Every day I tell clients to take care of themselves first. I show them different tools to relax, recharge, and center themselves. I explain how we are no good to others if we have not first taken care of ourselves. But I haven’t seemed to have followed my own instructions.
All too often we move through life not being aware that we have a choice in what that life looks like. We go through our days doing what our parents did, what are friends are doing, what we perceive society expects from us, or just accepting what comes our way.
“We must never be afraid to go too far, for success lies just beyond.” – Marcel Proust, French novelist
It is only fair that if I tell my clients to take risks that I take them too. What is interesting however, what may seem like a huge career, relationship, or financial risk, may actually be the right, safe, and appropriate path for us to take.
Learning to adapt to change in our lives through lessons from Chicago weather.
The camera panned to Lindsey Vonn who had her eyes closed and her head and shoulders moving slightly. She was running the course in her mind. She was practicing her moves mentally because she could not practice physically. Studies show that muscles could be strengthened, just by thinking about it. This research suggests the increase in muscle strength was due to increasing the brain’s ability to signal the muscles. Perhaps Lindsey was stronger on the course because she had increased the functionality between her brain and her muscles. Mental preparation can aid the learning of physical skills without having to experience extensive physical practice.l
My husband thinks I am a dork. Most Friday nights around 8:55pm CST, I cry. I cry tears of joy. I cry tears of love. I cry tears of recognition and pride. I cry tears of beauty – inside and out. I cry because I am watching TLC’s What Not to Wear. It is one […]
Learn how to keep anxiety and stress from piling up on you.
How a simple game of bowling on Wii became an eye-opening way to approach other issues in life.
This was to be the schedule for the next ten days. Every day eleven hours of meditation with light and sound deprivation, six hours of sleep, light food consumption, noble silence, zero physical contact, and limited physical exercise (walking to and from the different buildings was the only activity allowed). I was up to the challenge, or so I thought.
I know I would spend hours with the Sears Christmas catalog, scanning every page, imagining what it would be like to have this toy, that doll, or the latest board game. (Collectible horses were my favorite.) Then I would carefully write my list and post it on the refrigerator for all to see – and for Santa to fulfill.
When was the last time we took the same effort to determine and ask for what we want in our life? You know, really looking at all the options out there, reviewing each one, mentally trying each one on for size, and then writing a wish list of how we desire to live. My guess is that many of us do not take the time. But what happened when we were young and responded, ” I don’t know” to Aunt Sally’s question of what we wanted? That year’s gifts were tube socks, pajamas, and a well-meaning but misguided gift.