Needing to Pause

Last week, I flew up to Seattle with my husband to visit his dying father. He needed only to ask and I went with him. After going through the deaths of my own parents twenty years ago, I understand the importance of pausing, for showing up and being present. Accepting What Is Unfortunately, we did […]

Getting Unstuck

Getting unstuck and moving forward with our goals can often seem daunting. There are many sticky things that bind us. There are our routines and habits, the needs of our loved ones, unexpected crises, losses and grief, approaching deadlines, and the daily demands of life and making a living.   There are times throughout the […]

Mission of the Heart

Mission come from the Latin word missionem which means “to send.” We come into this life with a mission — to fulfill our purpose, to share our unique gifts. Many people are confused about what their true mission is. It is actually very simple: Your mission is to share who you truly are! Be yourself! Being […]

Emotions Need to Move

The word motion is contained in the word Emotion. Emotions move us and our emotions move others. Sometimes they draw us together, sometimes they push us apart. It is good to know our emotions. They teach us about ourselves — our wants, our needs, our desires. Sometimes they feel great, other times they are so […]

Finding Meaning and Purpose

Humans need meaning and purpose. In addition to the needs we share with other animals — oxygen, water, food and shelter,  and the needs we share with other social animals — connection, community, and affection (see my blog, Why We Need Community to Thrive), humans need meaning and purpose. We need to understand why we […]

Why We Need Community To Thrive

Human beings are social animals. Community is the biological plan of our species. We need others to survive. This need for social connection and bonding continues throughout our lives. Community has a powerful influence over the way we think, behave and feel about our selves and those around us. This is particularly true when we […]

What is Your Legacy?

We mostly think of legacy in terms of the money or property we might pass on to our survivors. It is actually anything transmitted or received from us including intangibles like values, beliefs, or attitudes. Often the intangible legacies are more valuable than money or property because they can guide one’s life. My mother, for […]

Avoiding the Whirlwind of Regret

The #1 regret of the dying  is not living a life true to one’s self, but instead living the life others expected of you. The 2nd regret is working too hard. Living without regret means: Attending to your own needs before helping others — like the oxygen mask on an airplane. Learning to moderate you […]

Love and Other Antidotes to Fear

According to the Beatles, All You Need Is Love to conquer fear. It’s true. Love makes everything possible except fear. The two emotions are incompatible. In the Beatles’ movie, The Yellow Submarine, the Blue Meanies are vanquished by love. We are all familiar with the blue meanies. They are the thoughts that leave us feeling […]

Chasing Away the Lost Love Blues

Valentine’s Day, with its focus on romantic love, can be challenging for those who have lost partners or other dear ones. Even when there is no special memory associated with the day, the promotional hype of the media can worm its way into one’s consciousness and intensify feelings of loss. Below are my 2 best […]