After navigating some unexpected hurdles this past week, I now find myself contending with a stronger than usual urge to “catch up” – on writing, on reading, on correspondence, on exercising, on movies – simply, on days seemingly lost. The urge is a familiar one that has grown more prominent as our traditional sense of…
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As someone who seeks joy from simplicity and is no stranger to the rewards of owning less, I often find purchase decisions overwhelming. Take the grocery store for example: it’s not uncommon to spot me agonizing over ice cream flavors, chocolate chip varieties, or tea blends. Do I want pistachio or salted caramel? Mini or…
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You’ve likely heard the familiar phrase, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” It’s often used when faced with two desirable alternatives that cannot coexist. For instance, you can’t go on vacation and be homebound, or you can’t paint the living room sea green and keep the original Victorian wallpaper. These are simple…
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With the new year in full swing, many of us are thinking about how we can improve our lives. Whether you want to volunteer more, change your diet, or cut back on screen time, January provides fertile soil for forming new habits and ditching the old. This year I have some exciting goals in store…
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What do those in their 60s, 70s and beyond know about living a fulfilling life that too often escapes the understanding of younger minds? Hoping to tap into this wealth of wisdom, I surveyed men and women ranging in age from 60 to 83 years. What follows are insights from their joys and sorrows, mistakes…
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Compassion is, by definition, relational. Compassion literally means ‘to suffer with,’ which implies a basic mutuality in the experience of suffering. The emotion of compassion springs from the recognition that the human experience is imperfect. Kristin Neff Self-compassion gets a lot of buzz, and for good reason. Pioneered by Dr. Kristin Neff, an Associate Professor…
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As the winter holidays approach, our days seem to move at an increasingly frenetic pace. Shopping lists are made, decorations are put out, online orders are placed, tables are set, and our lists are checked twice, hoping that we haven’t forgotten anything amidst the end-of-year hustle and bustle. Repetition is a hallmark of holiday traditions.…
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Life imparts many lessons. Some are loud and urgent while others are soft and more gradual in their unfolding. All are important. How can we learn to tune into the messages they carry? One way is by bringing our best selves to whatever we’re doing. This is especially important when we’re faced with a task…
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I recently read Parker Palmer’s book, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation, a beautiful meditation on trusting our experience to guide the way to our true calling. Rather than telling your life what you intend to do with it, Palmer suggests, you must “listen for what it intends to do with…
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