The first week of each new year, I devote time to reflecting on the previous year before I created a plan for the coming one. I consider what went well, what didn’t, and what needed to change. I try to make my celebrations list longer than my shortcomings, with more gratitude than gripes. But looking at the change list is where I determine my theme for the year. It’s where I find the things I crave more of and the words I want to exemplify both publicly and deep in my soul. Past years’ words have included shine, delight, flourish and change.
This year, my heart’s desire is for more joy.
I was doing some end-of-year organizing in my office when I noticed a small, worn book that carried a big punch. Nestled among more contemporary works from John Maxwell and Malcolm Gladwell was a bestseller from 30 years ago, with advice that surpasses all the gurus of success. With a fresh cup of coffee, I set aside my busyness and read the entire book. Continue Reading
December can bring many different emotions. Most of us equate the season with a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and the fa-la-la-la-la of friends and family, gathering to celebrate traditions. But for some, this season will bring deep sadness as they cope with loss or grief. No matter what’s going on around them, they don’t feel like having fun. Like my friend whose husband died, unexpectedly, Thanksgiving week at the age of 56, or the young woman who confided, yesterday, she’d just had a miscarriage. Or my two friends who’ve gone through divorces this past year. For these and countless others, the holidays will not be merry and bright, and January can’t come soon enough.
During this time of year how can those of us who have “normal” lives support those who’re grieving, and what do we say?
Thanksgiving is upon us and the stress of the holiday season is looming. I look at my Christmas storage closet: 18 tubs of decorations, and I want to run away. Will the perfectionist in me rule again this year as I unpack garlands, candles, angels and hundreds of tree decorations? Would anyone care if I boycotted the lavish decor in favor of simplicity? No, but I feel the urge to repeat tradition. After all, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
As we embark on the busiest time of year, here are my favorite stress management tips to help you simplify, stay sane and giving THANKS instead of jumping off a cliff!
Today is my 60th birthday. As you read this, I may be laughing, or I may be crying. Hopefully the overwhelming emotion I’ve experienced as I approached the big 6-0 has given way to great expectations about the future. And hopefully I’ll have celebrated with some great champagne and chocolate. Continue Reading
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
I recently spent an over-the-top fun weekend with my daughters and daughter-in-law in Boston. On the flight back to Austin, I chose a middle seat so my pregnant daughter could have the aisle. The plane was filling up when a woman asked to sit next to me by the window, and I breathed a sigh of relief that she was not a young mother with a crying baby in her arms. Continue Reading
The book, The Top Five Regrets of Dying, made me think about how I’m living my own life. Author, Bronnie Ware, was a nurse who spent eight years in palliative care. Her patients made a profound impact on her, sharing their regrets as they faced their last days.
When people reach the end of their lives, they don’t wish they had more money, possessions or achievements. They tend to reflect on what’s deep in their soul, regretting that self-sabotage got in the way of authentic living and wishing they’d worked less, not more.
Here are their top five regrets: Continue Reading
I attended a funeral for a cousin whose death came too early. She’d beaten breast cancer, twice, but years of smoking and living around heavy smokers finally took its toll. The experience reinforced my desire to spend eternity fertilizing the earth instead of being locked up in a box and forgotten. Continue Reading
Do you know how to say “no?” If you’re like most women, you say “yes” way too often out of guilt, obligation or filling your life with people and projects that don’t align with your purpose. Instead of finding joy and meaning in your days, you experience resentment and anger. Instead of having time to do the things you love, your calendar’s filled with activities that drain you.
In recent weeks, I’ve been immersed in the Olympics, partly because I was excited to watch athletes from my country compete and shine, and partly because it was a nice diversion from the saturation of politics on the airwaves. Good clean competition is refreshing.
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