Self-Awareness 101 — You are not your thoughts

"I think, therefore I am!" Descartes' quote was great in its time, but I think it overshadows a larger reality. Most of us spend our time fully in our brains. We remind ourselves of what we need to do, the on-going "To Do" lists. We rehash conversations, worry about our futures, count calories, rewrite the …

Moments

Our life is composed of moments. We like to dream about wonderful things like unfathomable riches, or a great vacation, getting that ring or promotion, but the truth is, we are living right now. So, how do you feel right now? It is not too much of a leap to guess that you are warm, …

What if We Chose to Be Here?

It seemed like a simple question, but the more I pondered it the more I recognized it was rewriting how I told my story. For years, I've said, "I think I chose to be here" and in a recent conversation with a friend, I turned it around and said, "What if we all chose to …

Spring a Reminder of Change

Today is the quintessential first day of spring. Not the calendar month or the day with the highest temperature, the first day of the season. It is no longer winter. There may yet be snow but the snow that is here is melting. There is a slow rhythm of the drips as winter washes away. …

Can Stress Be Good For You?

As our understanding of how stressful our lives have become expands, more and more people are talking about meditation, leisure, slowing down and living in the moment. It is generally believed stress can hurt you and you should take every opportunity to reduce it in your life. In a very two-dimensional way, this seems obvious. …

The Perfume Radical

It turns out that nail polish may not have been my gateway makeup. I realized recently that I have worn perfume for a very long time. I feel undressed without it. I love the aroma surrounding me. I know others enjoy it because I often receive comments about how nice it smells. This simple accoutrement …

Winning the Game of Life

There was a poster demonstration for the summer students that stayed on campus to do research this summer. While attending the session two things became obvious. First, science has moved along so far, so fast, that I am way out of date. The second thing that I noticed is that I'm on the "other side" …

Some Like it Hot

Is it Hot Enough For You? Do you remember shovelling snow, hating the slippery roads, wearing layers upon layers and still being cold? This heat wave is the weather that we were all looking forward to as we stepped into deep water secretly hidden under a thin layer of ice, soaking us through to our …

Focus on the Here and Now

Live for the moment, or plan for the future? Some moments are obvious. You are sitting on a lounge chair next to the ocean -- enjoy. This is not the time to be wondering if you paid the gas bill or planning your garage sale. It is a time to be fully present, to feel …

WordPress

I'm sitting on the deck trying out my new WordPress app, texting my daughter and enjoying the spring morning. I am in the process of changing the location and formatting of my new Webpage. My current configuration does not allow me to work on my page unless I'm at my desk, which would mean a …