Have you ever had a major surgery, one that required a hospital stay and general anesthesia, one that opened up your body to hands and instruments? I had laproscopic surgery on December 11, a partial hysterectomy to address increasingly incapacitating effects of large submucosal fibroids. Fibroids are benign growths that the majority of women develop […]
During the post-meditation discussion with my sangha (a community that meditates and studies together) recently, we discussed thankfulness in light of the coming holiday. A person said that he’d been reading about how we could learn to be grateful for everything – not just the things that feel good, or go our way, or make us […]
I stopped at my usual station to fill up my gas tank this weekend, getting ready for a week of out of town meetings at schools. The pump was brand new, and I liked the crisp, clean display that was easy to read in the bright sunshine, and the new handle that felt clean instead […]
My partner Doug and I loaded up the Subaru and pointed the car west. We had fifteen days ahead of us, and a loose plan to spend time in the redwoods, on the Oregon coast, and in the Cascade mountains. The only firm plans we had were to spend the last two days before the […]
I met Julie several years ago because of life coaching. I was a guest presenter in a Coaches’ Group that met by phone and included people from all over the country. When Julie heard that I was in Milwaukee, she got in touch and we started getting together in lovely settings from the Urban Ecology […]
Back in my dating days, I followed the sound advice, “See how a person treats service professionals (waiters, clerks, etc) – that’s how they’ll treat you in time.” If someone was rude, impatient, or simply didn’t acknowledge the person providing service as someone equally deserving of courtesy, then that was information about my date’s character. […]
I think we’ve all had moments when we felt our entire world shift in an instant. “I don’t want to be in this relationship anymore.” ”Your pregnancy test is positive.” “Congratulations! You’ve been accepted.” “I’m sorry to tell you that we found cancer.” This last one is on my mind as I pray for a […]
My friend Linda posted a fun idea on Facebook. Google your name and see what comes up. Are you a lead dancer with the San Antonio ballet? An artisan cheesemaker in Idaho? A retired music teacher in Miami? To play: go to Google, enter your first and last name in quotes, and that’s it. Example: […]
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” – Rumi There are many variations on this theme, such as Joseph Campbell’s famous injunction to “Follow your bliss.” Rumi’s wording has subtleties that make this one of my favorite quotes. “Silently drawn” – Ah, […]
Two winters ago, I took a meditation class and learned more about mindfulness than I ever had before. I learned how to experience it, and how to strive for mindfulness not just during an hour of sitting, but throughout my day no matter what I’m doing, from flossing my teeth to listening to a client. […]
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