…to love yourself. 1.) Celebrate small things. 2.) REST. 3.) Say “no” to toxic people. 4.) Express what you need. 5.) Set boundaries. 6.) Slow down. 7.) Forgive yourself. I saw this list on Instagram (@chronically_cheerful) recently, which seems to be my magic 8 ball of self-care wisdom these days. And I thought those were…
Category: Live Better
Making the most of it
Welp. While we gained an hour of sleep, the sun is setting super early — and now I’m officially running in the dark. Gone are the glorious autumn scenes like the one above, replaced instead by a few feet of sidewalk illuminated by my flashlight. Usually this is a tough transition for me. As a…
Things I wish for you
I spotted this wonderful sentiment and thought it was worth sharing with others (along with photos from my morning run in the Park and my later-in-the-morning walk with Finn). Things I wish for you That you go on lots of long walks and enjoy your own company. That you learn that the real magic doesn’t…
Love
“Love your life. Take pictures of everything. Tell people you love them. Talk to random strangers. Do things that you’re scared to do. Take your life and make it the best story in the world. Don’t waste it.” – unknown
Everyone
“Be extra kind, and show respectevery chance you get.Keep reminding yourselfthat everyone you meet is a human being whodreams of something,fears something,loves someone, andhas lost someone.” -@marcandangel
Twofer
Yesterday I fell asleep before I had a chance to post day #6 of the “7 ways to be more kind to your mind” exercise/self-reflections from @laurajaneillustrations. So today I’ll post the thoughts/reflections for both Friday and Saturday. Twofer! For Friday: “Check in with your feelings. What are you feeling today? Why are you feeling this way? What…
Pause
It’s Thursday — day #5 of the “7 ways to be more kind to your mind” exercise/self-reflections from @laurajaneillustrations: “Take a moment to just stop. Stop and breathe. Breathe in, pause, breathe out. In the silence, listen closely to what your body is telling you – what do you need more of today? I took this photo the…
It’s okay
I have to say that I’ve cut through this tunnel countless times, but it’s never looked quite as magical as this before. I don’t know if it was the golden hour light this evening or what, but it stopped me in my tracks. I half expected to come out the other end into another world….
A work in progress
I’m continuing to make my way through the “7 ways to be more kind to your mind” exercise/self-reflections that I found on Instagram from @laurajaneillustrations. Here’s the thought/action for Tuesday: “Choose to forgive yourself for still being in the “process.” Instead of saying “I can’t do this,” remind yourself that you are still learning, still…
You’re doing great
Goodness, it seems like the leaves are slow going this year. But I’m milking every glimpse of color I can find. Even the ones like these just starting the transition give me hope. Anyway, as I mentioned yesterday, I found an exercise/self-reflection on Instagram (@laurajaneillustrations) that I really liked: “7 ways to be more kind…
Ways to be more kind to your mind (Day 1)
I found an exercise/self-reflection on Instagram (@laurajaneillustrations) that I really liked: “7 ways to be more kind to your mind.” She breaks it down to one item per day for a full week. Looks like Sunday is Day 1, so I figure I’ll start there – and I thought I’d share, just in case you…
Make sure
“Every minute someone leaves this world behind. We are all “in line” without knowing it. We never know how many people are before us. We cannot move to the back of the line. We cannot step out of the line. We cannot avoid the line. So while we wait in line: Make moments count. Make…
Monday Mantra
“Release yourself from the pressure of the perfectly-figured-out life and spend the day remembering what is good and true.” – Morgan Harper Nichols (I do believe that my dog is both good and true. Not the purpose of the quote, but worth tossing into the mix of things to remember today.)
Reframing the ‘what ifs’
What if I fail?What if I excel? What if I go and have a terrible time?What if I’ll have the time of my life? What if none of this is worth it?What if I can create my own purpose? What if they’ll hate me?What if they’ll be my new friends? What if I’ll never be…
You never know
You never really know the impact you have on people around you. You never know how much someone needed that smile you gave them. You never know how much your kindness turned someone’s entire life around. You never know how much someone needed that long hug or deep talk. So don’t wait to be kind….
Neighbors
“We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.” – Winnie the Pooh My Monday morning started out with this note on my doorstep, a darling portrait of me, my dog and my sweet little neighbor. The sentiment had me smiling all day. When I talked to my mom about…
At-a-glance
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau During this morning’s (struggle) long run, I noticed a man along my route who gave me a bit to think about. As I plodded along (hot, grumpy, uncomfortable), I glanced over and took in the most idyllic scene. A…
Ah, yes…
“Being grateful doesn’t mean you have to love every part of your life. It’s okay to feel hurt when something doesn’t turn out the way you thought it to be, especially for things you have given so much of your heart. What gratefulness means is that no matter what happens or what you go through,…
Five Words
Five words to keep in your vocabulary (even when you’re facing the unknown): 1.) Rest The act of ceasing to work in order to be refreshed and recover your strength (even when you don’t think you’re worthy of it). 2.) Play To engage in an activity just for the fun of it (even when there’s…
Love Until…
Love what you do,until you can do what you love. Love where you are,until you can be where you love. Love the peopleyou’re with,until you canbe with the people you love most. Put your heart and soulinto the present!This is the waywe find happiness,opportunity and peace. — @marcandangel (Instagram) I really liked this. It takes…
Saturday Reflections
“Even here, life is a gift. Amidst all that is missing and does not make sense, the fact that we are breathing in this very moment matters. “May we never take for granted the love we have known in this life. May we never take for granted the sense of community, even if our ‘community’…
Intentions
“It’s amazing how much you can learn if your intentions are truly earnest.” — Chuck Berry I’d mentioned yesterday that I wasn’t really up to much in the way of resolutions for 2021. I did, however, see something on Instagram (@theshineapp) today that I think will better fit the bill — intentions. There are just…
What’s on the horizon
“What I know for sure is that every sunrise is like a new page, a chance to right ourselves and receive each day in all its glory. Each day is a wonder.” – Oprah Winfrey I haven’t felt much like writing lately, but I really hit a wall when I started thinking about drafting resolutions…
hey there, friends 