Let It Go to Your Head
Why No Celebration?All but the most intentional fail to recognize our achievements, no matter how significant. We tend to minimize them or immediately treat them as yesterday’s news. We reach the summit and think we should have done it faster, or we are already planning for the next mountain climb. This tendency may be why […]
The Residue
What do you do with your superfluous stuff? Do something with it, or you may leave it as my uncle left it to me. If you are many years away from dumping on your descendants, use these messages to develop habits you will not need to correct later. Your Descendants?Divest yourself of the notion that […]
Better Them Than You
Now that you have become a faithful sentinel, guarding your homestead against an invasion by anything you will not use, you can turn your attention to the unused objects trespassing in your home. Necessary?Even if unused items do not obstruct the use of your house, they still create an unavoidable mental preoccupation. What is your […]
Stop the Insanity
No Judgment ZoneYou do not need to be a television-show-worthy hoarder to have far more than you use. A cursory look at our closets, kitchen drawers, and garages would provide ample evidence for all but the most fastidious. We have well beyond our needs and are incapable of satisfying our wants. I am not here […]
Especially Ourselves
Me?After last week’s message, you may have considered who you need to forgive. Perhaps it is the parent who misshaped you during your formative years, or the internet troll who always makes derogatory comments. Yes, you need to forgive them, but the person most in need of forgiveness is yourself. Why and How?For the same […]
A Bitter Pill
Contingency ClauseOur egos can make forgiveness a bitter pill to swallow. When we view it as a weakness or make it contingent on the offender’s repentance, we fail to appreciate the purpose and consequences of forgiveness. Offenses can spark anger that festers into hatred if left unchecked. Wise sages say that harboring anger is like […]
Peruvian Pleasures
After the Galapagos, we were off to Peru to visit Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Lima. Again, I give you the stuff omitted from or underreported in the travel guides. Dress AppropriatelyWhile Cusco and Machu Picchu are also near the equator, the combination of mountains, elevation, and sun subjects the inhabitants to highly variable temperatures. You […]
Darwin’s Muse
Today, I return to my writing roots. My writing journey began in earnest in 2016, when I started sending missives to family and friends about my travels. I decided a travel blog post might offer a welcome change of pace for my dear readers. I will limit my comments to those you do not find […]
$100,000 Challenge
Beyond starting, we need patience and consistency. Rome Wasn’t Built in a DayPatience sustains our efforts when we are frustrated by the apparent lack of tangible progress. After faithfully going to the Pilates studio for a month, our derrieres are no more bulbous, and our figures do not compare favorably with those of our veteran […]
Just Start
The Smallest ActionA start can arise from a half-hearted act. Most addicts, thinking they do not belong and without any intention of joining, begin their journey to sobriety by walking into a 12-step meeting. Once they start, a desire to keep attending arises. Notably, a long-term commitment was not necessary to start the process that […]