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September and transitions
“It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.” – William Bridges September is a month of transitions. A new school year begins; summer activities wind down. As the light changes and temperatures drop, we prepare our homes and gardens for winter. We begin to stock the pantry with everything we need for cool-weather comfort recipes. In one of my workshops, a woman remarked about the bittersweet aspects of autumn. She feels a little sad when fall comes, she said, despite the colorful beauty of the season. I knew exactly what she meant. A reminder of our own aging, late September prepares us for the changes…
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A no-regrets guide to caregiving
“There are only four kinds of people in the world: Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” ~Rosalyn Carter As our loved ones age — and as we age — caregiving becomes a reality we must face, one way or another. I learned during the first year of my widowed mother’s illness that caregiving duties can take a toll on you, especially if you’re not prepared. Written in retrospect, my “No-regrets Guide to Caregiving” appears this week online in The Oakland Press, and in the September print issue of Vitality. You can read it here.…
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How Karma works
“We awaken in others the same attitude of mind we hold toward them.” ~Elbert Hubbard We’ve all met people we don’t like. Sometimes our dislike stems from a series of hurtful, negative experiences. And other times it simply boils down to bad chemistry or a personality clash. In any event, people usually “sense” when we don’t care for them — even when we try to pretend otherwise. Not surprisingly, those feelings are reciprocated, and the distance between us grows. On the other hand, if we have positive, loving feelings toward someone, they’ll feel the love too. Consider the folks whose affection for you is enthusiastic and unconditional — the ones…
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Funny Friday: On being disappointed
“He had the look of one who had drunk the cup of life and found a dead beetle at the bottom.” ~P.G. Wodehouse I’m sure you’ve heard the old expression, “He wears his heart on his sleeve,” in reference to a person whose emotions are easy to read. Along those lines, today’s quip from P.G. Wodehouse has a wry twist. Have you ever met anyone who looks chronically disappointed?
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The nature of suffering
“We suffer more in imagination than in reality” ~Seneca Influenced by the work of Plato and Socrates, the Stoic philosopher Seneca believed that everyone should live in the present without feeling anxious about the future. Many emotional difficulties are self-imposed, Seneca suggested. His quote today reminded me that I often worry needlessly about the future — not to mention a list of other things beyond my control. I’m not alone. Everyone has worries that loom larger in their minds than is necessary. And we’ve all met some folks who’ve practically made a career out of physical or emotional suffering. But imagine instead what would happen if we didn’t dwell on…
