Personal growth
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Small steps vs big leaps
“The smaller the steps we take, the more likely we are to achieve our goals.” ~Martha Beck Starting anything new can be overwhelming, whether you’re launching a new business, cleaning up your diet, trying to lose weight, or writing the story of your life. It’s hard to maintain the discipline and optimism that are required to make changes. As Martha Beck reminds us, small steps are better than big leaps toward progress. If you’re cleaning up your eating habits, for instance, start with just a few healthy changes you can stick with. If you’re learning a new language, master a few words or phrases at a time. If you’re writing…
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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out or pare down — whether we’re inclined to overpack our suitcases when we travel or stuff our bedroom closets with outdated clothing.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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Gold stars
“Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to give myself a gold star for being ordinary, and maybe one of these days I’ll give myself a gold star for being extraordinary — for persisting. And maybe one day I won’t need to have a star at all.” ~Sue Bender, Plain and Simple Stars are shining everywhere this time of year. In our early grade school years, teachers rewarded our best efforts with gold star-shaped stickers. Remember the delicious rush of achievement you felt every time your test came back with a bright gold star at the top? No matter how old we are, most of us still strive for…
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Get out of jail free
“Why do you stay in prison, when the door is so wide open?” ~Rumi, Sufi poet Sometimes we create our own obstacles. We might cling to old myths and stories, or make assumptions that aren’t based on fact. Or we might box ourselves into constrictive roles and categories — while doing the same to others. As Rumi reminds us, we have the power to move past the limits we’ve imagined. We can escape the prisons of our own making. How often do you trick yourself into thinking you don’t have the ability to achieve a particular goal? How often do you make false assumptions about yourself and others? How often…
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Reasons to love winter
“What’s the secret to beating back the metaphorical darkness? Accept the inevitable, tend to your physical and mental health, and stack the deck with feel-good activities. Focusing on all that makes you feel great will make the time fly by – and let you win at winter.” ~Frank Lipman, MD There’s a light dusting of snow outside my window this morning. While I hate driving on snowy roads, I try to adapt when Mother Nature gives us the cold shoulder. There’s science to prove that spending time in cold weather slows the aging process and benefits our health in several ways. Being outdoors in cold temperatures “is showing promise as…
