PAST Ponderings

It has been eventful this past week. We’ve been inundated with a series of cautions about our health, resources, and social practices. If you allow all the information in it can truly saturate you with a bundle of stressors.

Now, I can probably rattle off a list of a variety of stress reducers to try and probably will in the coming weeks, but I think the most important and grounding exercise…

Life happens in moments. It feels special when you’re actually in the moment that you realize that you’re making a memory that’s going to stick with you. Maybe it’s that moment that you realize how much you love someone or maybe you’ve been fortunate enough to capture that overwhelming moment of stillness when you know you’re experiencing something beautiful like a sunrise, sunset, an unguarded…

It’s been a rough few days. My dad passed away 3 days ago. But really parts of him have been leaving us over the past several years. My dad had vascular dementia.

If you’re not familiar with this disease, it’s not just an individual’s disease, it’s a disease that impacts loved ones as well. If you can imagine experiencing a series of natural disasters with each one being a bit more devastating…

Anger is not a Monster

Sometimes, angry materializes out of nowhere,  like this invisible Monster trying to attack you. When anger overwhelms, you may feel you have to try to push this anger away before you are marked as prey to this negative emotion.

You might have grown up hearing that anger is a bad feeling. Anger is shameful. It’s not good to be angry. Anger is a monster. But, anger is not a monster. It can…

Our brains are lazy. The brain is not wired for happiness. It is wired for protection. So those things that are “wrong” in our environment, our brain will pay more attention to and relate it to an already existing pattern because our brain doesn’t want to do new things. It wants to do familiar things.

But, what if your familiar things in childhood or previous experiences in other situations…

Self-care is such a misunderstood term. It’s not just about getting a manicure, haircut, and/or working out. Those activities are great, but truly caring for yourself also requires paying attention to your emotional care. If we don’t recognize when we are out of balance with our emotional self-care, we’ll have trouble regulating or shape your emotional response to align to our values and…

Did you have a rough weekend? Are you struggling with feeling emotionally overwhelmed in situations? Or maybe you just wish you’d stop committing yourself to activities or events that you don’t enjoy? How about you stop doing that?

Sounds simple enough, right? But, you’d be surprised how often we are not mindful of our own habits or how often we might passively “go with the flow” and find…

Unpacking Your Relationship Baggage

I hate to break it to you, but if you have a series of break-ups or relationships that maybe end with the phrase, “It’s not you, it’s me,” maybe it’s time to consider, maybe it is actually you. If your relationships keep “effing up,” maybe it’s time to take a look at the baggage that you are unpacking, packing, and hauling around with you from relationship to relationship.

Here’s a list of a few…

Did you know our minds consistently seek patterns? When we find one visually pleasing enough, it relaxes us. So, all those formative years I spent lining up my M&Ms and Gummy Bears by color was a legit practice in relaxation. Go figure.

Actually, one of the best ways to de-clutter your mind and reduce stress is to find those repeating patterns in nature. Those patterns are actually called “Fract…

 As you can tell from the photo, I tend to have a bit of a control issue. Ahh, If only I could harness the sun’s power … but, in reality. Ick! Who wants that type of responsibility? Mo’ power, mo’ problems. Am I right? Been there done that. Wasn’t happy with it. 

However, if I find myself in a moment when I am having a control issue, it’s usually because  I begin to focus on what I can’t control.…

How'd you treat the most important relationship this Valentine's Day?

 “We accept the love we think we deserve.” – Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

 I am writing this to the person I rely on the most. You are the person that guides my decisions, weighs my options, keeps me grounded, and ensures I have everything I need to be successful. That can be a lot of responsibility, but I know you are strong. When you feel weak, you know you have a spirit in…

How do you Find Your Funk?

  So, as I mentioned back in December in Surviving the Holidays, some days can be tough. You could probably google oodles of suggestions on what to do when coping with tough days and you’d get some sound advice. Heck, I even have listed a few in previous blogs. Suggestions like journaling, meditating, staying busy with distractions, or spending time with loved ones, etc. etc. But, what if none…

For some of us, the holidays can be the most dreaded or difficult days of the year. Whether it be dealing with difficult relatives, remembering a bunch of unpleasant experiences in your past, coping with the present, or feeling the absence of someone you love; Christmas is anything but the most wonderful time of the year.

This time of the year is not about joy, laughter, and love. The delivered…

The spork catches a lot of criticism. Dubbed as the “Frankenstein’s Monster” of the utensil world, it’s only crime is trying to be everything to everyone. As the spork would probably attest, those efforts are often met with disappointment.  

As hard as you try, you can’t be everything to everyone. Stop trying. Eventually you end up falling short either for them or for yourself. These moments can…

Believing in Your Worth

You are the one constant throughout your life. Underneath everything you have experienced, there is a formible force inside you full of strength, beauty, energy, and value. You were not built to be full of regret, guilt, and weaknesses. Don’t use your mistakes as building blocks to who you are, but stepping stones to what you can become and where you want to go. If your heart is beating, you are…