What is a Paint and Sip - an Introduction… A paint and sip is a social event where participants create a painting while enjoying a beverage, often wine. It combines art and socializing, making it a fun, casual way to explore painting, even for beginners. These events are typically led by an instructor who guides the group step-by-step through the process of creating a specific piece of artwork. Paint and sip events are often held at art studios, restaurants, or private venues, and they usually provide all necessary materials, such as canvases, brushes, paints, and aprons.The "sip" part usually refers to...

What is the International Day of Peace? The International Day of Peace, observed annually on September 21, is a day dedicated to promoting peace among nations and people worldwide. Established by the United Nations in 1981, it originally focused on commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among nations and peoples. In 2001, the UN General Assembly designated the day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.The day serves as a reminder of the importance of working towards a world free of conflict, encouraging individuals, organizations, and governments to engage in activities that promote peace. Events often include...

What is an Accountability Group? I always like to start out with clarifying definitions so we can all start on the same page and so I thought I should offer my definition so you understand where I am coming from and hopefully our definitions align for a good starting point.An accountability group is a group of individuals who support each other in achieving their goals by providing encouragement, feedback, and accountability. Members regularly share their progress, challenges, and successes, helping each other stay on track and remain motivated.These groups can be informal gatherings of friends or formalized groups organized around specific...

Why do great leaders work to build community? Maybe I kick things off with "beloved communities" which are ideas praised by some of my heroes - Martin Luther King, Jr and Thich Nhat Hanh. Here is a TED Talk by Doug Shipman - The secret to creating the beloved community.https://youtu.be/cP5PAul3H4E?si=dTOWKrUbE8fzcWjiIf you know me well you may know I am a big fan of community and community building. Some of my heroes are known for building community as part of their bigger mission.  Martin Luther King Jr was passionate about building a Beloved Community and Thich Nhat Hanh spent most of his life...

Let's talk about the benefits of Arts & Crafts Tapping into artistic passions can be incredibly beneficial for overall well-being and quality of life. Here's an overview of how engaging in art, whether it's painting, ceramics, crafts, or any other form of creative expression, can positively impact your life: Stress Reduction: Engaging in artistic activities has been shown to reduce stress levels. When you're immersed in the creative process, your mind tends to focus on the task at hand, diverting attention away from stressful thoughts. This meditative quality can lead to a sense of relaxation and calm. Expression of Emotions: Art provides a non-verbal outlet...

What does authentic living mean? We don’t always show up to the world as our true selves, and our mental and emotional health suffers as a result. If everything about your life is good on paper, but you can’t get past the feelings of emptiness, unhappiness, or isolation, it is time to embrace authentic living.Authenticity is the ability to stay true to yourself and realign your habits and thoughts with your core values and passions. An authentic person acknowledges their feelings, expresses their opinions in healthy ways, doesn’t succumb to societal expectations of who they should be, and pursues their truest...

What are "Forgive Yourself Quotes"? Making mistakes is human. However, you may struggle to process guilt from your errors or forgive yourself for past mistakes. However, self-forgiveness is an incredible healing tool that leads to a happier and more fulfilling life. What is Forgiveness - Oprah's Aha! Moment Let's quickly start with the basics and wrap our heads around "forgiveness". As you watch this Qprah video pay attention to how the definition is about forgiving someone else and then take a moment to reflect on how this could be applied to forgiving yourself."Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could be...

What does it mean to be strong and courageous? What does it mean to lead with courage? When we think of leaders, we might be tempted to think of courageous and heroic figures. The leader is the person at the vanguard of the army, leading the charge and taking the brunt of any enemy attacks. That’s what it means to be a leader in comic books and films after all!Of course, this is not the reality for most of us. Most people will be volunteers, managers and parents, where there is very little gunfire or charging. As a matter of fact,...

Have you ever pondered how successful people think? What motivates them? And how can you apply their thinking or actions to your own life for greater success? Well, prepare your mind for action. First of all, let’s briefly define success: The media-driven narrative is of a beautiful woman or handsome man driving a luxurious car and adorned with expensive clothes, maybe standing in front of their mansion with a big pool and hanging out with other beautiful people. Well, that’s not really success. If anything, those kinds of people are either wealthy from inheritance or maybe a little vapid and shallow trying to project success. Success...

Have you ever heard of or tried Walking Meditation? If you are new to meditation, you may not have ever heard of walking meditation. For me, I meditated for about 6 or 7 years before I ever heard or tried a walking meditation.When you think about meditation, you may automatically picture yourself sitting down, but meditating while walking is another useful option.What I have found is walking meditation is a great way to add a physical activity to your meditation practice.I was introduced to walking meditation via my local Sangha (a Buddhist meditation community). For the first 3 years I only...

I've recently been thinking a lot about what it might take to create an at home retreat. Have you ever thought about this and sought out how to build a "retreat home space" to pull an at home retreat off? On April 12th, 2023, two weeks ago, I went to my first in person meditation retreat for 5 days. It was a wonderful and truly enlightening experience that took me to some new places in both my spiritual journey but also so much deeper in my mindfulness practice. It totally fed my soul and tapped into a joy and calm that is...

Say Goodnight to Your Sleep Problems: Let's Discuss The Power of Sleep Meditation Sleep problems are more common than you may realize. It's estimated that around 30% of adults suffer from sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and sleep deprivation. Furthermore, sleep disturbances affect an additional 40% of the population at some point in their lives.  These sleep issues can lead to chronic fatigue and have a significant impact on your quality of life. In addition to causing daytime drowsiness, poor sleep increases your risk for depression, cognitive impairment, irritability, and even physical injury due to sleep-deprived activities like driving. We...

If you are like me you are new to Neurotherapy, but if you're a curious life-long learner, keep reading! Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your thoughts and emotions? If so, Neurotherapy may be something interesting to explore. I am curious about all strategies and practices for one to live their best life. Neurotherapy although new to me looks pretty intriguing. Neurotherapy is a type of therapy that helps people regulate their thoughts and emotions. It can be an effective treatment for conditions like anxiety, ADHD, and depression. If ya know my back story, you know I've dealt with a deep dark depression a decade...

What are Mindful Workouts? If you practice mindfulness you may know that eventually it starts flowing in to all areas of your life - even your workouts! A workout for the sole purpose of physical exercise can only have limited health benefits. It can help you stay fit to some level and boost your serotonin levels to some points. But, when you add mindfulness into your workout, it becomes the secret ingredient to overall well-being, including physical and mental health. Before I move on to the positive effect of mindfulness on your workout, let's explain what a mindful workout is. What is a Mindful Workout? A...

Random Reflections & Pondering about Pro-Military Election Campaigning As election season rolls around again I had a new insight about political campaigning. A candidate I’ll probably be voting for has a photo of them in an Army shirt and Veteran hat. Of course… I thank them for their service, and I thank all veterans for their service… But it got me thinking how important words are and images (speaking a thousand words) are - (image above is not the photo used, nor will I mention candidate by name). In a time of daily public or mass shootings, do we really want politicians leading mostly...

Thoughts on SLEEP: Why I Can't Sleep It is fairly common knowledge what some of the worst disruptors of sleep are, you know things like stress, work or family related issues, as well as unhealthy habits like overeating or drinking coffee before bed. Sometimes we know why we can't sleep and other times the reasons may be a bit elusive. The reasons mentioned above are fairly common, but what else keeps us up at nights? Here are a few other things that can lead to insomnia. Things like… depression or feeling hopeless chronic anxiety or worry trauma medications can interfere with sleep ...

In a social media world it seems people are trying to break free from fakeness by living a more authentic life. Here are a few ways to do that… Authenticity is to be true to one's personality and character. It means you're willing to show the world who you really are. You're willing to live the life that you were meant to live. Authenticity is the ability to show your uniqueness to the world. In our heavily social media world, it is easy to think there are very few authentic people in the world, but you know authentic people when you see them. We're...

Dedicated to Protect? Some random thoughts on a recent shooting that was too close to home for me and random other self-reflections. This morning I started writing a post on Facebook and then I stopped to get my family ready for work and school. I saved the post to a google doc and went about my day. Then I had an experience coming home from dropping my son off at school which led to a new post related to the first but set off by another direction influenced by something I noticed in my community.This will probably be a mess of an...

Why should you change your mindset? At the end of the day the real reason you may want to change your mindset is to unlock your full potential. As they say… same old thoughts, same old results. If you're reading this it might be because you are seeking some new results in life. No matter how disciplined, no matter how lucky or motivated you may be, your mindset is going to be the main focusing lens on the road to your journey. So come along for the ride, and let’s observe a few common situations which may necessitate a change in your views. #1 You’re Procrastinating It’s...

Have you heard stories about the law of attraction? Have you ever wondered… What is the Law of Attraction? …or wondered is it real? Or maybe even wondered something like… Is the law of attraction just something that caters to my wishes and simple pleasures? Or is it deeper than that? Let's explore the law of attraction and whether or not there's any truth to this popular self-help philosophy. It is rumored that the law of attraction says that if one thinks positively about a goal and envisions it clearly, it will come true. There are several ways this idea got popularized, with its...

Pleasure or pain? Obviously we often want more pleasure and try to avoid pain at all cost. Is this healthy though? Why Chasing Pleasure Won't Make You Happy And What to Run After Instead. We’ve all heard the old adages of “you need to do your work before you play”. To many of us, these old adages seem like necessities only because of arbitrary rules. Surely, if we had all the time and money we could need, without having to do chores, study, or go to work - a life of partying and living the dream would be for the best, right? Well… Maybe. Let’s...

What do you do when Self-Doubt and/or Imposter Syndrome pop Up? As a so-called expert in the self-help personal development space how do we still leverage all we know, but find ways to overcome our own self-doubt when it arises? That's a damn good question.These questions may be coming up right now…Aren't you supposed to be beyond self-doubt?Aren't you supposed to know the way to avoid suffering?Don't you have access to all the tools to beat this kind of thing?Well, to be honest with you, I'm asking myself these very questions, but one thing I CAN tell you is we will...

Want To Know 6 Limiting Beliefs That May Be Keeping You From Creating the Body You Desire? Everyone has certain beliefs (what I call self limiting beliefs) and habits that dictate their behavior. Unfortunately, many of these beliefs can keep us from the very things we desire the most. This seems to be especially true when it comes to diet and exercise. Beliefs that prevent us from even getting started are common as well. It's especially unfortunate in light of how easy it actually is to make simple changes that can have profound effects.  If any of these statements ring true for you,...

What is enough sleep for you/us? Is 6 hours of sleep enough? Should we be getting more or less? Let's discuss a bit… It seems more and more I hear people talking about struggles with sleeping. Sometimes I hear people brag that they can thrive on 2-3 hours of sleep and then others say that 8 hours is mandatory for adults.  I have my own struggles with sleep and working to improve my success and follow the 8 hour rule of belief. I consistently get 5-6 hours and 8 hours on a good night, but I'm working on understanding sleep better to...

How well do you understand self limiting beliefs and self limiting thought patterns? Have negative thoughts hindered your efforts to live, learn, and grow? Your personal beliefs about yourself and your life matter more than you may realize. In fact, those beliefs become the very foundation upon which you build your life. How do you recognize self-sabotaging thoughts? If you are anything like me, you didn't really know or think about self-limiting beliefs much. In 2010-2011 was my first really deep look into self-limiting beliefs. It was only because I took a sales assessment to grow my sales skills for my other business....

What is Feng Shui? WHY WOULD YOU WANT A FENG SHUI BEDROOM? Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice of arranging objects and living spaces to promote positive energy flow. It has been used for thousands of years to create balance and harmony in homes, businesses, and other environments. By using the principles of feng shui in your home, you can bring about a sense of calmness and relaxation that will help you live a more balanced life.  Creating a feng shui bedroom is one way to achieve this balance by creating an environment that encourages restful sleep and good health. A well-designed bedroom...

Let me restate… Maybe I should move from Why Do I get attached so easily to - WHY DO WE GET ATTACHED TO PEOPLE & THINGS? After all attachments is a bit of the human condition we all deal with on some level, right?Ah… isn't it interesting being a human?  In all honesty, I'm working on understanding my own attachment issues and just what attachment is myself. I'm doing it for myself, but also to better understand you and all people and hopefully to gain more insight on all of us and humanity at large. I'm passionate about community building and personal wellness and belonging is part of both...

Retail Therapy - What are the Psychological Triggers That Make Us Buy? Many years ago I dated a girl that joked about the idea of "retail therapy". In all honesty, don't we sometimes buy something to cheer ourselves up? This could be a good or bad thing really. Take me to a book store, a record shop, or a bar and I could easily buy to take the edge off or cheer myself up if I was in a bad mood. It is rare these days, but in my youth… yeah I was sometimes swayed to purchases I really didn't need to...

Is Self-Help Something we need or has the self-help industry capitalized on our fears and weaknesses? The concept behind self-development has been around for a long time. The term “Self-Help” is associated with making changes to your life with the goal of improving it significantly. You probably, at some point, have encountered the odd youtube video by a guru talking about the pursuit of happiness or the next self-help bestseller with a catchy title on display in the bookstore. Below is a odd youtube video created in 2017 where a "guru" is talking about a self-help book (actually kind of two books) he...

Integrating The Shadow - The Jungian Notion What if I told you that there's a part of you that you're not even aware of? A hidden side, if you will.   According to Jungian psychology, the shadow is the part of ourselves that we repress or deny. It's not necessarily bad, but it's something we're not comfortable acknowledging. It's the stuff you're ashamed of, the things you keep hidden away. And it can have a powerful influence on your behavior and your relationships. Integrating the shadow can be a difficult but rewarding process that can lead to a greater understanding of ourselves. I'm new to the topic, but...

Making excuses doesn't serve you. Let's get serious and build your daily meditation practice! What does it really take to build a daily meditation practice? Well today I'm going to give you 3 ways to get that daily meditation habit started, but keep reading because I added a bonus tip that might be the real solution. Let's start with why. Why would we even want to build a daily meditation habit in the first place? Meditation has gone from being regarded as another new age fad to one of the most beneficial self-care practices you can use. Its benefits affect many aspects of your physical...

3 Simple Self-Care Practices For You in This September, Self-Care Awareness Month Self-care is a fairly common topic that seems to allude to many people. While most people know what self-care is, few understand how to implement self-care tips into their own lives. So, what exactly is self-care, how can it improve your life, and what simple practices should you try out? Read on to learn more about practical self-care tips for you. What is self-care? You might have seen the month of September is being heralded as the self-care awareness month. What are your thoughts about the concept of a self-care awareness month?  I...

Defining self-care is easy because it's the opposite of self-sabotage or self-control. To successfully achieve self-care, you must have a self-care plan. It's through that structured plan that you're going to be able to properly care for your very being. Self-care isn't just about brushing your teeth or combing your hair. Self-care is for the needs within you. Self-care is caring for your soul, your inner self, and your very being. Building a Solid Self-Care Plan A good self-care plan reminds you of what you want to accomplish. After all, you have values, goals, and a purpose in your life and hopefully you have them clearly...

I'm pretty passionate about making reading easy to embrace and building a consistent reading habit that serves your life. Here are some things I learned on this journey… Half of American adults read less than 5 books in the past year, according to the Pew Research Center. When it comes to literature, consumption has fallen to a 30 year low.  The National Endowment for the Arts says only 43% of adults read even a single novel, story, poem, or play in 2015. It seems there is an alignment between a decline in literary reading and an erosion in cultural and civic participation. This is sad. I...

A few good friends can make life a lot more fun and meaningful. New Friendships though - How do we do that? Where do we even get started with making new friends? How do I make friends as an adult? Remember how easy it was a s a kid to have a solid group of friends? Then you graduate, get a job, get married, start a family and what happens?  It seems friendships disappear, or get harder to sustain, right? So what can we do? Let's reflect on a few ideas for how to develop some new friendships or maybe even strengthen or rekindle old...

Who's job is it to teach kids about self-awareness? The parent's of course. So How Can we do that? So Sunday, July 24th is National Parent's Day. Apparently, the fourth Sunday of July is Parents' Day, a day established for honoring parents for all they do for their children and supporting them in their efforts to be responsible parents.  Parenting is one of the toughest jobs out there so I thought we might celebrate all you amazing parents for all you do and discuss a tough topic that we parents have to deal with today - kids in a digital world. If you...

Two days ago, I threw out my back in the shower of all places. I think it was related to a jolt I took a few days earlier while jumping on a trampoline. If you tweak something and then just turn the wrong way, you can really put yourself out of commission. The last two days I have been taking it easy, resting a lot, using lots of IcyHot and a hot water bottle as well as taking Advil. As I was planing this week's article I thought why not talk about what's going on in my life right now. Now...

Is it weird that there is a Global Forgiveness Day? Nope! Let's Discuss why. Did you know that July 7th is recognized as Global Forgiveness Day. Global Forgiveness Day  sometimes called National Forgiveness Day or International Forgiveness Day, encourage forgiveness as part of an element of personal health, personal growth and happiness.  You may be asking yourself… Why is World Forgiveness Day celebrated? Yale School of Medicine says… "It aims to spread awareness about the healing power of forgiveness and its vital role in well-being and for a more peaceful life. Studies have indicated that people who are able to forgive are healthier...

What are Seven types of goals we should all be considering? It's a funny thing, for some reason we all understands that goals are important to success, but for some reason, there are still relatively few people that actually set goals regularly and commit to them. I'm not sure why that is, but it seems the data proves this bit of information. Some say that part of the challenge is not understanding the main categories related to goals. It is said that there are several areas of life that have a great impact on the rest of your life. That's what we...

Let me start this article by saying although there is something to be said for using a fake laugh to change your mood or attitude, putting on a fake smile to show up in the world if you are unhappy is NOT how I want you to show up. Deeply understanding your emotions is a powerful tool to live your best life so let's talk about the importance of Emotional Intelligence and EQ and start leveraging the wisdom they provide! Quickly as you see in the graphic below IQ (Intelligence Quotient) is thought to be related to how smart or intelligent...

Did you Ever "Feel Lost" in Life? If you've ever felt lost, you're shooting par for the course as a human being. Everyone faces this challenge sooner or later. Feeling lost is a sign that you believe your life is on the wrong track.You may feel like your life lacks meaning and that your future is uncompelling or just uncertain. This is a great time to take a long, hard look at yourself. You can learn a lot during this period. When I was dealing with my depression nearly a decade ago, I was feeling a bit lost. I have been...

If you've been following me for a bit, you probably know I've been pondering mass shootings for a while. A long while actually. I've also been exploring how to be a better friend, neighbor, and partner for a while also. I personally am a bit of an activist. I vote and am passionate about trying to get politics to work for the betterment of society, but am still very skeptical on if it can make big and positive changes. At least when it comes to serving the oppressed and those in real need - think poverty and the homeless for example. We...

Are you Living Your Best Life? Your self-image is the way you view yourself. You might view yourself as a parent, construction worker, friend, blonde, sports fan, intelligent, impatient, and middle-aged. But you're more than your career, gender, and age. You're more than your parents' opinion. You're a unique person with nuances that are unique to you! When - who you are - aligns with what you do, you're living authentically. But most of us view ourselves as one way and live another. Authentic people act honestly and congruently. Years ago I went on a journey to explore my purpose in life. It took me...

As we search to find meaning and purpose in our lives, certain concepts and symbols can help us. One of the most effective and useful ones to me currently is the Ensō Circle. You might have come across it by its many names, including the Zen Circle, Infinity Circle, Japanese Circle, Circle of Enlightenment, or the Lost Symbol of Reiki. Let's look at the Ensō, what it's all about, and how it can help us optimize our spiritual, mental, and physical selves in our modern world. What is the Ensō Circle? Creating this minimalist Japanese symbol involves drawing out a simple circle...

You have decided to start taking meditation seriously, but suddenly, it’s harder than you envisioned. Sitting still has become an uphill task, and at every turn, you are hounded by pain and discomfort.Is it normal to feel restless, pain, or discomfort as you meditate? The short answer is yes. Everyone feels these mental and bodily sensations when they meditate. Even seasoned meditators will occasionally suffer a bad session. It should not be a cause for concern. I've heard rumors there are Zen meditation instructors who are strict and will have you facing the wall and walk around behind the meditators in training and...

What is World Meditation Day? Each year on the 21st of May, we celebrate World Meditation Day. It is an annual tradition observed since meditation first became a spoken and written practice in 1500 BC India. World Meditation Day is a day to remind ourselves why the practice of meditation has become an integral part of many religions and lifestyles. Meditation is a powerful tool that is heavily utilized in Eastern religions such as Buddhism to attain a state of nirvana, a transcendent state of mind where there is no sense of self, suffering, or desire. Today, even those without spiritual or religious affiliations practice meditation...

When you think of meditation, you probably envision sitting down cross-legged with your hands on your lap while humming a mantra.  The most common (and maybe most often recommended) way to meditate is while sitting. However, that’s not the only way to meditate. You can meditate in a lot of different ways, but the three main ways to do it are: While sitting (sitting meditation) While laying (laying meditation) While walking (walking meditation) These are the three main postures of meditation. With time, you may notice that each posture comes with different benefits and you can choose the one that best fits your reasons for...

Am I Meditating the right way? Can you do meditation wrong? Am I even cut out to meditate? Anxiety or self-doubt are somethings I hear all the time from people new to meditation. Not knowing how to meditate correctly is a huge obstacle for most beginners. Unfortunately, this obstacle often means the end of the road for some of them. To know whether you are meditating the right way, you first need a clear understanding of why you are meditating in the first place. Meditation shares linguistic origins with the word ‘medicine’ because it aims to heal and restore. Medicine doesn’t provide a temporary...

What will you do for National Meditation Month? May is National Meditation Month. How will you celebrate it? Are you thinking of beginning a meditation routine? If you answered yes, you are in luck because May is National Meditation Month.  This is the month to begin meditating or re-energizing your existing meditation practice. May is perhaps better understood to be a Mental Awareness Month. This month focuses on raising awareness and managing mental illness using various tools, one of which is meditation. I'm a big fan of eliminating the sigma associate with mental health and mental illness. I used meditation to fight my own struggles...

Caution Let me start out by saying I am not a therapist or medical expert. Any ideas shared here are from my own firsthand experience and so may work or not work well for others. I only share because when I was in two years of a dark depression, these are the things I used. I highly recommend speaking to a Dr or therapist when needed. Why am I writing this article? The other day I saw someone in a facebook group sharing that they were really struggling and depressed. Over the years, I have written this advice or tips dozens maybe a...

Get ready because this is going to be a deeply emotional article. How does it feel facing aging, facing illness, and facing death in your own life? Let's find out! Oh my gosh. I have been meditating on the Buddhist Five Remembrances for a week or so, but it was Kaira Jewel Lingo's version and Lisa November's version that blew me away and meant so much to me. Here is Thich Nhat Hanh's version of the Five Remembrances, so those non-Buddhist folks will understand where this is coming from… I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing...

In this article, we will discuss some of the benefits of yoga and how it can change your life. I will also share how Yoga improves your muscle tone, your self-esteem and the ability to overcome anxiety and depression. I've been researching tools to help in these areas for a long time and now we'll dig into yoga a bit. Are you ready? I know that many of you are probably running around or busy with work or family and, perhaps, you will not even be able to read this article until you have "free time". Well, at times, I'm just like...

Is the pandemic I perfect time to learn about yoga? What does yoga for beginners look like? COVID-19 has had a tremendously negative impact on people with physical, mental, and emotional issues. The pandemic left many of us with depression or anxiety to the point where we cannot function normally in everyday life without help from medical professionals specializing in this type of crisis. This is why Yoga promotes both your physical and mental health by helping you deal more effectively when faced with complex challenges such as those present during COVID - 19 outbreaks.  I am a seasoned meditator and have used...

Have you ever thought… "WHAT'S THE REAL IMPORTANCE OF Doing YOGA?" or "WHAT'S ALL THIS BUZZ ABOUT YOGA, AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?" Every year, you hear more people start doing yoga. Maybe it’s your friend, a coworker, or a family member. There’s something magnetic about the practice, that makes everyone instantly attracted to it. If you follow me you've probably heard some of my praises but also some of my struggles with yoga. Although it may be getting more and more popular, yoga is much more than just a trend. Honestly, it seems its popularity has risen in my world for...

What Can I Do To Disrupt Hate In The World? You may have asked the same question a time or two or maybe you are not even to that point yet. Have you ever wondered what your purpose was in life? I believe our true purpose is to wade through all the bullshit and distractions in the world and figure out that living is all about connecting with others and serving others. It may seam silly or maybe you realize I am on to something. But what does this really mean? How does one even start doing this? Well, I'm a bit...

Do you feel as though you are stuck in a rut, unable to move forward, or make progress and experiencing the same, tedious Groundhog Day on repeat? As the beginning of the year hits we often readdress our lives and the things we are doing to make sure things are going well. The New Year is as good as anytime to reflect on these things. Happy New Year, by the way! Although New Years Resolutions are not my thing per se, I do think it is important to add what I call Success Habits to your life in order to live...

The choices we make lead to the character we build What Are Success Habits™? To me, success habits™ are the things we use to create our best life. In my own life, they are things focused on positive behaviors to grow myself. After I put some of these things in place I started seeing the benefits of them and my life was starting to get noticeably better and more joyful.Then I named them SUCCESS HABITS™ for an ongoing positive reminder. After years of growing I realized that I wanted to help others apply these ideas and recreate some of the goodness I was seeing...

the Hope & Inspiration Book Club… The date was - April 17, 2020… The pandemic Delivers a way to connect via a virtual book club. So March 15th, 2020 is when the pandemic sort of got real for me. My son and wife moved from being on Spring Break to online education. In the 2013 timeframe I struggled with depression and I've been on a journey to learn as much as possible about mental health and how I got to that state and how to avoid it like the plague (pun not intended here). One thing I realized early on in the pandemic was...

It's easy to do, but also easy NOT to do… Meditation is simple, cheap, and highly effective, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. And to be honest, it actually is pretty easy, but sometimes, it’s just not what people expect it to be. As the quote above, by Jeff Olson, states… related to building habits, things are just as easy TO DO, but just as easy NOT TO DO and sometimes this is why they fall to the way side. This is why I thought it might be important to address the 10 reasons why meditation may not be working. Let's address...

Meditation is done alone, Right? Why would you need a community to meditate? IS COMMUNITY AN IMPORTANT PART OF MEDITATION? Let's discuss a bit, okay? Today I wanted to do a little myth busting. Meditation is something we have a very basic or over generalized idea of that is often painted into this image by the media and advertising. Headspace, the meditation app company, defines meditation like this… "Meditation isn’t about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person. It’s about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You’re not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You’re...

Want to learn how meditation changes you and how it's changed me? Let me tell you a story… I run two businesses. The first is a business growth firm specializing in sales and marketing and helping CEOs build thriving and scalable businesses. I coach them on Conscious Capitalism where their intent is not just on Profitability, but also on building a business that serves People (employees, clients, vendors, but also the global community at large) and next it should serve the Planet. In my eyes, those are the 3Ps of business Planet, People, and Profits. Then I have this business. The one where...

Why & How To Craft Your Daily Meditation Habit or Ritual When it comes to meditation we've seen a huge gain of acceptance and popularity in the last 20 years. Over 14% of Americans now meditate or have tried it once. Check out these other amazing statistics about meditation in 2021 created by DisturbMeNot.com. You can see more info here. The Top Mind-Blowing Meditation Statistics for 2021 It’s estimated that 200–500 million people meditate worldwide. Over 14% of Americans have meditated at least once. Meditation improves anxiety levels 60% of the time. Meditation can reduce the risk of being hospitalized for coronary disease by 87%. ...

We live in a society where value and status are placed on material things like cars, homes, and clothes and we all dream about having more – more money, bigger homes, more cars – yet we never seem to be happy. In fact, instead of being thankful for what we DO have, we feel envious of the people who have more than us.  Being in constant competition with neighbors, coworkers, or family members can be exhausting! Eventually, you'll lose sight of the important things in life, such as your children, relationships, and health. If you place a strong value on things,...

Meditation is no longer a habit? Turning Habits Into Your Identity Meditation is no longer a habit? Wait aren't you the daily-meditation habit builder guy? Yes! Let me share my story though and how things became a habit and then moved on to an identity.  8 years ago when I first thought about trying meditation, it was out of desperation. I was grasping at straws and seeking anything that would relieve my struggles at the time. I saw a free 7 Day Meditation Challenge put out by the folks over at the Headspace app. At the end of 7 days, I knew I should continue testing...

daily meditation habit builder: What's it take to Build a Daily Meditation practice? Well, that is a great question. You may have heard thoughts on how meditation is a cure-all for everything that ails you - be it depression, anxiety, anger, hate, and every other disease and toxic emotion. It is true that meditation helps in many areas, but one thing is for sure it is NOT like an advil you pop only when you have a headache or a problem. Meditation is more like brushing your teeth than taking an advil. It is not a quick fix but with regular practice it becomes preventative...

Can you Love Your Life More? If you are like many people today, you may think your life isn't exactly like you'd want it to be, but there’s a good chance you can love the life you have more than you currently do.We have a strong ability to make ourselves unhappier then we need to be. We have this thing called the negativity bias that once was a wonderful internal tool to keep us safe, but has it become a problem in modern society? If you look at the data, it seems depression has been on the rise for some time...

Reading is such a great habit to possess. I think of reading as one of my daily or regular Success Habits. Think about all that regular reading can accomplish.  As a business owner I read to continue to innovate and bring new ideas to the table. It is said that 85% of self-made millionaires read two or more books a month. You may not be a business owner, but the benefits of reading serve all people so don't overlook this powerful tool. Some of the smartest, most successful, and most interesting people in the world have written books. They write down the...

Negative emotions are a part of being human. We feel sadness, anger, and hate just as much as we feel happiness and love. However, we have a negativity bias hard-wired into our minds and bodies. We tend to ruminate over negative emotions. We can spend hours thinking about the nasty interaction we had in traffic or ruminating over the angering things our partner, coworker, or neighbor said to us. Our survival-tuned mind fixates on negative experiences to remind us what to avoid in the future. This tendency to focus on negative emotions, believe it or not, comes from our ancestors. They needed...

You can do anything for 20 seconds, right? Tabata Training is all about short burts of exercise workouts. So What is a Tabata workout? Tabata is a form of (HIIT) high-intensity interval training and an anaerobic exercise whose unique structure distinguishes it from others.  For those that don't know, Anaerobic exercises are exercises that involve short bursts of intense activity. Tabata features exercises that last four minutes. It gets its name from the person who invented it, Dr. Izumi Tabata. What is difference between HIIT and Tabata? As I mentioned, Tabata is a HIIT program. 8fit shares… "one of the main differences is that Tabata is...

Can Exercise Actually Help My Depression? In my own struggles with depression, I was desperate and grasping at straws hoping and praying I would find a solution. I tried to go the route of therapy, but things didn't work out seeking medical support. So I continued searching. I tried so many things, but one of them was exercise in different forms. I found a few that helped and kept searching for a perfect fit I could stick with.So the question is… "Is turning to therapy and medication the most effective solution for fighting depression?" Studies are beginning to show that you...

Time to get real So I am going to dig into thoughts on depression because in 2013 I fell into depression and stayed there for 2 years and honestly, I've been feeling a bit of it swirling around lately. Honestly, I want others to know what this looks like because so many suffer in silence. Maybe because they don't realize they have depression or maybe it is out of fear of being labeled as crazy or weak. My purpose in life is to challenge people to become innovative leaders so we can change the world together and in this article, I want...

September Self-Care 2021: Plan a fun Activity for Yourself! What fun activity will you plan and do today? This morning I woke up and did my daily morning self-care practice of meditation and then I thought I would do a quick listen to an audiobook I am reading on nonviolence. Another book caught my eye though. Audible puts out a monthly series called Music+Words where a musician talks about their life and shares a bit of their music. I love these partly because they are artists I typically love, partly because they are free (with my membership -a little perk I guess),...

Are You Your Worst Enemy? With Self-Criticism You might Actually Be The Harmful Enemy. I think this is such a powerful concept - letting go of self-criticism. In society, we are not willing to discuss this stuff much and so we keep talking trash to ourselves. This can be more harmful that you may think and sometimes it may actually be subconsciously happening where you do not even notice when you are doing this harmful practice. If you are honest with yourself, do you know that you do this? Have you thoughts about it much before and how harmful it can be...

Sept 2nd, 2021 Prompt: What are Things You are Really Good At? In order to take care of ourselves, we need to actually celebrate ourselves. Will you join me in flexing some self-care muscles like the little guy in the header image? Today we look at some things we are really good at. They do not have to be too complicated or too big but will you join me in finding something you are really good at and congratulate yourself? If you are game, share it in the comments so we can celebrate you as well. I love cheering people on and...

Welcome to September! Hey all, welcome to the first day in September! It seems there's a background tying September to self-care. I am new to this but if you know me, you know I love self-care mostly because 8 years ago I found myself in a dark depression as my world was falling apart a bit both related to my business and personally. However, on this day the topic is how practicing self-care is not a selfish practice, but a mandatory practice that everyone should work into their daily routines. A year ago I wrote and article on it and you can see it here...

WELCOME TO The MINDFUL MONDAY VIDEO SERIES - WEEK 2! Hi all and welcome back to this new series I am creating to try to help people kick off the week on the right foot. In this episode again I share the purpose of this video and series as well as my own personal purpose in life. The purpose of the videos is to help you have a great week and enjoy a bit of positivity. My purpose is to challenge people to become innovative leaders so that we can change the world together. From there, you can enjoy a quick...

Loving Our Enemies? Love Your Enemy? Is this Legit? Ready to Get Uncomfortable? This headline might sound like the craziest thing you've ever heard, but this is what I've been thinking about a lot for the last year (probably several years). Today I was rereading Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh and it inspired creating this idea as an article and welcoming my audience to join me. Are you game? Are you open to seeing what the hell I'm talking about and where I am going with all of this? Here We Go… Now let me start with I'm no saint and been a...

Welcome to Mindful Monday Video 1! Hi friends, many folks that know me well, know that my purpose in life is to challenge people to become innovative leaders so we can change the world together. This new video series idea is one way I thought I might be able to help you have a better week - by giving you a gift of mindfulness on Monday morning. Of course I highly recommend daily meditation, but if nothing else, get in your weekly dose of Mindful Monday or watch this one video every day this week if you are unable to find other...

Any American knows Ben Frankin was an important Founding father but most don't know… …that beyond all the great things he did for the development of our country, he also had a wellness routine to help him thrive in life. Yes, you may already know he was the only founding father to have signed all four of the key documents establishing the U.S. - the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris establishing peace with Great Britain (1783) and the U.S. Constitution (1787). You may also know of many of his inventions and creations, but...

can these thoughts help everyday people in overcoming suffering? Let's discuss a bit… Are the Buddhist Five Remembrances just for Buddhists? One of the things I love about Buddhism is its practical wisdom for living life. You do not have to be a "Buddhist", or even practice "Buddhism" per se, to benefit from Buddhist wisdom (well, I guess you do have to practice the ideas, but not as a formal religion as some think of Buddhism). Do not get hung up on Buddhism as a religion or a philosophy not accessible to all people, or conflicting with your current religion, but let's explore the...

Have you ever thought about the practice of being grateful? Before I had depression, I NEVER really gave gratitude much thought. I just lived life and took what came and acted the way I was conditioned or trained to act and to respond. It wasn't until I was in crisis mode that I started grasping at anything and everything that might be able to improve my mood and mindset. Gratitude was one of the tools I used to break free of my depression. It is one I still use today and highly recommend (and actually train people on how to apply...

Let's talk about the importance of reflecting on what you already have As you already know, it is easy to get busy and overwhelmed in the thick of things in life. We can even get a bit out of touch at times when we get hung up on things that seem important at the time, but are they really improving our lives or building our relationships with others? When we have a struggle we’re dealing with, we can ask… “will this challenge even be remembered in two weeks, two months, two years, or twenty years?” Oftentimes it will not, right? This...

"AFTER YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT, YOU DON'T WANT IT"… and Other Interesting Behaviors of Humanity Let's kick things off with some interesting history related to the hedonic treadmill concept.Here is Van & Schenck's 1920 performance of "After You Get What You Want, You Don't Want It"--words & music by Irving Berlin. The song soared to #2 in record sales in 1920.https://youtu.be/8sUe28J921U Want to read the song lyrics? Click here! Here are the lyrics of this interesting song…AFTER YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT, YOU DON’T WANT ITListen to me, honey dearSomething’s wrong with you I fearIt’s getting harder to please youHarder and harder...

That's the million dollar question right there, right? The quick answer is… A Hellagood Life is just another name or idea for living your best, most rewarding, and fulfilling life. For living the life of your dreams. For sustainable happiness and love and powerful coping tools. Yes, these ideas are a quick thought on what a Hellagood Life may look like. So how does one do that? How am I qualified to share this kind of info? Well, keep reading. Let me tell a few stories and experiences I've lived that took me from some serious lows in life, ignorance of solid ways...

Wholesome Living? Why Bother? What the heck is the 5 Mindfulness Trainings? Why bother living wholesomely? I'm sure at one point in my life I would have chuckled at this thought. I want to LIVE life and have fun and "wholesomeness" certainly doesn't sound fun does it? Growing up within conservative Christian beliefs, I was brought up with a guidance for living wholesomely under the Christian values I was being taught from my parents, the church we went to, and of course the bible stories I was taught. Like any independent kid I often asked why and challenged concepts, rules, and laws. Why...

What is the one thing everyone wants out of life… Happiness, right? Of course. But if this is true and happiness is so important, why is it so hard to find? Or at least it's hard to find sustainable happiness.The reason for this, in my mind, is because we are blinded by what the marketing machine of life has told us… we will be happy if…we buy a big housewe buy this new fancy car and than upgrade every two yearswe will be happy is we buy these expensive shoes and this fabulous outfitwe'll be even more happy if we buy...

Mindset is everything! Mindset is everything.I was happy to see one of my business mentors talking about the importance of mindset in their sales/marketing course.I recently attended a 3-day business training that was virtual and 10-hours per day. This was a pretty intense weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). It included several great workbooks with exercises to do, virtual training and group coaching sessions  around the workbook lessons and exercises, and yes this event was also a promotion to fill one of the other programs this mentor offers. After the event, I saw a handful of posts relating to feeling that some of...

What the heck is touch starvation? Man and woman’s social dependency has played a great role in the evolution and advancement process. And while everyone wants to be alone every now and then, most crave human contact every so often. When you go long without human interaction or contact, your body starts to crave it. This condition is known as touch starvation or skin hunger. What exactly is skin hunger, and what can you do about it? Here’s everything you need to know about combating touch deprivation. WebMD defines it like this…Touch starvation is a condition that happens when you don’t get as much...

Graduation, Job Loss, Empty Nest, Divorce, Accidents, Health Issues, Death, Moving, Marriage, Child Birth and the list goes on and on, right? Heraclitus is most notable for his quote, “the only constant in life is change.” Regardless of the stage you’re in, there are myriad changes happening. With age, however, some of these changes become unbearable and hard to accept. When you think about it, a change like kids moving out, for instance, can be hard to process. After spending most of their lives under your roof, there comes a time when you must allow them to move on. Here is an...

According to the center for disease control, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Data reveals heart disease accounts for more than 25% of all deaths. Also known as coronary artery disease, this condition strikes fear in the hearts of many. To most, heart disease is an almost unavoidable condition. However, contrary to what most people believe, there’s a lot within your control regarding coronary artery diseases. Let’s learn more about heart disease as well as what you can do to minimize your exposure levels. What is coronary artery disease? Coronary artery disease is a heart condition where foreign...

Instead of letting the fast-paced world control your life, steps, and pace, it helps to slow down and enjoy life a bit. By slowing down, you get to dictate your own pace. You get to say ‘no’ to things that frazzle you and you get to choose those activities that bring you joy. It helps you to live your life, and not to only exist in it. Here are some tips on how to slow down, be more grateful, and find some inner peace. Remember, life itself is a gift. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Okay, are you ready to jump in?  Let's do...

Alright, I know right now you're thinking… "WTF is this guy talking about? and, oh yeah… F' You Buddy!" Just hear me out for a second… So I have been studying happiness… and well, the lack of it, due to my old 'bout with depression 7-8 years ago. Since then I have read hundreds of books on meditation, mindfulness, psychology, happiness, mindset, wellbeing and the like. I know this may sound boring, but when you get hit with depression, suddenly there is a fire lit under your backside to figure this stuff out… how'd I get here? How do I get outta...

Yes, I hear it all the time… "but… I'm too busy to meditate." There are so many obstacles to meditating. Let's address the Time issue today. As someone who's been doing meditation daily for nearly a decade, I have seen a lot of benefits from this practice and because of that, I've told hundreds of people over the years how valuable this easy tool is in my life. Some show interest and maybe even give it a try, while others ask… "how much time will I need to meditate?". In this question, I think the point is being missed. You see there...

Why is self-compassion important and what is self-compassion meditation? Experts over at Harvard Health hold that "forgiving and nurturing" yourself sets you up for better health, good relationships, and joie de vivre. How can we argue with the folks at Harvard Health? Who doesn't want better health, good relationships, and joie de vivre (or an exuberant enjoyment of life)? It seems silly to even ask these questions, BUT what if we were misinformed on how to get these gems of life? What if we were looking in all the wrong places? Maybe, outside ourselves. We all have the ability to offer kindness, support, and...

It may seem like a silly question, but let's address it… Does Meditation make you spaced out or become a Meditation hippie? Maybe we should start with a few definitions to get everyone on the same page. Terms Defined: Hippie, Meditate, Meditation, & Spaced Out Hippie: noun /'h?pi/ (sometimes misspelled as hippy) A hippie is a member of the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world.  Society often thinks of hippies as a person (or people) with long hair that wear brightly colored clothes, and someone who takes illegal drugs,...

Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Avicii, even Chris Cornell. All gone too soon. All very lonely and all somewhat, or very isolated. Humans need other humans for survival and happiness in life. We have an inborn desire to belong and feel a part of others. We feel safer and secure in the company of others. Recent studies show that we react the same way to social stimuli as we do physical stimuli. Social isolation, they say, feels as neurologically uncomfortable as physical pain. Social isolation and loneliness breed stress that can be detrimental to mental and physical health. Many cases of anxiety, depression, and apathy can be...

Six million years later, the miracle of life is still unfathomable. For me, having my two sons really opened my eyes to how beautiful and amazing life truly is. There are recipes and blueprints. There are GPS and constitutions, but still no manual for life. Having kids also showed me how true it is about no life manual. Life however is beautiful in spite of the unknown. Some would say life is only meaningful and fulfilling when individuals choose their own path. I can say this has made my own life more meaningful and it was a long journey finding my...

How Are You Dealing with Covid-19 Insecurities? Saying the pandemic has had a felt impact around the world is perhaps the greatest understatement of all times. In a matter of moments, the novel Coronavirus spread around the globe, leaving behind a trail of devastation. With an increase in curfews and lockdowns, numerous people suffered job losses, experienced health complications, and a multitude of other psychosocial issues. A wave of insecurities has accompanied Covid-19. The extensive job losses, financial constraints, racial tension, and political instability have heightened people’s insecurities and worry about their safety on so many levels. Are you plagued by insecurities emanating from...

Let's Talk About 5 Remarkable Benefits of Practicing Yoga Yoga is a practice as old as time itself. In one form or another, yoga has been practiced in different parts of the world for ages. So, what makes this age-old practice so popular? More importantly, are there any identifiable benefits to regular practice for the average person? Let's start with the basics… What is yoga? Chances are you’ve come across the word and even have some knowledge of yoga practices. But, what exactly is yoga? Simply put, it is a dynamic combination of balances, stretches, and strengthening movements that unite the mind, body,...

The Power of Thought  in Achieving Your Goals: How does our mindset stack up? GROWTH MINDSET VS A FIXED MINDSET - Let's Explore… Your mind is a powerful tool. Through the power of thought, mankind has achieved far over and beyond any species. But did you know your thoughts can either propel you towards your goals or keep you stalled? So, how do your thoughts influence your actions and progress in life? Well, first, you need to identify your thought process. You can either have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. A fixed mindset believes your intelligence, skills, and prowess are fixed...

It’s been more than a year now of unprecedented living: confinement, layoffs and financial hardships, loneliness, and news of suffering and death. People are at least upset, and at worst depressed and anxious. Some are tense, scared, while others are discouraged. What will become of our mental wellness after the pandemic? This pandemic is shaping up to be a hydra-headed (or a diverse and multifaceted) problem. Even after winning the physical war with vaccines, there could be a psychological fallout. Three elements that must be taken into account today: the transmission of the virus, to be blocked as a priority, the economic...

An Inside Job? Finding Happiness Internally Instead of Externally? What Does that even mean? Should I start with… What does being happy, really mean? Does it mean achieving your financial goals? Getting that new car? Buying those shoes, you’ve been eyeing all month? Is finding happiness tied to accomplishing and acquiring things?If that was the case, then billionaires would be the happiest people on earth, simply because they would have everything and have accomplished anything and everything they wanted. But we all know that being wealthy isn’t necessarily the key to happiness. I’m sure you can think of a few wealthy people, business...

What is your motivation for meditation? It is funny, I started writing this article on February 5th, 2021 and while doing it I'm reflecting on what my motivation for meditating is and what it was. You see today on Facebook, a 4 year old memory popped up and it was stating what my motivation was for meditation in 2017. I thought it might make for an interesting article and so here we are. What is MY motivation for mediation today? Well, things have changed quite a bit since 2017. Today, I've moved on to MINDFULNESS (the lifestyle of awareness) to describe what I do....

Meeting Your Basic Survival Needs So in this past week Texas, where I live, had an awful cold snap and winter storm. Texas doesn’t do well in snow or icy weather but it is very rare we have bitter cold or freezing temperatures. We had roughly a week that fell down into the teens for several days and even hit zero degrees one day. Worse the windchill was going into the negative teens for a few days. Sadly for Texans, we are on our own electric grid and the new demand caused rolling blackouts. This put millions of people from all...

Imposter syndrome is the forerunner of self-destruction, but people like Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks, and Tina Fay have learned to keep it in check and maintain success in their fields. Psychological experts simply define imposter syndrome as a collection of thoughts and feelings of inadequacy that remain with you even after achieving success. It is pressing self-doubt and sometimes continuous fear of failure.  NBC News reports that people with imposter syndrome fall into the trap of procrastination because they don't feel ready enough to take on a given task 'perfectly.' These are mostly people with type A Personality; they may fall into...

We're all searching, but are we finding happiness THROUGH DAILY MEDITATION? Could we? It’s no secret! Finding happiness has always been everyone’s goal in life. Satisfaction manifests in various ways. But regardless of your understanding of true happiness, you’ll be glad to know that living a happier life is within reach. Let me share how some (including myself) are finding happiness through daily meditation.  Yes, it’s possible! Through mindfulness and meditation, you’re one step closer to living a more satisfying life. Why though does this need to be a daily practice? Well, as with anything it takes practice to really get...

Early on We may all ask… what is meditation about, and is it for me? When we think about meditation, we imagine Tibetan monks sitting cross-legged in absolute silence in a temple on top of a mountain. Blame it on pop culture if you must, but there is some accuracy in that depiction. Meditation can be defined as an art, or better yet, a practice used to train the mind to focus, be more attentive, and more aware. The ultimate goal of meditation is to achieve a stable emotional state or mental clarity. How does sitting down in absolute silence and clearing the...

There are sooooo many benefits of meditation. Today we'll cover 3 benefits of meditation, some big ones. Meditation is a practice where you train your mind to focus on a particular object like your breath, or on an activity like walking. If your mind runs wild, what meditators call Monkey Mind, no worries, there are ways to cope.  With time, you’ll learn to accept your thoughts, even the common mental chaos, and let it all go without judgment. Meditation has been rapidly gaining traction over the last 20 years, as many people discover its countless health benefits, and the science and medical...

Hellabad Times? Accept them? Are you crazy? When 'friends' aren't really being friendly to nonconformists.     Brace yourself for a long, painful, personal story of bad times, and some brief thoughts on how I overcame them.     Over the last 7 years, I've been working on some personal struggles in my life. I had a dark 2-year bout with depression and to some degree, this might be related to dealing with self-worth. I've been a strong independent person all my life.    I started a business in my late twenties and went out and worked my ass off to create a life for myself that was pretty...

Should we have concerns for Billy Corgan? Could he be another suicide in the future? I just read an article (Billy Corgan on Chris Cornell’s Death: “I’ve Been in That Exact Spot a Thousand Times”) where Billy Corgan was talking about suicide and how he's experienced feelings that might be similar to what took Chris Cornell.    As a fan of both of these guys and someone that has seen them both play, it is crazy to hear and think about them struggling to this extent. This is just further proof that we are all human, suffering is part of the human condition,...

When we think of self care, we often think that we take care of ourselves, and doing really good taking care of ourselves, right?    Some of us do, but often times in society, we just run ourselves ragged and burn the candle at both ends. Would you agree? To me, even in these crazy times of the pandemic it seems we still want to actively… do things, in spite of a global virus being air born where people congregate. Is that taking care of one's self?  Well, that's an interesting question. Basically it feels judgmental and accusatory, right? Being negative and judging others is...

Happy Thanksgiving, to you, my friends! Let's talk about Thanksgiving Mindfulness…   This morning as I plan for the day ahead, I reflect on what it means to be thankful. Over the last few years, I have done what I call #ThankfulThursday and this is the first time that I see the connection with this holiday as I did it all year and really just did it as a way to add a positive spin to #ThrowbackThursday and to plant the seed of gratitude. You may recall, in a previous article, Gratitude… for Gratitude, that I kind of like being grateful.     It is...

Let me start out by saying this was originally a long-ass Facebook Post. That's how I do Facebook… longassed. Anyhow, I share this because the references will by stated from the mindset of these ideas being shared on Facebook, however although you can use them on Facebook or in person or anywhere, I wanted you to be aware where this article idea came from 12 months ago, today. Thank you for reading. I appreciate you and hope you enjoy the journey! I will also say before we jump into these ideas that I am thankful for my wife, Betsy, and her extreme...

In a world that feels mighty and empowered by winning at all cost have we lost a bit of humanity that actually makes us our best selves? What am I doing writing about "vulnerability" like some expert when I have no idea what the hell I am doing creating this site or what I want it to be. Am I living a bit of imposter syndrome pretending to be an expert at something I am not? Maybe, although I never claimed to be an expert. As Brené Brown discussed on her recent Netflix program, Brené Brown: The Call To Courage, if...