Happiness and connection
We are more connected than we know. We influence one another more than we know… even in our moods and weight. People living together catch one anothers eating habits and moods like we catch colds. Be mindful of who you hang out with and of how your own mood affects others. Good news — in studies on happiness this connection is revealed in a sweet way. We experience far more fulfillment when we spend the same amount of money on others rather than ourselves. Altruism and love are real and good for all. Poverty is stressful and linked to unhappiness but wealth doesn’t make...
Read MoreHeal anxiety
Here are some tips to help with decreasing anxiety — choose kind friends and find a community. In countries with high social supports people heal from PTSD/ trauma much more swiftly than in our country were social supports are less, so work on making social connection and support a priority. Exercise, especially outside in natural light and a beautiful environment. Gyms are great but they dont nourish all of us. Eat whole foods. Practise device vacations and reorient to the world around and within you. Sit with quiet, meditate or color. Practise self compassion… check out...
Read MoreGoing into inner magic
In our culture we emphasize doing over being, we emphasize focusing on the future over the present and the past. We tend to emphasize focusing on our outward life, our goals, our appearance and how other people think of us more then we focus on our inner world. Our inner world far surpasses our thoughts. Magic will happen there. Some other cultures we can learn from, such as the cultures that practice Buddhism or more indigenous cultures, balance focus on the outside world with reflection and sensing an inner world. Our inner worlds can connect us to ourselves ; that is, how can we grow,...
Read MoreThe cult of individuality
Phil Borges, filmmaker, said he realized after traveling the world that out culture is particularly individualistic. This can lead to great accomplishments but also great disconnection. The more connections we have in our lives the more healthy we are. We are meant to live in an ecosystem- like way of being. The possibility to connect is everywhere in our hearts and outside in the world. Every morning I take a moment to watch the little birds at the birdfeeder in my backyard. I feel connected to them and my heart...
Read MoreFall
Fall is here. I continue to be amazed and humbled by natures cycles. Lets remember that we as children of nature go through seasons of change as well. We are here to experience it all and learn. In our western culture we tend to imagine life as a ladder or steps of progress. But many cultures see progress as an internal process that is facilitated by cycles that repeat. Our spiritual and psychological growth is in response to these changes. Some cultures we in the west have called less advanced, simply have different priorities such as community and connection. So, attitude rather than...
Read Morea better motivator
We often motivate ourselves by a harsh inner dialogue. We threaten and warn ourselves of possible failures. Such harsh self talk hurts us, causes anxiety of all sorts and harms our health. Research reveals that kindness and self compassion, are better motivators and also decrease the stress of inner or outer pressure. Failure and mistakes are a part of life and learning. We are all human here together. Check out selfcompasssion.org. for the guided meditations on...
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