Finding the art of the “new normal”
First of all, it’s OK. Whatever you are feeling, or doing, it’s OK Life today is not normal. How can we hope for normalcy when planetary normalcy has been disrupted? It takes courage, daily, to stand tall and say to ourselves, “This is the new normal.” Given the current global realities, together with our personal […]
3 steps for handling environmental stress, bird by bird
On Sept. 19, 2019, the New York Times published a devastating statistic about declines in the bird population across North America, citing research quoted in Science Magazine. Since 1971, numbers had been reduced by almost 30%. How can we deal with such an overwhelming statistic, knowing it’s just one of many similar coming at […]
How to find Magic in the Ordinary
Last weekend, our furnace quit. That meant no heat and no hot water. We warmed the house by turning on our stove’s gas burners. My husband chivalrously carted buckets of hot water from the kitchen to the bathroom so that I could take a bath (sacred evening ritual) pioneer style. After the furnace was repaired, […]
Got Rhythm?
We all have rhythm. It’s built into us through our heartbeats and the circadian (24 hour) rhythms that influence when we feel hungry, energetic, or sleepy. As our biology influences our rhythms, so, too, does the way we work. Our distant ancestors followed rhythms that were tied to light. Our parents may have worked “on the clock,” […]
Is it time to create your “Joy List?”
This week, I’m balancing writing an article about coping with life’s little losses by remembering all the joys that I’m finding. I’m creating a “Joy List,” a go-to, no-thinking-required list of top pleasures, delight-full projects, music that moves, things that make me sing, gratitude-enhancing activities–a list I can quickly summon when the pain of loss […]
When good enough beats great
When the late William Stafford, one of my favorite poets, was asked how he managed to write one poem (or more) every day, he offered a phrase that endeared him to many:”I lower my standards.” Stafford wasn’t suggesting that he had low standards for the poems he published, just that he knew how the daily […]
Does it spark joy? If not, create your own.
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” z_index_tablet=”500″] I fell in love with Marie Kondo, the queen of tidying, when I watched her NETFLIX series during last February’s let’s-hope-it-never-comes-again blizzard. I am not a convert yet, although I’ve taken a little ground. What I loved most in the […]
How to move your creative potential into practice
We’re all innately creative. Creativity, like love, is a force field that surrounds us and comes through as it’s needed. As writer and photographer Jan Phillips in her book Creativity Unzipped writes: “Creativity is … released automatically when we are on the right paths, in our right minds. It is a force waiting to be […]
Find Your Inner Porpoise
The books written about Purpose or “Finding Your Inner Purpose” on Amazon have it almost right. They just spelled it wrong. Change a few letters and you’ll have more fun. Finding a purpose can feel heavy. A porpoise is buoyant. Just to be clear, I think having a deep sensing about the “why” of life can help […]
Images of imagination
This week, I’ve been thinking about the power of imagination, especially as we age. Imagination provides a spark for creativity. Creativity feeds the soul. Filmmaker David Lynch says that his best ideas come through daydreams. Others find space in nature. In space and dreams, our imaginations have room to roam. Here are a few quotes to […]
