The hardest thing… A hard thing I witnessed as a counselor was clients beating themselves up for everything. Whether losing their temper with family, relapsing because of anxiety, or forgetting their medication, there was a natural urge to be self-critical. We can all probably relate on some level – no matter our path. But one […]
5 Simple Ways to Be Nicer to Yourself (Self-Compassion Matters) Read More »
As the (steering) wheel turns A young child sits in the back seat of a car, holding a frisbee. He pretends it’s a steering wheel. He turns it left. He turns it right. Every once in a while, his turn of the wheel coincides with the driver’s turn of the wheel, and voila! The illusion
3 Ways to Ditch Control and Unlock Freedom Read More »
A test of patience A while back, I had a question for a state agency. I kinda knew the answer already, but I wanted to be sure. After navigating menu after menu of voice prompts, I was put in the dreaded queue. The digital voice announced, “You are currently 45th in line.” I decided to hang
4 Simple Tips to Access Your Superpower of Patience Read More »
Breathing saved the day for me The year was 2004, and I was sitting on some really dirty steps behind a building at ASU. I wasn’t reviewing notes or having a snack. I was having a panic attack. Right before I had to teach. In that moment, I did the only thing I could do –
Panic to Peace: 4-7-8 Breathing Has Big Benefits Read More »
Starting new doesn’t mean starting over. Here are 3 steps to setting and achieving a new life goal.
3 Simple Steps to Start a New Life Path or Reach a New Goal (Without the Midlife Crisis) Read More »
My wife and I recently booked a trip with our kiddo – our first real trip in about six years. Just a few days. Really close to home. Not that big of a deal, right? We knew we wanted to go – needed to go – but something always stopped us. But not that day.
Spontaneity and Intuition: 4 Simple Steps to Make Decisions That Work for You Read More »
“I can’t meditate because my mind just wanders.” “Mindfulness doesn’t work for me! I can’t stop thinking about stuff and I get distracted!” As a former counselor and current coach, author, and speaker on mindfulness, I’ve heard so many reasons why people give up on mindfulness and meditation. Fortunately, the most common thing people believe
Mindfulness is a lot like golf. It’s simple in theory, but complex in practice. Consider this: Golf is about hitting a ball with a club into a hole. Easy, right? Well, I can tell you as someone who spent many years trying to do that, it’s anything but easy. Mindfulness means purposely focusing your attention
11 Simple Mindfulness Exercises to Elevate Your Mindful Journey Read More »
There’s a myth that mindfulness should be practiced on a schedule. Yes, it’s nice to set aside time for mindfulness, but did you know that any ordinary moment – including sitting with a coffee – can be the perfect time? What Is Mindfulness? The folks at Greater Good have a nice definition of mindfulness: “Mindfulness
Practice Mindfulness in Any “Ordinary” Moment: The Coffee Example Read More »
Writers after a personal insult: “One opinion can’t break me!” Writers after one less-than-stellar review: “I knew it! I’m pulling my book down. I’m done with writing. I’m a fraud. I’m deleting my works-in-progress and pulling down my blog. Goodbye writing world!” Does this sound familiar? If you’re a writer who’s put work into the
5 Ways for Writers to Deal with Negative Book Reviews Read More »