Today as I settle into day seven of my Spring Break Staycation I am drawn to write. I realize that it has taken me this long just to settle into a home vacation. Yes, while this is a decision to relax at home, and truthfully I can’t bring myself to spend money on another trip…
Category: Thoughts and Feelings
Sunrises And Snowflakes
I love early mornings. This time where I can sit without expectation. My thoughts this morning are of sunrises and snowflakes. I like that. These thoughts of extraordinary beauty in simple things. Sunrises. And snowflakes. S, xo
The Joy of Children
“Children are not things to be moulded, but people to be unfolded.” ~ Jess Lair This quote describes perfectly those moments during my day when I connect with a child and see them as the little person they are in their joys, struggles, hopes, and hurts while they find their way each day as they…
Every Day Life is Living. Happiness is Waiting in the Queue. Is This Me Getting Older?
We’ve heard from so many sources such as self-help books, meditation classes, mindfulness courses, motivational speakers, yoga classes and the like telling us that the right now, being in the present moment is living. No, I don’t mean you have to wait in line to be the next one to step up to the counter…
A Morning of Gratitude……Kuwait.
As the sun rises over the city, my mind slowly wakes up while watching it ascend, bringing with it the noise of the start of a busy day. Sipping the free in room instant coffee, I find myself in a thinking mood. I have today off because in America today is Thanksgiving. And here I…
It’s Official – I’m in Menopause! The Craziness IS Real!
When I returned from Canada, after six weeks of weekly Reiki treatments there, I felt refreshed, strong, resilient, confident. Ready for a great year ahead! After a month I started to feel tired. More tired than usual. My resilience faded. My confidence slowly diminished. My moods bottomed out. Some mornings it took everything I had…
Travels With Giggles the Joyful Grump!
Travel makes me look at myself in how I handle my moods, my behavior because I’m in so many new and different situations. Traveling has wonderful moments. But arriving at any given destination requires planning, organization, patience and a little luck because nothing NOTHING ever goes as planned. No matter how well organized I think…
Twelve-Step Meetings and the Twelve-Step Program -An Emotional and Spiritual Education in Becoming Fully Human
I find myself thinking about the rooms of AA. Many years ago I spent some time there, enough to earn my five year sobriety medallion. What always amazed me was the social contrast of those sitting there with me and the similarity of our pain. I was a naive young woman from a religious, upper-middle…
Why Is It So Difficult To See My Own Value? Because This World of Opinions and Comparisons Overwhelm Me. A World of Too Much.
I just can’t seem to consistently feel good, feel worthy, feel value about myself. What I’m about to say isn’t anything new. I’ve heard what I’m about to say so many times in so many different ways, but I see now that is really has gotten into my psyche. Everyday when I open my eyes…
Managing Anxiety and the Mind of Choice
It’s an odd thing, that moment when I realised at any given time I can make a choice to keep me safe and avoid anxiety. I’m not talking safe to avoid anxiety as in deciding not to walk, alone, through a dangerous neighbourhood at 2:00am, safe. I talking about that inner feeling of safety because I’ve…
Managing Anxiety -The Space of No Mind
I’ve been managing anxiety, with bouts of depression, since my late teens. I’ve had many years of talk therapy, had good years and difficult years, been on and off the merry-go-round of medications; and am presently off of all medications with a decision to stay this way. This is not an ‘I advocate anti-medication stance’ statement. Medications helped me…
Thinking About Intelligence
I’ve taken an honest look at my thoughts, my self-talk. I’ve thought deeply about self-acceptance. Accepting who I am and all the personality traits, habits and quirks that make me, me. My next line of self-analyses has evolved into thinking about intelligence. This evolved naturally because I work at a school with an enhanced curriculum. My…
Letting Go of Ghosts While Stepping Fully Into Who I Authentically Am.
Remember that light bulb moment I blogged about when my brain short circuited in the kitchen telling me that my thinking and what I tell myself about myself, not a person, place or thing outside of myself will save me from sinking while trying to adapt to all the changes in my life of moving to the Middle East? Well…..since that…
What Does it Mean to Me to be Canadian?
I’ve blogged what it feels to be a part of the patriotic feel working at an American school. Today, while soaking in a hot bubble bath (one of my favourite thinking places!!) I started thinking American pride and patriotism that led me to think about what does it mean to me to be a Canadian? I have…
5 Months & the ABSOLUTE POWER of Self-Talk!
I’ve spent my entire adult life changing. Changing masks. Masks are those invisible people-pleasing behaviours that allowed me to try and always do the right thing to please others. The masks have the same purpose – to please/fit in/to be accepted and liked – and what mask I wear changes for the people I’m around so I can…
