Health & wellbeing
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Make your bed
“When life feels like an emotional roller coaster, steady yourself with simple rituals. Make the bed. Water the plants. Rinse off your own bowl and spoon. Simplicity attracts calmness and wisdom.” ~Marc and Angel Chernoff, Marc and Angel Hack Life Everything feels like it’s in a state of chaos right now. While there’s not much we can do about national and international turmoil, it helps to create order out of disorder in our homes. The effort it takes to launder your bed linens, for instance, is rewarded when you pull back your fresh sheets and retire for the night. I used to think that being tidy was overrated by professional organizers —…
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An invitation
“A real conversation always contains an invitation. You are inviting another person to reveal herself or himself to you, to tell you who they are or what they want.” ~David Whyte I love the way poet David Whyte reminds us that “real conversation” invites an honest exchange between people. But thanks in part to social media platforms, we often talk at each other — mostly about ourselves and our own interests. Every real conversation is an opportunity to learn something new about another person. When was the last time you were invited to share something about yourself? And how often do you ask others how they’re doing … and pause…
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Group dynamics
“Find something that you are passionate about — and you’ll find a waiting kinship of people willing to unite for the cause.” ~Wes Adamson Whether you enjoy books, music, politics, knitting, or helping others, there’s a group of people out there who share your passion. And if you can’t find a group to join, start one yourself. Group energy is fuel for the soul. During the pandemic, most Americans spent too much time alone or in small family bubbles. While family can be good company, psychologists agree that spending time with folks outside your family circle helps broaden your perspective, improves your social skills, and is essential to your mental health.…
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Lessons of a skin cancer scar
“Scars can be a little ugly on the outside, but scars show that you’re a survivor, that you made it through something, and not only did you make it through, but now you’re stronger and wiser and more educated because of that tough time that you went through.” ~Kyle Carpenter Unprotected sunbathing was a common indiscretion for teenagers when I was growing up. Going for the burn, we’d spend endless summer days on the beach — happily oblivious to the fact that we’d pay a high price someday. We didn’t know that sun damage is cumulative, appearing much later in the form of saggy skin, wrinkles and, worse yet, skin…
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The gift of space
“The quality of your life has more to do with what you remove from your life than what you add to it. Give yourself the gift of space.” ~ Cheryl Richardson With summer approaching, my to-do list is growing longer by the day. Along with my annual gardening projects, there are road trips and day trips I’d like to take while the weather is warm. I want to spend a weekend away with our grandson. I want to invite friends over for barbecues and patio parties. I want to add more miles to my daily walks. And I want to do everything on my summer wish list without neglecting my…
