It is springtime in the Arizona desert and, as I drive the streets that line the bases of the mountains, it is as if the whole earth is lit up with the yellows of poppies and brittle bush and marigolds. Bursts of orange African daisies and purple lupine and verbena appear on the roadsides between stretches of sidewalk and graveled hiking trails. I...
Read MoreCause For Applause: Replace But’s With YAYS!
I was listening to one of my coaching clients share some of her weekly successes. She had cleaned out an entire closet, paid her bills early and had scheduled a long-overdue manicure for herself. She was moving so quickly through the list that there was no pause for honoring her accomplishments. And when she did pause, it was to counter the success with a...
Read MoreWhale Watching: Is There a Metaphor Here?
The last time Marika and I went whale watching, we both got seasick. But it was more than twenty years ago. And we both wanted to try. And this time we would take some pharmacist-recommended bonine pills before we went out. She took two pills with her tortillas and cheese breakfast. I decided I didn’t want to feel spacey, so I put my no-more-nausea-...
Read MoreSitting In Stillness Opens a Heart
Life is funny sometimes. We tend to avoid what we need and want the most. And then circumstances happen and we are suddenly faced with exactly what we weren’t able to give to ourselves. Leaning into it, accepting it, can be a challenge. But when we are able to be grateful for the experience, magic can happen. Several weeks ago I tweaked my back...
Read MoreNew Year’s Un-Resolutions
Do you begin the year with a list of New Year’s Resolutions? Things you swear you are going to do or not do that will make this year different than all the rest? And then, just a few weeks into the year, you realize you’ve abandoned your list, slacked off on all of the things you swore would be different this time? And you feel pretty down on...
Read MorePostcards from Paradise
I am back in California and I am so grateful for this freedom that I have created for myself to be able to move between places and appreciate the joys of each of them. As I drove back with the strong intention of focusing these next three months on writing my book, I realized that I have long dreamed of spending a winter at the beach and writing. For years...
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