Category: Living well
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Motherless Child
For a long time, the words of the old song “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child” would play on repeat inside my head. At 25, I was quite certain that everyone else still had their mother, that I was the only person who was living with an enormous Mom-sized hole in their life. I…
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Vices
I would hazard a guess that we all have vices. Maybe there are some who think themselves without or above, but, if we really look at ourselves honestly, we have behaviors and choices that we identify as our weaknesses. At least I know that I do. My beloved husband would say that I have one…
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Whispers
I recently listened to someone talk about intuition and instinct. The essence of the message was that our instincts are not just random thoughts but rather ideas, and conclusions, we have reached based on our observations, our experiences and our knowledge. When we listen to our instincts, we are not making a random guess, we…
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Mastering Illusion
Someone I met recently, and know but not well, said an interesting thing to me. She said that she thought I had truly mastered the art of mindfulness and calm. She attributed that to my yoga teaching and her perception was echoed by another person present for the conversation. I thanked her and smiled and…
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Cleaning Up
A friend of mine often used to say “Clean up your house, clean up your life.” What she meant was that, when things feel out of control, do something you can control, do something that will leave you with a sense of accomplishment. I find that days when I clean out closets, fill bags to…
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Kitchen Counters
Funny things that trigger us, don’t you think? It never fails to startle me a bit when I recognize both a trigger, and its roots, without ever having consciously thought about it before. Yes, as you may have guessed from the title, my kitchen counters are an emotional trigger for me. My kids would tell…
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Of Love and Memory
My kitchen is filled with the sights and smells of preparation for the Passover holidays. There is a list on my counter of the menu I plan to serve for Seder and a day by day checklist of what needs to be done each day from now until the holiday. Of course, I am well…
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Benedictions
I had a very special, once in a career, moment this week. I had the privilege of standing on a stage and accepting a significant national award in my field. It’s an honor that recognizes the work of a lot of years and the privilege of having been able to create and institute change, all…
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Triggers
We don’t always know what is going to be a trigger for us, do we? It could be something we hear or see or even something unrelated that causes us to react or remember. Sometimes it takes a moment to define that trigger, sometimes it is almost startling its clarity. The trigger for me this…
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Boulders and Hills
I described leadership this week to someone as “pushing big boulders up big hills.” I don’t mean that in a negative way, rather I believe that the work of a leader is to see the next pinnacle and help move the organization to reach it. I think of the line by political adviser James Carville…
With a Full Heart 