It’s funny how sometimes the things you’d least expect to bring back childhood memories are exactly the kinds of things that do. I’m not a big soccer fan these days, but you’d have to live under a rock to not be aware that the World Cup is happening in Brazil right now. And as the US team is getting ready for its second game of the tournament today, I found myself traveling down my own personal soccer memory lane.Continue Reading

We live in a crazy busy world, and without finding ways to counteract the stress caused by the fast pace of life and constant stimulation coming at us from everywhere, we end up stressed, depressed and anxious. For me, one of the best ways to decompress is seeking and enjoying solitude.

Solitude is not the same as loneliness. Even though they look alike from the outside, there’s a big difference between solitude, which is a positive state of being alone with yourself. Loneliness, on the other hand, is defined by a sense of isolation and a feeling that something is missing. Loneliness is about lack, solitude about feeling whole.Continue Reading

Connecting with our spiritual core is an important part of conscious living. We all have different ways of doing this, and there isn’t any one single method that is more valuable than another. For some, it may be through structured religious observations, often shared in the community of a church or other spiritual gathering. For others, this connection may happen during meditation. Others still may connect with spirit in nature. Watching a beautiful sunset or sunrise, walking in a deep green forest, or hiking in a striking desert landscape – all of these can help open a portal for a connection to something greater than ourselves.Continue Reading

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. ~The Dalai Lama

Kindness is defined as “the quality of being friendly, generous and compassionate.” It’s a quality that I look for in almost every person I form any kind of relationship with – it matters that much to me. Kindness to cats, and all animals, is the most important to me, but kindness to other human beings is a close second. One of my pet peeves: people who are unkind to waiters or other service personnel.

Research suggests that positive emotions help contribute to better physical and emotional health. And kindness shouldn’t just extend to others, it should also be directed at yourself. Continue Reading

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong.
The amount of work is the same. – Francesca Reigler

I usually offer tips and suggestions on how to live a happier life in this column, but sometimes, there is value in identifying what makes us miserable. Awareness is the first important step toward making lasting change, and becoming aware of self-sabotaging habits that get in the way of living our best life can help clear out negative mindsets.

It helps to understand that unhappiness is never the result of external circumstances, but rather, the way we react to those circumstances. Wayne Dyer had it right Continue Reading

How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterwards. – Spanish Proverb

Sundays are for resting, and taking a break. And sometimes, the best way to spend a Sunday is to do absolutely nothing.

We live in such crazy busy times that stress has become the norm for most people, and because of that, most of us don’t even realize how stressed we are until we allow ourselves to slow down. It’s well known that the more stressed we are, the more damage we do not just to our mental health, but also to our bodies. Continue Reading

And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time. – Libba Bray

I love my life. I’m blessed with my two beautiful girls, Allegra and Ruby. I get to do work I love every single day. I have wonderful friends. I have a safe, warm home. And yet, as we got another foot of snow on Monday, I started to think about making some big changes. Namely, moving to a warmer climate where I will never have to shovel snow again.

I’ve lived in the same house for the last 30 years, so for me to even start to think about moving is a big deal. I have a love/hate relationship with change.Continue Reading

In much of the United States, today marks the arrival of Daylight Savings Time. I’m not a huge fan of the time change. I’m an early bird, and I prefer it to be light when I get up in the morning. Mostly, I just wish they’d stop switching back and forth, which makes absolutely no sense to me. And I can guarantee you it doesn’t make sense to cats. They may like the “spring forward” change – breakfast an hour early! – but I’m pretty sure they’re not crazy about delayed meal times when we fall back in November.

But the one really great thing about Daylight Savings Time is that it means spring must be right around the corner. And after this seemingly never ending winter, it can’t come soon enough.Continue Reading

‘Tis the season. Many of us are working on our taxes, which, depending on your record keeping system, can be a delight for your feline assistants. After all, what’s more fun than diving into a shoebox full of receipts and watching them fly all over the place?

I spoil the fun for Allegra and Ruby by not using a shoebox system. My bookkeeping software, along with a pretty well organized file system, makes tax time about as painless as it can get, but every year, there’s still that moment, when I see my CPA’s number on the caller id, when I have to take a deep breath and brace myself for the bottom line. I have been blessed with a steadily growing business, which, of course, means that every year, I pay a little bit more in taxes.Continue Reading

Weather seems to be the dominant topic of many conversations these days, especially during this seemingly never-ending winter. I think it’s because weather is a unifying force. Love or hate the weather of the day, we all have to deal with it. Sharing weather stories is a great ice breaker (I know, bad pun.) And while different folks have different weather preferences, weather isn’t nearly as polarizing a topic as so many others, although I will admit to being tempted to hide some of my snow loving friends’ status updates from my Facebook newsfeed in recent days….

Weather, especially the recent stretch of severe winter weather in so many parts of the US, also teaches us a few things about lifeContinue Reading