What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? Early in my work life, I received this piece of advice: Give up on trying to please everyone; that is not your job. Besides, nothing you do will please everyone. Like most advice, it is easy to say and challenging to implement! My life has been … Continue reading Pleasing Everyone…
What's your all-time favorite album? The ethereal threads of music run through my life like the crimson, azure, and amber filaments of a tapestry. There are just too many choices for me to identify a single, all-time favorite album. On any given day if I am asked for a “favorite album.,” I will draw from … Continue reading Soundtracks of Life
What's your favorite word? My practice for these daily prompts is to sit with them a bit to see what rises in me. I pause. Then I begin to write whatever arises. Today, I was surprised- as I often am- when the blogging prompt brought forth this word: Yes. I must add this disclaimer: “Yes” … Continue reading Let Your Yes Be Yes
How do you relax? Sabbath. Every Friday is a day set aside for personal rest. The key to keeping it relaxing is to keep myself from forming some list of items that must be accomplished on that day. Relax and release are closely related words for me. Most of the days of my week seem … Continue reading A Day Without Agenda
If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be? "Stupid." I would dispel that word from my vocabulary; that goes double for my inner critic. Let me be clear. I do not use "stupid" much in daily conversation or thoughts I have about the world. However, my friend … Continue reading Chats with My Inner Critic
Today was a normal day. I woke and then headed downstairs to the kitchen. I made coffee and oatmeal for my family, and then we shared the meal. There was pleasant banter about my wife's and son's insomnia last night- they watched Modern Family together while I slept upstairs, oblivious. After breakfast cleanup, I brought … Continue reading My Day Got Misaligned
Why do you blog? Yesterday, I received the gift of my wife reading her way through my blog thus far. As we talked later, she shared that each successive post seemed to become more reflective of “me,“ the person she has come to know and love. Sometimes it is easier to hide behind words than … Continue reading Practice Being Real
What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life? I begin each day with meditation. If I do not begin my day that way, the experience of the day is altered, seeming less “real” and more reactive. This daily practice of “letting go” helps me live more awake and attentive to the … Continue reading Receive and Release
What TV shows did you watch as a kid? There were three notable shows that immediately come to mind from my childhood. The first was Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, a show about nature and the realities of animals. I remember looking forward to the show weekly even when it was a repeat. Marlin Perkins … Continue reading Life As It Is and Could Be
What's your favorite time of day? I have a weekly habit of arising at 5:00AM on Sundays, in the pre-dawn hours. There is something about how the Silence envelopes me at the time that brings an inner peace. I was not a morning person at all most of my life. I rose early only occasionally … Continue reading Deep Silence before Dawn
