Category: Habits

The Beauty Of Fall

10/8/2021

There is something so special in the early leaves drifting from the trees – as if we are all allowed a chance to peel, to refresh, to start again. ~ Ruth Ahmed

I readily admit it: Fall is my favorite time of the year. I have friends who thrive in year-round summer weather and never miss the changing seasons. But I need autumn. I find it’s an easier time, when I’m not suffocating in 105º heat or freezing in 30º below temperatures. Autumn takes little effort, and for me, it’s a time of respite and reflection…a time to catch up with myself, to be more mindful, to breathe easier.

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Messages From My Flowers

8/27/2021

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Image credit @julieblake

Since by definition learning is change, when you learn nature’s lessons, you are changed. ~ Ron Lizzi

I sit on my deck in the mountains watching my flowers: petunias, geraniums, daisies, moss rose, dianthus, salvia, marigolds, snapdragons, begonias, pansies, and a number of dainty Colorado blossoms whose names I don’t know. I’ve spent hours observing their beauty and patterns of behavior. I’ve learned a lot about life, and myself, from being with my flowers. Here’s what I’ve learned:

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Look At The Bear

4/9/2021

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Image Credit @brooksieg

It was exactly what I wanted – beautiful distraction. ~ Maggie Stiefwater

We were having lunch at the Stagecoach Inn in Manitou Springs. I should say hoping to have lunch as the service was painfully slow, and more than an hour after finally placing our order, food was nowhere in sight. The conversation with my daughter and grandsons who were here on vacation was delightful, but everyone was hungry, especially my husband who was becoming increasingly irritated, as the restaurant wasn’t even that busy. Sensing his growing frustration and knowing that an impending confrontation with the waitress (if he could find her) was about to happen, I suddenly pointed to one of the impressive black bear head mounts on a nearby wall and blurted “Look at the bear!” My spontaneous outburst was so unexpected and out of our conversation’s context that we all looked at each other and started laughing uncontrollably, fully aware my intentional outburst had averted a potentially awkward situation. While my husband may have found it less amusing than the rest of us, the distraction allowed all of us to focus on something else. It was a feeble attempt to diffuse the tension, yet it worked.

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Unplugged

3/12/2021

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Image Credit @emotivephotography

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes ... including you. ~ Anne Lamott

I think busyness has become an addiction. I learned years ago that being busy was admired, and it felt so good when someone asked how my day was going and I responded “Busy!” It made me feel important and needed. It’s taken years for me to learn that I am important and needed even when I’m not crazy busy multitasking and filling every waking moment working through a to-do list and tending to other’s needs. Once those habits are developed, it’s challenging to make changes that include solitude and quiet. Yet research tells us that doing so is in our best interests and actually helps us function more effectively and with less stress.

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The Longer The Better

2/26/2021

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Image Credit @koya79

If it doesn’t add to your life, it doesn’t belong to your life. ~ Paulo Coelho

I’m fascinated by telomeres. I first learned about them when I was doing research in preparation for leading a Mindfulness Meditation workshop. I was looking for the benefits of a mindfulness meditation practice and was surprised to discover there was research documenting the relationship between telomere length and psychosocial practices.

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The Beauty Of Fall

Messages From My Flowers

Look At The Bear

Unplugged

The Longer The Better

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