How to Develop a Growth Mindset

Last week, at a meeting about a writing project I’m involved in, someone said, “Only people with a growth mindset will want to read this.” This made me think about how a growth mindset is a key determinant of success in life. Read on to learn how someone with a fixed mindset can take steps toward adopting a growth mindset. The Difference Between a Fixed … Continue reading How to Develop a Growth Mindset

pink and purple wallpaper

Life Is A Healing Journey

Dive deep into the inspiring journey of Anuschka Alborzian, a holistic coach who defied the odds after surviving a stage four brain tumor. Her transformative story is a testament to the power of miracles. In this interview, Anuschka opens up about her most challenging moments, the profound experiences during her health struggles, and the incredible rebirth that led her to a fully present life. From … Continue reading Life Is A Healing Journey

How Essentialism Can Help You Get More Out of Life

Do you consider yourself a minimalist? My focus on decluttering and sustainability might lead some to call me a minimalist. I’m not a fan of labels, but I prefer the term essentialist. If you’re not familiar with essentialism, read on to learn about its core principles, and how they can help you get more out of life. I heard the term essentialism for the first … Continue reading How Essentialism Can Help You Get More Out of Life

Say Good-Bye to FOMO and Hello to JOMO!

You’ve likely heard the term FOMO recently. If you haven’t, it stands for Fear of Missing Out. You may also be familiar with FOMO’s cousin, YOLO—You Only Live Once. But FOMO and YOLO have a younger and brighter cousin that you may not be aware of—JOMO. Read on to learn how embracing the Joy of Missing Out can restore a sense of calm and balance … Continue reading Say Good-Bye to FOMO and Hello to JOMO!

A Blank Page – Write Your Best Chapter in 2024!

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it’s 2024. Are you a new year’s resolution person, or is today just another day for you? Regardless of how you feel about resolutions, opening up a new calendar at the start of the year provides a blank page and a new opportunity. Are you ready to write your best chapter in 2024? Let’s get started! Let’s be … Continue reading A Blank Page – Write Your Best Chapter in 2024!

Memories of a Mismatched Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas! I didn’t write a full post for today but wanted to drop in to share a simple message for the day. This is our Christmas tree. You won’t find a tree like this on the pages of a magazine but it’s a tree full of precious memories. It inspired me to write a short poem about what really matters—at Christmas time and all … Continue reading Memories of a Mismatched Christmas Tree

Choosing Joy Over Happiness

Joy. It’s a simple word, and one we hear often. But what does it really mean to be joyful? Is joy the same as happiness? And how do we bring more joy into our lives? Many people spend their lives on a continuous quest for happiness, but is that the right goal? In their book Love People, Use Things, The Minimalists Joshua Fields Millburn and … Continue reading Choosing Joy Over Happiness

Repost: The Importance of Language When Making New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of year again when people think about the new year and how they’d like to make changes in their lives going forward.  We often refer to these proposed life modifications as “new year’s resolutions.” The other day, while stepping out of the shower, the idea hit me—insights come as flashes of insight and often at the strangest times—that the way we verbalize … Continue reading Repost: The Importance of Language When Making New Year’s Resolutions

man underwater looking at the sun

The art of vitality

A journey of awareness Mastering the art of vitality has been a journey of awareness for me, and this is how it started. A few years ago, I removed the “digital validation machine” that I kept under my dressing table. Every morning, when I got up, I visited that “digital validation machine” and  watched the numbers change. They grew higher and higher, and my eyes … Continue reading The art of vitality

Repost: The Real Secret to Being Happier and More Successful in the Workplace

In “What I’ve Learned about Life while Watching My Father Age,” a blog I wrote several weeks ago, I mentioned that I’d been reading On Death and Dying, a wonderfully insightful book written by Elisabeth Kϋbler-Ross.  Throughout that tome, the author argues that doctors need to take a more “human” approach while treating dying patients.  She also points out that the field of medicine stresses the … Continue reading Repost: The Real Secret to Being Happier and More Successful in the Workplace

underwater photo of woman wearing green and black dress

The Beauty Of Life

Today, I surrender to the beauty of life   Everything feels so light I woke up with a peace of mind And see no need to run or hide Today I feel free from all the  ‘Should’ve’  Musts  Or dancing between the ‘could’ve and would’ve Today I am all in And there is nothing in between  I walk around,  firmly feeling the ground Uninhibited, no longer … Continue reading The Beauty Of Life

A Tantra Way of Living

Some days ago I received an email and it gave me Déjà vu. This story started back in 2022.  I had been told that I should explore Tantra on many occasions over the years. Tantra? Should I explore sexuality with random partners and call it spiritual sex? No, thank you, that is not for me, I thought.  Maybe it triggered my ultra-Iranian origins ; who … Continue reading A Tantra Way of Living

Repost: Places that “Made” Me: Installment Three

My greatest regret during my Peace Corps experience is that I wasn’t into taking photos at that time.  I was into living life, though, as hard as it could be lived, tiptoeing right up to the line of being wildly self-destructive.  It’s just that I don’t have much of a photographic record of all that living beyond the boundaries.  I do have memories, tons of … Continue reading Repost: Places that “Made” Me: Installment Three

How would you spend a bonus hour?

Time. It’s a precious commodity that no one ever seems to have enough of. This past weekend, I had the unexpected luxury of a bonus hour. If you live in North America, you are probably thinking it’s no big deal because you also enjoyed an additional hour. But my extra hour was special because it wasn’t repayment of an hour I had previously lost. Allow … Continue reading How would you spend a bonus hour?

Repost: Places that “Made” Me: Installment Two

If you read my first installment, you know that I was a Peace Corps Volunteer and was sent to PĨock, Poland, a beautiful and fascinating city located on the Vistula River, to complete my Pre-Service Training (PST), a demanding educational regime that was designed to see if I’d be up to the various challenges I’d certainly encounter once I was sent off to the town or city … Continue reading Repost: Places that “Made” Me: Installment Two

Making the most of travel delays

When faced with unplanned travel disruptions, do you get frustrated or take it all in stride? This week, as I experienced the latest in a long string of travel delays, I had a chance to think about how far I’ve come in coping with these frustrations. In today’s post, I’ll share the tricks that help me stay calm when things don’t go as expected. Continue reading Making the most of travel delays

Repost: Places that “Made” Me: Installment One

My mind works in mysterious ways.  For example, three or four days ago, for no particular reason, the following question popped into my head:  I wonder who said, “Clothes make the man”?  I then almost immediately forgot that I’d asked this question—my brain having its own unique way of functioning—and went about my daily business. This morning I got online and found out that Mark … Continue reading Repost: Places that “Made” Me: Installment One

A Life Well Lived – How Are You Spending Your Dash?

There’s nothing like a funeral to make us aware of the passing of time and the shortness of life. Listening to the tributes at my brother-in-law’s memorial service, I recalled a poem called The Dash that I heard years ago. It was a reminder of the importance of making the right choices about how we spend our time. Are you making the most of your dash? Continue reading A Life Well Lived – How Are You Spending Your Dash?