One Balanced Life

Speaking of watching what we say to ourselves - as the big brother helped put silverware away he shared this wonderful insight, "These are wasting time."  Meanwhile, as little brother fussed in the crib he commented, "The baby is going to put you right over the edge right into the basement." Where would he have gotten all that...Dad perhaps? Nothing like a child to encourage one to examine the words one chooses.

How could this guy ever put me over the edge?

P.S. I can't take credit for this one, which was taken by my amazing friend, who beautifully captures the moments. Contact me if you want her info. She is truly talented and I love her work. Actually I can't take credit for any of the pictures on this website, they are my father's, an economist, who after a lifetime in academia, found his creativity and I love it!

Give yourself the gift of discovery this Mother’s Day - register for a Mamas Rediscovered workshop here. Through the experience of massage, exercises, reflection, and discussion I will be partnering with Julie Kesti, Shiatsu Massage Therapist to support you in finding energy, inspiration, balance, and peace. During this workshop you will identify ways to care for yourself and start creating the life you want. This workshop is the ultimate in self-care: time for reflection & the experience of Asian Bodywork.

As a trained cognitive-behavioral therapist I’ve spent a considerable amount of time thinking about how our thoughts affect our feelings and behavior. I do believe that what we say to ourselves affects our experience of life. The negative conversations I have in my head leave me feeling tense and jumpy. This anxiety leaves me stranded and immobilized. On the other hand if I’m positive in my reflections I feel relaxed and confident in my ability to move forward. It has taken me longer than I care to admit that there is more to the puzzle than this. I’ve realized that if I’m not taking care of my body it doesn’t really matter how upbeat my self-talk is and I’m stuck. This became all the more obvious after a week of interrupted sleep, and too much sugar, coupled with a physically exhausting weekend that involved an intense strength training class Saturday and a Sunday morning run my body wasn’t ready for. I was a disaster. My husband tactfully pointed out my negativity after I snapped at the baby for being a baby. I was reminded of the interdependence of our body and minds. You’ve heard of the mind-body connection….simple our mind affects our body and vice versa. The two can’t be separated as easily as I once believed. We need to take care in how we think and approach life and in how we nurture our bodies. For me, slipping into sloppy eating patterns, sleep deprivation, and pushing my body too far all add up to a clouded mind. It is journey of subtle mental misteps and sometimes all out physical crashes that remind me to make some navigational adjustments to get me back on track.

How about for you…what happens when your physical self-care becomes a little careless?

If you want to make your life a little lighter & brighter this week try a few of these...

Use a smaller plate
Spend time outside
Each day take a few minutes and pack up a bag for Goodwill
Have that conversation you've been avoiding
Don’t plan ANYTHING for the weekend
Buy fresh flowers
Say hi and smile

"Spring has come home with her world-wandering feet.
And all the things are made young with young desires."
Unknown

To live at the beach
To be passionately in love
To eat chocolate chip cookie dough
To read late into the night
To be a singer or an architect
To travel to Fiji
To write a novel
To live with abandon

What are your "young" desires?
Either the desires of your youth or the ones you think you are too old or too responsible for now?

Do your choices now reflect these desires? Could they....