“Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.” -Zen proverb

Wanting what you have instead of having what you want is critical for enjoying a positive lifestyle. Another good corollary is wanting what you do instead of doing what you want. I am still learning to want all the things make up my days, or rather I am still working to live with not doing...

A good way to begin committing to the work of serious gratefulness is to fall into your body. I love bodywork. I had a remarkable therapy appointment with a woman who practices dynamic cranial sacral therapy. There was an intense massage clearing and then she held me at the top and base of my spine. The rhythm of my cranial fluid reset and I was still. It was truly remarkable.

It was a...

“When you are in a deep state of gratitude, you will often spontaneously feel the presence of grace.” -Phillip Moffitt

I have been falling off my gratitude journaling lately. I realize now that it isn’t enough to jot down some notes at the end of the day; gratitude journaling has to happen throughout the day, in the same way that I wore my wristband, as a mindfulness practice. In the same way...

“Perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave.“ ~Rainer Maria Rilke

This is perhaps an oxymoron of a post. But what is coming clear to me is that feeling our emotions including, and maybe even especially, our painful feelings is actually a very positive thing. There is a rampant confusion between feeling our emotions and...

Sexual health expert, Dr. Michael Krychman, author of five books including 100 questions and answers about Female Sexual Wellness and Vitality discusses the common questions and answers about sexual health for women and couples. With combined decades of work as an OB- Gyn and Clinical Sexologist, this show promises expert advice on the most common fears, health issues and solutions for a more...

The Happiness Project has topped the New York Times best seller list. Apparently I was not alone thinking that maybe there was some road map for me in there about my own positivity quest. From the beginning though, there was something a little too organized and rational about her project for me. Turns out, author Gretchen Rubinwas born into success and money. She came to her project by way of...

“There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.” -Sylvia Plath

I have always loved a hot bath. Even in the summer, I wait for the end of the day when I can slip into a steaming tub and wash away the day. Often I don’t even know how tightly I have held my back until I lean back in the hot water. My breathing slows and deepens and my thoughts slow to...

“The wise man bridges the gap by laying out the path by means of which he can get from where he is to where he wants to go.“ -John Pierpont Morgan

I have been working on a business plan for years. Sadly not quite as long as I have been in business or I might have seen where I am today. Actually I doubt it, because although I am now convinced that the people who win in business go in with...

“If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The practice of surrender is one that is often misunderstood. Most of us think of it as a loss of power or face. In wartime, surrender is the greatest humiliation associated with defeat. Even in our personal relationships, our defensive position and unwillingness to be seen in...

“Those who love deeply never grow old; they may die of old age, but they die young.” Benjamin Franklin

All four of my children are currently in the beginnings of a relationship. My boy’s girlfriends are young and sweet and bring out the best in them. My girls both have boyfriends. My 11 year old, who is just graduated out of American Girl magazines, likes a boy named Albert who has an...

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.” -Albert Ellis

Henry Ford was right when he said, “There are no big problems, there are just a lot of little problems.” Some days, or even weeks, they just stack up; one little problem on...

“Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” -Hermann Hesse

I had never given much thought to the care and attention of my central nervous system until recently. Like most of us, I just assumed that it was one of the systems in the body that automatically reset and essentially managed itself. I didn’t link the behaviors like the...