your wellbeing — and there’s plenty of research to support the fact. “Relationships that are defined by drama and conflicts all can add a boat-load of stress to daily life,” explains Frank Lipman, M.D. What’s the…
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The art of gifting
“The act of giving something to others is an art of flowering your heart.” ~ Vinayak There are many different gifting styles and practices, and psychotherapists have some interesting theories on that. Some people get a thrill out of selecting presents for their loved ones, while others prefer not to express affection with material things. A few folks I know discourage gift-giving because they don’t want to feel obligated to reciprocate; others worry that they’ll select the wrong gift. Of course, some don’t have extra cash for gifting in their budget. The most thoughtful presents come from the heart, no strings attached. For instance, a friend of mine is a…
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What do you take for granted?
“We never know the worth of water until the well is dry.” ~Thomas Fuller, English historian, 1608 – 1661 The opposite of feeling grateful is taking someone or something for granted. Anything worth keeping needs our time, care, and attention — because nothing we have is truly guaranteed. You might want to try an exercise I’ve used in my journaling classes: Make a list of everything and everyone you value and would hate to lose. For instance, do you maintain and appreciate the items you own at home and rely on daily? Are you grateful to have a job or are you just putting in your time? Do you assume…
