Latest Blog Posts
One day about three years ago I was volunteering at the animal shelter, sweeping one of the rooms. This little gray cat peered out from behind a futon, cautiously checking me out. I knew he was a new arrival and could probably use a little attention, so I sat down. He jumped into my lap, […]
A cynical relative recently expressed concern about how much time I spend volunteering for a non-profit organization. She said “aren’t you forgetting your business?” I heard the well-meaning intention, but also the fear that if I don’t keep my nose to the proverbial grindstone all the time, I’ll wind up living under a bridge. I […]
I’m writing this in the living room of the house in which I grew up. Having temporarily moved in to help my mother with post-surgery rehab, I find myself revisiting old summertime rituals. If you’ve been following me on Facebook lately, you know I’ve bought a hula hoop, run through a sprinkler, hung laundry on […]
It’s time for the Joy Dieters book group to work on Chapter Five of The Joy Diet, by Martha Beck.. This week’s topic is RISK. Martha writes: “Experience has taught me that the way to a joyful life is always fraught with fear, that to find it you must follow your heart’s desires right through […]
It’s time for the Joy Dieters book group to work on Chapter Four of The Joy Diet, by Martha Beck.. This week’s topic is CREATIVITY. Martha writes: “Even if you never go near the arts, you are creating away like mad every single day, working in the medium of experience itself. Actions, objects, words, gestures […]
It’s time for the Joy Dieters book group to work on Chapter Three of The Joy Diet, by Martha Beck.. This week’s topic is DESIRE. Funny thing, Desire. It’s not always about lust and sex, not that those things aren’t fabulous. In the context of a joyful life, though, we’re talking about yearning. Not just […]
My “Joy Dieters” book group is busy working on Chapter Two of The Joy Diet, by Martha Beck.. This week’s topic is TRUTH. If you’re like most people (me included), you believe that you’re basically an honest person. Sure, there’s the occasional white lie to be polite, or maybe you’ll pay a compliment you don’t […]
Tomorrow evening marks the first of 10 meetings with my coaching book group. We’re reading The Joy Diet, by Martha Beck. Beck outlines her “Ten Ingredients for Joy,” and our group’s working on adding each ingredient, week by week, into our lives with the intent of creating more joy. Week One’s focus is on Nothing. […]
After writing a story about all I’d learned in a previous month, I invited my newsletter readers to share what they’d learned lately. An interesting theme emerged. “‘You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone,’ from the Joni Mitchell song, so enjoy the moment and the NOW of your life.” This comes from Sue, […]
I’m one of those people who always seems to have what I call “good luck within my bad luck.” I’ve run out of gas (within five feet of a gas station). I have flat tires (in my driveway). Recently, my car’s transmission died (in my garage). When I picked the repaired car up on a […]
