Health & wellbeing
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New year, old baggage to unpack
“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears.” ~Cesare Pavese Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your holidays. A slightly different version of this column ran previously in The Oakland Press.… Traveling Light in the New Year By the time we reach our wisdom years, most of us have accumulated way too much stuff. We need to weed out or pare down — whether we’re inclined to overpack our suitcases when we travel or stuff our bedroom closets with outdated clothing. It also occurs to me that I’ve been dragging around a trunk-load of pet…
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The magic of “Three Good Things”
“Being a born optimist is not required – this is a habit you can acquire. A simple way to get started is to begin the ‘Three Good Things’ intervention: Each day for at least one week, write down three things that went well that day, and the reasons why.” ~Andrew Weil, MD Are you suffering from the post-holiday-letdown blues? Or feeling nervous about what’s ahead in the new year? Today is January 3rd, so it’s the perfect time to revisit Dr. Andrew Weil’s “Three Good Things” prescription, which promises to increase levels of happiness for a full six months. I’ve used this exercise in my journaling workshops, and students who…
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The theory of generosity
“You can get everything in life you want — if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” ~Zig Ziglar Everyone talks about the spirit of generosity during the holiday season. The phrase “paying it forward” — giving to someone without expecting something in return — is practically a cliche now. But I’ve discovered over the years that whenever I’m kind or generous to others, my life magically improves, too. Of course, it’s harder to be generous with our resources, time, or abilities if we don’t believe we have enough to share. Frugality is necessary for survival, at times, but stinginess grows from a “shortage mentality” —…
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A quiet winter walk
“If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.” ~Raymond Inmon Hippocrates believed that walking is the “best medicine,” and those of us who make it a daily habit know there’s some truth in his prescription. After adopting Coco, Doug and I started walking nearly every day, even in wintery weather. Coco loves nothing more than a long stroll outdoors, and for the past several years we’ve been motivated by her enthusiasm. Now in recovery after she was hit by a car, Coco is banned from her walks for another five weeks — so Doug and I have to…
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The gift of quiet time
“There’s no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.” ~Alexander Woollcott The month of December includes several family birthdays and holiday events, so most days on our calendar are typically marked with things to do. But our dog Coco was hit by a car before Thanksgiving, so this season has been different. To ensure Coco’s recovery, we’ve had to cancel a few plans, stick close to home, and keep our outings short. It might seem anti-social (or boring) to some, but I love seeing blank spaces on my calendar. It’s not that I don’t look forward to gathering with family and friends. But I have to admit that…
