"I have trouble sleeping. I think it's stress," a friend of a friend told me. I rattled off my go-to suggestions in an effort to help. Exercise. Meditation. Lay down on the floor with your legs up against the wall for 20 minutes (a yoga teacher I know swears by this). She gave me a nod and a rueful half-smile, conveyed the usual sequence of feelings; agreement, because she already knew the answers, guilt for not doing what she knew will help, and shame that she probably still won't. Her … [Read more...]
When you build “good” habits but lose the joy
When you're at a restaurant and look at the menu, how do you choose what to order? What you're in the mood for, or to satisfy a craving, perhaps? I usually try to pick something healthy, but don't always succeed. I used to know this guy who had a tough childhood and always picked whatever was cheapest. Hey, we all have our rules. Maybe it feels good to save some cash and order the least expensive dish on the menu, but not so much if it's poorly prepared or tastes terrible (sometimes, the … [Read more...]
How Much Freedom Do You Already Have?
I WAS HAVING a heart-to-heart with a trusted friend about an upsetting work situation. While relaying my frustrations, I caught myself spouting the words "I can't" ever so frequently. I can't do this, I can't do that because of this, that and the other. I was seeking advice on how to move forward, but my friend paused for a moment and slim-dropped a question instead:"Don't you know how much freedom you already have?" Not the question-answer I was expecting. My instinct was to … [Read more...]