Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Personal Development”
“Oh, you’re my best friend…” The lyrics of that song by Queen have been running through my mind lately. Which is a much better choice than what usually cycles and recycles through my monkey mind at times. I heard the song a few days ago, and it caused me to ponder: what if we truly were a best friend to …
Late spring is the time of graduation ceremonies. A time when people come together to acknowledge an important rite of passage. Moving across a platform to signify saying goodbye to one stage of life and hello to another. I like these ceremonies because they typically have speakers who offer sage advice and/or worthwhile questions to ponder. I happened across the …
“Why is change so hard?!” This plaintive statement I’ve heard from clients (and muttered myself once or twice with added emphasis). Change is difficult because of two very important “laws” of nature. One from the world of physics and another from neuroscience. If you don’t remember Newton’s first law of motion, it’s okay. To paraphrase Newton, an object endeavors to …
We spend our days, walking on the beach, lazing about, reading, watching and listening to the ocean, snorkeling, and relaxing. Our one and only goal is to completely relax and enjoy our time together. One morning we take a new direction on our walk. We strolled past ancient fishing ponds and through an area filled with washed up pieces of …
Sitting side by side, breathing re-cycled air, traveling at 35,000 feet, we are beginning to nod off. We got up at 2:30 that morning to catch a dawn-o’clock flight. The noise cancelling earphones are dulling the sound of the engines. The video I selected for us has begun, and within minutes we both fall asleep. This is not a statement about the …
I was on a padded table, head on a pillow, a cushion beneath my knees. Soothing music played in the background, and the lights were dim. The woman with smiling eyes began by lifting my ankles and holding them gently. After a few moments she moved up to my spine, placing her hands underneath my backbone, making very subtle movements. …
Have you ever thought about how many people search for happiness or question if they will “ever be happy (again)?” Searching for happiness is like searching for the Holy Grail. No doubt you remember the legend of the Holy Grail. Thought to be the source of mystical power, the symbol of the Grail as an object of search began in …
A friend sent me a note last week in which she mentioned that she had put up a few holiday lights to “ward off the dark” at this time of year. That got me thinking about the winter months and how we react to the shorter days and the darker nights. I continue to be startled by how quickly it …
Last week I wrote about how easy it was to meditate in the temples and gardens of Bhutan and Nepal, and how challenging it was to maintain a practice at home with all the distractions and triggers. Creating change in our behavior is difficult at best and nearly impossible if we aren’t aware of the environment and its impact. You …
What makes you laugh? Is it a joke about a man who walks into a bar, a knock-knock joke, an unexpected occurrence or a prat-fall? Psychologists tells us that laughter serves as a type of super glue in that it helps keep us connected. Laughter is universal, but humor is culturally specific. Laughter is a natural behavior of humans and some …
