“Every day I start my day by going over things for which I’m grateful. Even though I’m in hospice and the end is near, I have an immense amount for which I’m deeply grateful.” A friend of mine from high school wrote that powerful sentence on Facebook this week. The…
I watched a terrific TED talk the other day by an individual who has a unique view on gender issues and authenticity. Paula Williams started life as a man and is now a woman. Due to her experiences, Paula has a very unique view of both genders and has experienced…
With all that is happening in the world of politics, in how we relate to each other regarding gender or country of origin, and in the challenges of our personal life, it can be hard to be positive. We want to fight. We want those we think are responsible to…
I discovered a quote the other day by J. Krishnamurti about his “secret” to well-being. “You see, I don’t mind what happens.” What power is there in that simple statement! How much of our pain, anxiety, heartbreak, and stress are the result of putting meaning in what is happening? I often…
As for many of you, 2017 has been a challenging year for me. Through these challenging experiences, I learned about how meaning and expectations affect stress. Much of the stress I experienced was increased because I put meaning into results I could not affect. If an expected outcome didn’t happen,…
Monotony. Dealing with the same challenges, the same tasks, the same routine day after day, week after week, can increase our stress levels. We are Sisyphus trapped, more likely doomed, to experience the same thing again and again and again without finding success or relief. Redundancy without resolution in our…
Netflix has many terrific shows lately. One of them is “The Crown” which is about Queen Elizabeth. A scene in the first season really struck me. It is a dialogue between Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary. Here is a condensed version: Queen Elizabeth (QE): “It doesn’t feel right as head…
Many parts of the world are going through major natural disasters right now. Cabo San Lucas, my home and my heart, is no exception. On a Thursday morning, it started raining and it did not stop until late Friday dumping up to twenty-seven inches of rain in this dry desert…
On a recent visit to Chicago, friends were asking about living in Mexico. One topic that came up was time. I explained that if a contractor said they would come at 9am Monday, it may actually mean sometime Monday, but not necessarily 9am. It could also mean 9am Tuesday. Or…
For random reasons, I heard interviews with two well-known atheists recently and found some amazing insights. The interviews were not about atheism per se, but some of the questions branched into their beliefs. Many of us believe in some sort of a God and an afterlife. We live our lives…