Six Powerful Words

August 28th, 2018

Six Powerful Words

I recently came across a gem of a book called "The Best Advice in Six Words."

Here are just a handful of the pieces of advice contained therein:

“Everything's possible: We're made of miracles.” -Van Jones

“Powerful avalanches begin with small shifts.” – Pamela McFarland Walsh

“Don’t waste what others desperately seek.” – Sarita Alston

“There is strength in being vulnerable.” – Steven Berkowitz

“Exhale a nightmare, inhale a possibility.” – Marty Blackmer

(There are many, many hilarious 6 word quips that I've saved for interested readers!)

As the bard once said, "Brevity is the soul of wit."

It doesn't take long-winded discourse or palaverour debate to make a meaningful statement. There is power in being succinct.

Please share your favorite 6-word witticisms and advice with me?

And, if you're feeling up for it, share a time when you might have benefited from expressing yourself more concisely.

How Not To Mess Up Your Kids

August 21st, 2018


How Not To Mess Up Your Kids

Don't have kids.

It is impossible to be a perfect parent.

Just as it is impossible to be a perfect child.

Or partner. Or friend. Or student. Or teacher. Or [insert role here]. Or human.

It doesn't mean we don't try.

It does mean we stop having unrealistic expectations and figure out how to be our best and do our best without being overly attached to the outcomes.

It means we stop getting so caught up in the minutiae that we ignore the things that truly count and make a difference.

A Common Cure

August 14th, 2018


A Common Cure

Stress can be the results of many different things.

Yet, when traced back to its origin, much of the stress we experience can be reduced to one simple dilemma: the desire to do two things at the same time.

We want to lose weight but we want to eat more of our favorite foods.

We want to do well in a class but we want to watch TV.

We want to cultivate meaningful and deeper relationships but we want to avoid judgment and the possibility of rejection.

In short, we must address our cognitive dissonance if we wish to sustainably and effectively address out stress.

It's Easier in the Long Run

August 7th, 2018


It's Easier in the Long Run

We all have stories and beliefs that we hold onto tightly and subconsciously.

Some of these stories and beliefs serve us, but many do not.

They also cloud us from objectivity.

They are the lens through which we see and interact with the world. They are the filters through which we sift reality.

Becoming aware of these stories and beliefs is the first step. It is not easy. And it is both necessary and not enough.

The next step can be even harder for some people because it involves challenging deeply ingrained schemas.

Still, it is the worth the effort.

Because winnowing and censoring and inhibiting takes work. It is often subconscious work and effort, yet it drains us and keeps us from truly and fully experiencing life for what it is.

Being in the world without our blinders can feel disorienting and scary and vulnerable. But in the long-run, it is easier because it is what will set us free.