A worldwide pandemic. That is what we have all been through together. The whole world. That still amazes me. We know that people have had varied experiences during this massive upheaval of our lives. Yet all of us experienced the pandemic at the same time. We are going through the recovery at the same time. That fact fascinates me. I think of future generations and the stories we will tell. Remember the beginning? Shock. Fear. Confusion. Finally, acceptance that we had to sta

Wayne Dyer said, “What other people think of me is actually none of my business.” My mother would NEVER EVER have understood this statement. EVERY PERSON’S opinion about us mattered, and all opinions mattered more than our own. I grew up with, What did they say? What did they say about your new coat? What did they say about your project, hair, sweater, shoes, mom, dad and on and on until I wanted to fall to the floor and beg for mercy. At one point, when I was perhaps sixteen

I want to write something amazing, healing and thoughtful. I want my words to make you feel better about everything. I want to use magical phrases that will make your mind rest, stop your thoughts from spinning and dispel your fear and anxious feelings of uncertainty. But I don’t know which words I could use to accomplish that. We are at an anxiety level that many of us have never felt before. Our brains are on high alert all of the time. What the hell do we do with all the f

Life that is. And it just did. All of a sudden, we are in the middle of a crisis and it is scary, daunting and so very confusing. This is LIFE. Recently, I remembered a thought that came to me a few years ago. “What if I hadn’t broken my neck?” My heart actually sped up a bit and I stopped moving. I felt a stab of fear. Fear of what would have happened if I hadn’t suffered a life-threatening injury. Strange as it sounds, breaking my neck was actually one of the best things th

What if that is how we started approaching our goals? Not as something to become perfect at, but as something we want to practice each

Stress. We feel it, we know what it is, but we often act like there “ain’t nothin’ we can do about it.” Years ago, I gave many talks and led retreats about how to reduce stress. I taught people how to breathe to become calm and present in the moment, and how to recognize what they could change and what they couldn’t change in their lives. I gave them action steps and coached the people who really wanted to make changes. I wrote books and articles. I still do. But some people

Pick One Healthy Choice (There’s 99 More!) They each only take 15 minutes! 1. Read through the Fit and Healthy List 2. Slowly, carefully, stretch out every part of your body.  Breathe. 3. Water all plants in your house—good for everyone.                                4. Walk out your front door. Walk for 7 1⁄2 minutes. Turn around. Go back home. This could equal 1⁄2 mile to 1 mile. (Or get on that treadmill/elliptical for 15 minutes!) 5. Make a salad to have for a later lunc

Breaking bad habits doesn’t have to be complicated. Would you like a technique to help you change the habits you hate, to habits you love? In this post I will share an idea that has worked for me and for many of my clients. Your thoughts may go something like this: “I will drink more water everyday!” “I will get up and stretch every hour when I am working at my computer.” “I will remember to plan ahead for breakfast.” And so on… And then, a few days later, you think, “Oh yeah

Can people change? Recently a friend of mine re-hired an employee who hadn’t worked out when she hired her over twenty years ago. The woman swore she was more mature, had changed, was going to be a great employee. My friend was impressed with how she presented herself and though it had ended badly the last time, she gave her another chance. Months went by and it seemed to be working, and then it wasn’t. She failed to show up for work and well, one thing led to another, and my

January 1st "The truth is that there is never a really 'right time'...there comes a time when one simply hopes for the best, pinches one's nose, and jumps in the abyss. If this were not so, we would not have needed to create the words heroine, hero, or courage." -Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run With the Wolves Don't kid yourself. It takes courage to make changes and decide you want a happier life. It takes courage and determination to say, "I don't want to run aroun

I was listening to a recording the other day. Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes was sharing a poem she had written in the late seventies about the men from IBM, and this line jumped out at me: "Running laps never led to flying I was delighted. The image came to me of soaring over a high school track and I thought about flying in life. Flying into new adventures, soaring over other countries, and so on... I am a runner and a walker. I have used tracks since high school.  I used to ta