The Dark of the Year and the Dancing Saints

by | Dec 17, 2013

As the days grow shorter and darker, I find myself mentally withdrawing into a kind of warm, personal cave – a cozy one filled with minute lights and small comforts, in which I experience a minimum of demands on me.Over the years, I have come to realize that the Dark...

Does persistence really pay off?

by | Nov 5, 2013

Personal note I spent much of last week in California, mixing family time with business appointments.It was heavenly; on Saturday a dear friend and I went down to the Ferry Building in San Francisco and browsed the wares of the creative street merchants who were...

What the heck is eustress?

by | Oct 29, 2013

Personal note I recently joined a TED talk group, and then missed the first meeting due to a frustrating maze of road repairs that made it seemingly impossible to get there. People e-mailed me a link to a YouTube video of one of the talks, in which the speaker...

Is Tech Stress Driving You Screaming Mad?

by | Oct 23, 2013

Personal note The leaves are turning brilliant colors of gold, orange and red, and soon will be dropping from the trees. In contrast, my life feels as if it were blossoming as in a particularly jubilant Spring. This week truly feels like the first week of the rest of...

What’s the difference between problem-solving and rumination?

by | Sep 3, 2013

I had occasion to explore this issue myself this week, when I discovered that somehow my utility company had switched the account number and name on the bill it sends to my home each month. Confidently and proudly paying my bills online on the first of each month, I...

Make It Easy On Yourself

by | Aug 26, 2013

Make it easy on yourself: Have you ever been caught in a race that never ends:  one in which the big prize at the end is as far out of reach as it is when you started, and the small rewards along the way that might sustain you  have gotten to be scarcer and scarcer? ...

Has the future got you in a tizzy?

by | Aug 20, 2013

For the past few weeks, we’ve had wonderful weather where I live. Mild temperatures, scattered showers, mostly at night, and low humidity. It’s perfect for everyone, including people who run or bicycle, garden, or work out of doors picking up the garbage, repairing...

What is life was a multiple choice test?

by | Jul 22, 2013

Personal note On these lovely summer mornings, I sit on my porch, sipping coffee, reading the newspaper, glancing up every now and then to enjoy the natural beauty all around me.  Canadian geese parade through the park across the street, inquisitive duck couples...

What kinds of assumptions is your reality based on?

by | Jul 16, 2013

Personal note The big storm of two weeks ago continues to have repercussions on the lives of those of us who were in its path.  Downed trees are gradually being removed, overwhelming email lists, building up during the power outage, have been reduced in size, and life...