Tale of two stories (Aka: What you focus on is what you get)
A few years ago, Hans and I were between our old house and new digs. Construction delays on our new place meant moving into a hotel. What was originally supposed to be three months turned into six. That’s 173 days. But who’s counting. That’s where these two stories begin: We were 63 days into our […]
Mind your own business and have more energy
If your spouse, children, parents, boss, coworkers, neighbors, and friends would just do what you want, you’d be a whole lot happier. Right? Imagine you could wave a magic wand and get everyone in line with your wants, needs, and preferences. It would immediately and automatically eliminate a significant amount of friction, frustration, and energy […]
Warning: Your serenity and sanity are at risk
Are you so overwhelmed that you don’t have the time or energy to do anything about why you’re overwhelmed to begin with? It’s a maddening conundrum, isn’t it? Your To Do list is mostly undone, work has reached its tentacles way beyond an 8-hour day, and life keeps presenting you with unexpected hurdles. Most days […]
3 ways to simplify—and really enjoy—the holidays
The holidays are just around the corner. And for every Christmas carol playing on the radio, I hear someone complaining about crowds at the mall and stressing over finding the perfect gift. Don’t let this time of year wreak havoc on your serenity. Here are three ways to simplify—and really enjoy—the holidays. Don’t aim for […]
4 ways to uncomplicate your life
Have you ever said, It’s complicated as a reason for not making the changes you say you want in your life? Your work situation is complicated. Or your marriage. Your financial situation is complicated. Or your relationship with your parents or kids. One of the reasons we keep our lives so complicated is so we […]
I’ve had enough of performing, perfecting, pleasing and proving
Do you know what’s exhausting? Hustling for worthiness. Performing, when you’re not an actor. Perfecting, when your standard means nothing is ever quite good enough. Pleasing, when you’re an approval junkie. Proving, when that little voice whispers, You’re not enough. I’ll bet you know what I’m talking about. Because I’ve yet to meet a woman […]
What mindset are you operating from right now?
It’s easy to get so busy—so caught up in doing—that you go on autopilot and develop a mindset that becomes more about merely getting through the day. When you do things without thinking, it’s easy to develop ways of thinking that don’t serve you. To get off autopilot you need to pause long enough to […]
Thinking the worst and throwing a tantrum
Last week I received news: Something I wanted very badly might not happen. I would like to say I calmly sat down, said the Serenity Prayer, and did the work of teasing out what was in the change category versus the acceptance column. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; […]
Tolerations: What energy are you sacrificing?
I’ve been thinking a great deal about tolerations lately. Those pesky things we put up with that get in the way, create friction, and drain our energy. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about tolerations in relation to a person’s vitality. Tolerations rob your vitality Vitality means the capacity to live, grow, or develop. Isn’t that what we really […]