Author: C

Temperament: Approach to Day

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Well I’m a bit late in writing this given a work emergency that forced me to take a trip. But better late than never. I’ve been thinking more about happiness lately. Like my last post, it is on my mind. Why are some people so positive and some so negative. Yet both may be dealt the same exact card. Some people refuel, breathe the air in, and are so much more resilient. Why is that? After a few hectic days of travel and a lot just going on right now between work and personal plans and moving soon (need to move due to our landlord moving back in), I decided I need to breathe and reboot a bit more. I just did a meditation through my phone as I sit on the plane and then took a nap. I need to slow down. I’m a bit too wired after having worked the last five days straight well into the evenings (had to work the weekend on a rare occasion). And after my meditation and nap, I …

Happiness- A choice?

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“I have found that most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”– Abraham Lincoln I thought this quote was interesting. If you are not happy, does that mean you made up your mind not to be? Is it all mental and how you approach each day? What happens if you have no control over a decision someone else makes that impacts your happiness? Is it then up to you to still draw happiness through the hurt? Is happiness all attitude? If you are not happy, did you make up your mind to be lazy and not really try to be happy? Were you self destructive? Or is it just you aren’t lucky or have a horrible circumstance occur in life? Or you didn’t trust your instinct?  Or if someone else around you screws up, totally out of your control and it impacts your happiness, how much is on you? I think if I really explore that quote it is fairly true.  I do believe while fate, chance, karma, and …

Summer Surprises

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As I sit here in my favorite chair, as the afternoon sun pours in and I look at the fresh flowers in the vases around me, I come to appreciate the curve balls and surprises life throws at you. I am relaxing and enjoying this moment on Memorial Day.  Memorial Day is such a great way to really kick off the summer. And to me spring and early summer is all about renewal. A rebirth of sunshine, warm sand in your toes, possibilities, and long lazy summer nights where the sun is still up until 8-9pm. And I also reflect on surprises that come in your life. Sometimes good surprises, sometimes bad surprises and sometimes moments that take you off guard (good and bad). And in all those, you grow. You figure out a piece of yourself by your reaction. The reason I am combining the two is, in the summer surprises seem so much more vivid. I don’t know why. I think I’m more aware of my surroundings, colors, smells, and sunlight. I seem …

Memories

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This week it is short and sweet! I hope you are so exhausted from making memories and laughing that you are filled with happiness but also ready for sleep. This weekend was about making memories with old friends. And sleeping on Sunday evening when we return. Some weekends are for being lazy and resting. And some are for adventures and big memories. This was one of those types of weekends. I hope you have a few like that soon too! Ready for another day to sleep! But what a great weekend with old hometown friends, their partners, and a fun city (Nashville). Here is to more summer memories to come!

Fake It Until You Feel It

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So first, apologize to those readers who follow me! I was gone last weekend for a very good reason. My sister got engaged and we surprised her by being up in NY for it! So last Sunday we were driving all day to get back down to home. So excited for her and Bruce. And such fun to see their joy and enthusiasm for their future. Now….to my topic this week. I am realizing more and more, attitude and mood is a choice.  When we repeatedly do something, it is a habit.  And how you see the world can become a habit. What I mean by this is, some people are just overly negative to everything. Or focus so much on self-doubt or dark places, that it is a habit. It just their “go-to” attitude. Yet, it doesn’t have to be. I am all for being in tune with your emotions and allowing yourself to feel sad, happy, emotional, etc. for moments in time (just not forever). It is important to really feel and understand …

Modern Medicine vs. Way of Life

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I have been reading a lot about how lifestyle affects our health lately. One chapter written by Dr. Jim Nicolai in a booked called Mindful Living estimates ” that a whopping 70-90% of the diseases he sees in his practice have a lifestyle component and that in the majority of those cases, stress- usually taking from the form of anxiety, depression, or insomnia is the major culprit.” And better than any pill he prescribes, the way you live has the biggest cure rate. “Lifestyle is the new pill.” By no means does that correlate to the ONLY reason people get sick nor that medicine is not a necessity in certain circumstances (I know this more than anybody between being a daughter of a pharmacist and working in the healthcare profession my entire life thus far), but lifestyle has a huge impact on our life expectancy. And the quality of our time here on earth. Beyond the obvious things like smoking, diet, excessive drinking, and harmful substances, more and more, it is proven that your emotional …

Wanderlust

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 I have some serious case of wanderlust as summer approaches. I am ready for summer adventures. Adventures that help me grow, give me energy,  refuel me, and teach me new perspectives.   Adventures that fill up my soul. Even if you can’t afford a big international trip, a road trip to a new town, a trip to a new state (the US is so diverse in landscape, climate, and culture), or a day in another part of your city can do wonders. It can really refuel you. It also brings you closer to the people you travel with along the way. Any recommendations for trips this summer? Where are you doing to fulfill your wanderlust? I’m up late finishing my wanderlust dreams for the summer. On my list this summer: Nashville, Croatia, Carolina Coast, and a few weekend roadtrips. I only wish I had more vacation time and money to travel for a few months!!

Restrictions

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I was doing some spring cleaning this weekend (tis the season), and came across a quote I wrote down on a piece of paper like over ten years ago after watching an Ally McBeal episode. It said “We all want love to come along, yet we put all these restrictions on how it can come and how it should evolve once it comes.” Still a relevant quote even today Calista. We do put restrictions on our loves- our friends, our parents, our siblings, our lovers. All with expectations about how we should interact, how our relationships should evolve, the steps and phases they must go through, etc. Just an interesting thing to really think about. The more I just allow myself to be spontaneous and ride with it, the more it surprises me. Forgiveness becomes easier. People I never thought I’d forgive or reconnect with somehow come back around and end up being dear friends. The opposite of “my type” ends up being the love of my life.  How I (and my family) was defined …

Power of a Good Book

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The power of a good book is pretty incredible. It is like an amazing dessert, a wonderful vacation, the great escape, and a total restorative move. It is such a lovely luxury amongst our busy lives. And can take you to places you never thought you’d go– you can travel the world or someone’s life through a good character and well written descriptions. It can be simply amazing and refuel you in all ways. There is nothing like when you can’t put it down and it is such a good page turner you are forcing yourself to stay up to the last page. And then so disappointed it is over. I believe in spending as much time as possible with your loved ones (I was lucky enough to do just that this weekend), with nature, and in the present. But there is also something to be said for refueling yourself by curling up with a great read. Even if it is just to get in a chapter or a few pages after the kids are …

Home

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I’ve been thinking a lot about home recently. And where is home to me as an adult? I have my childhood town….in a different home from when I grew up but still the same town. And my Dad and aunt are there. That feels like home when I’m back. I also have the cities I’ve lived in along the way as an adult. Some more than others felt like home when I was living there. And then I have our current condo…which is homey and also feels like home for the most part. And yet for a long time with all these options I was searching for that sense of something that really truly felt like my home. Why? As I think more about this, I realize home (truly home) for me is where I have loved one’s close to me and also when I feel settled with my life.  And that is why for so long I just couldn’t truly feel complete. I never fully allowed myself to feel established somewhere. I’ve always been …