Let Go to Fill Up This Holiday!

The Grinch

Holidays bring more of everything—more parties, shopping, food, drink, and expectations. We don’t actually need more to fill us up. With more time,we would probably just add more activity. More money doesn’t fill us up either, because once we have our basic needs met, more does not bring peace and joy. And contrary to TV…

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What Are You Waiting For?

I chose to go on a 5 Day Silent Retreat because I was curious, craving quiet time and space, and had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into! It was more amazing and difficult than I could have possibly imagined, and the silence was the least of it. The real challenge was being…

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7 Acts of Loving-Kindness

I chose compassion, an intention from Your Mindful Year for my personal theme last month, knowing I would be challenged with a full traveling schedule. Compassion is practicing loving-kindness toward ourselves and others. Because what we focus on expands, while my intention was to treat myself kindly, I was unexpectedly showered with loving kindness from…

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What is Your Stress Behavior?

Wolf howling

Last month we took our grandchildren to see wolves in Estes Park, Colorado. Wolfwood Refuge provides a safe haven for abused and sick wolves and wolf dogs. These animals are not bred or adopted, but rehabilitated with the best physical, mental, social, and psychological environment to live in captivity. Our granddaughters, (3 and 5), enthusiastically…

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What Frustrates You?

In celebration of our ninth anniversary, Neil and I decided to attend a weekend workshop for couples to enrich our relationship. Actually, I caught Neil at a weak moment when he agreed to go and said later, “I can’t wait to talk about my feelings for 2 ½ days”. The workshop was led by Ben…

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What Are You Pretending Not to Know?

Pretending not to know

I consider myself an intuitive, right-brained, big picture person, not so great at details, who has a handle on things, mostly. Last month I had the opportunity to experience three different situations where I was pretending not to know. Maybe these will help if you are pretending too. In reviewing our finances, (my f-word) I…

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Take a Mindfulness Challenge and a Vacation!

When I lived in Estes Park a few years ago, a beautiful mountain resort town in Colorado, it felt like everyone I came in contact with was on vacation. And with 100,000 summer visitors compared to 10,000 year-round residents, they usually were! But even living in Denver now, it can still feel that way. I…

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Top Ten Ways to Create Overwhelm

Before I started my painting project, I had no idea Sherwin Williams alone boasts having over 15,000 colors “for every mood, space and project“. And it doesn’t end with just one color because there is the ceiling and the trim and the woodwork and the shelving and the fireplace and the accent wall and the…

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Breathing Space to Lead

I was honored to be a part of the VHAtv Nursing Leadership Series a couple of months ago to discuss how mindfulness can help us be better leaders. As it turns out, the traits that contribute to excellence in leadership are the same qualities cultivated with mindfulness. They include: – Presence – Focus and creating…

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The Courage to Feel

With the recent loss of our dog, my mom, and my partner Neil’s mom, I have had the opportunity to experience some pretty intense feelings which can be overwhelming, uncomfortable, and unpredictable. They consume you in an instant, without warning, like when I wait in line at the grocery store, walk through my front door…

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