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One Step at a Time

1/15/2021

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. ~ Lao Tzu

Anyone overwhelmed? There’s a lot to manage these days: trying to stay safe during a pandemic; managing feelings surrounding the riots - regardless of where one is on the political spectrum; coping with medical appointments and treatments; or just getting through another day.

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Beginning

1/4/2021

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Image Credit @mattylava

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. ~ Seneca

There are feelings of adventure, excitement and unimagined possibilities when thinking about the beginning of a trip, a new project, relationship, or new job. Beginnings can also elicit fear of past failures, challenges or difficulties. The beginning of anything might be experienced as something to eagerly look forward to or something to be dreaded.

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Living on Purpose

12/18/2020

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Image Credit @seantookthese

The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

I’ve read about people sleepwalking, unaware of their actions and activity, only to be told later what they did or said. I think that would be scary. Fortunately, I’ve never had that experience, but I wonder sometimes if I haven’t had some similar experiences – times when I’ve driven miles but didn’t actually recall those miles, or when I’ve been a few blocks from home but couldn’t recall if I’d actually pressed the remote to close the garage door, requiring a trip back to the house to double-check. It’s a little like sleepwalking – not being fully present in the moment, not recalling actions, not being in the ‘here and now’ with my mind in another time and place..

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How Can I Say No?

12/4/2020

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Image Credit @thwhoai

Daring to set boundaries is having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others. ~ Brené Brown

I remember a time when sitting down for a few minutes, doing basically nothing, was out of the question. I felt guilty for not “doing something” because there was so much that needed to be done: meal preparation, attending kids’ activities and church functions, dusting and vacuuming, yard work, and laundry…always laundry. Later on, there were meetings to attend, professional journals to read patients to see, groups to lead, and never, never any unfilled moments.

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What’s Gratitude Got to Do with It?

11/17/2020

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Image Credit @priscilladupreez

It can be hard to see the goodness when we are living in the shadows of life. But that is when we need gratitude the most. That's when we must go looking for it. ~ Polly Campbell

Nearly everyone has been through at least one tough time, and more often than not, many tough times. In the midst of dark days, it may seem like they will never end. One can question how it’s possible to navigate such distressing times when the light at the end of the tunnel seems far away and dim.

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Accepting the Invitation

11/7/2020

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Image Credit @kellysikkema

Every day I have many choices to make about who I want to be. ~ Amanda Lindhout

I was in the 20-items-or-less fast checkout lane with 12 items in my basket. The woman in front of me had 29 things – I know because I counted them. Really? I found myself getting very annoyed. Why can’t people just follow the guidelines? The more I thought about it, the more frustrated, angry even, I became. When I finally left the store, I was in a cranky and critical mood.

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Against All Odds

10/23/2020

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Image Credit @sharonmccutcheon

I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it. ~ Maya Angelou

Some people need to know the odds, but knowing “the spread” of a football game doesn’t ensure a win or a loss. My favorite team learned that lesson recently. Some people want survival rate statistics following a cancer diagnosis, but those numbers don’t guarantee survival or death...

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A Balancing Act

10/9/2020

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Image Credit @thomasrey96

Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create. ~ Jana Kingsford

Is it possible to live a balanced life 24/7? I doubt it. But it is something to work toward.

There’s so much talk about living a balanced life…it sounds perfect, having it all together: Just enough sleep to function optimally (but too much sleep could suggest depression); Just enough exercise to feel great (but too much exercise can cause joint stress); Just enough sun for a healthy Vitamin D level (but too much sun can cause skin cancer). And the list goes on.

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Perfect

9/25/2020

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Image Credit @julchen

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself. ~ Anna Quindlen

When I was young, I tried to be perfect. I didn’t like making mistakes. A math or spelling test score of 98 wasn’t quite good enough; I wanted the perfect score: 100. And in mid-life, I still didn’t like making mistakes, forgetting something, or having a typo on a newsletter. I strove for perfection.

I didn’t know that trying to be perfect caused stress and actually was unhealthy. I thought that going for “perfect” was admirable, that I should never make a mistake, disappoint another or fail at anything. Boy was I wrong...

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The Gift of Time

9/11/2020

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Image Credit http @chaowongah

In light of recent personal and global losses, I’m reflecting on what's important and valued, and how I want to spend my time. I’m thinking of this time as a reset button – this time when the world has changed due to so many losses – tragic deaths, Covid-19, a cancer diagnosis – when everything is different, when I’m different.

I’ve heard many grieving people say “You know what I once thought was important isn’t important to me anymore.” I’ve heard people diagnosed with cancer say the same thing. There’s a need to re-prioritize, re-evaluate, and ask questions: What gives me joy? Who “puts into my bucket?” Who diminishes me? What kind of person do I want to be? And what do I value? I love the idea of a reset button with the choice to begin again, start over, and do things differently...

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Taking Control Amidst The Coronavirus Crisis

8/21/2020

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Image Credit @fusion_medical_animation

Everything feels out of sync and nothing feels normal. New words and phrases become commonplace: social distancing, community spread, PPE, N95, flattening the curve, Zoom.

Some days I really struggle with my emotions and I have trouble not being overwhelmed by thoughts like…”When will things get back to normal? Will this ever end? Am I being irrational or just trying to be safe? My anxiety feels out of my control. I feel a little depressed…and maybe a little scared, and that’s not typical for me. I don’t handle uncertainty well. I’m used to planning ahead. I’m exhausted from the news and from feeling hyper-vigilant...

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One Step at a Time

Beginning

Living on Purpose

How Can I Say No?

What’s Gratitude Got to Do with It?

Accepting the Invitation

Against All Odds

A Balancing Act

Perfect

The Gift of Time

Taking Control Amidst The Coronavirus Crisis

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