We all know now that it can change in an instant. Everything. And here we are wondering what to do next. I have some questions for you. How are you feeling? Are you doing what you need to be doing in your life? Are you doing what you want to be doing? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you planning to be happy/content/safe? Because, in an instant, everything can change. We have now seen this for ourselves with the pandemic. * So, today, in addition to giving you those quest

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

With the shutdown of the country came the shutdown of my writing. I have published exactly two blog posts and one magazine article since THE PANDEMIC. That is not a great amount. Everything else I start to write seems so trivial or else so horrible that it would take pages to delve into even one particular subject out of so many. Today, I opened a new document to make yet another attempt at creativity and inspiration, with perhaps a dash of wit. This is me, trying to write. I

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

There is nothing inside of you that can ensure your happiness.

Healthy, happy families, and they do exist, are not really worrying about the upcoming Holidays except to plan food, gifts and events. Although there may be some stress concerning budgeting, travel arrangements or amounts of this or that for meals, overall, they are anticipating the holidays with delight. They want to see relatives, and they look forward to catching up, laughing, visiting and exchanging ideas. Unhealthy families do not anticipate holidays with pleasure. Unhea

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

Is life at age 60 any different than life at age 59? Well, no, not really.... However, I have this number now. Sixty. It signifies old. Ok Maybe older, but c’mon, we’re all thinking, she is getting up there! So this is what I find. Knowing that I am this number, this 60, knowing that I have less time in front of me than behind me, makes me think about, really think about, how I am spending my time. In other words, I don’t have time to waste. With less time in front of me than

Sometimes life just ups and punches you right in the gut. And then as your body automatically jerks forward, with an oomph that lets much-needed air out of your lungs and you struggle to get a breath, life comes down hard on the back of your head and this time, you fall forward all the way to the ground. You take more than a few seconds to raise your shoulders, wincing as you push down on your scraped palms, and as you painfully raise your head, life slaps you across the face

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

Your Spirit Extends All Around You. Your spirit makes you, you.  It is ageless. Your spirit lives within you and extends all around your human body. Your spirit, like everything else in the universe, has a powerful energy and is constantly vibrating. It sends all of your feelings and thoughts of love or hate out into the world. Your spirit has no age. However, just as your body feels fatigue, so can your spirit. When we feel sadness, depression or anger, our spirits are fatig

It’s that time of year. Excitement! Parties Gifts! and oh yeah,….stress. Use these Seven Tips to help you not only survive the Holiday season, but have a good time! Get plenty of sleep so your body stays strong and ready for whatever gets thrown at it. (Germs, crabby people, over-excited children, and oh yes… those relatives!) This is a key component in stress reducing. Practice deep breathing. Slow, deep breathing revitalizes your brain, your cells–every part of your body. W

Are you ready for spring? I am! I am tired of winter, being cooped up or when I am out, navigating the ice and shivering with cold. I know there are some brave souls out there who keep on jogging, keep up their walks, (Bravo!) and engage in healthy, wonderful, winter sports. And then, there’s the rest of us. The rest of us have been waiting for spring. We have been eager to open the windows, throw on a light jacket, and go for a walk. This is my favorite season. I love the

First things first. Do not make reducing your stress one more thing on the to-do list. If you know you are under stress, you need to address it with love, realism and gentleness. Here are just a few of the ways that stress can manifest itself in your life: Weight Gain/Weight Loss Sleep problems Alcohol abuse Adrenal Fatigue Eczema Food Cravings Mood swings Obsessing Inappropriate reactions to events Heart Palpitations Do any of these resonate with you? Do you notice any of th

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

This could also be called, the Price for Overdoing It. Seven or eight years ago, I was planning to drive to Michigan to visit my family and help my sisters with parent care. Things have changed. My parents had to be separated for proper care. My two Michigan sisters hated where we had put my dad for full time care. (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's). They decided they had to break him out.I, of course, wished I could be in on a heist. It wasn't really as dramatic as all that, but on