The Joy of Now

As a parent, it can be so easy to get caught up in the yesterdays and tomorrows: What are we going to do to keep the kids busy this summer? Remember when Johnny was just a baby, and we could cradle him in our arms? 

As a parent in today's world, it's even easier than ever to distract yourself from now. Mobile devices make it possible for a person to distract themselves any second of the day, no matter where they are at that moment. And while we can all make the argument that we are using these devices purposefully ("I'm just shooting off an e-mail for work." or "I'm checking our calendar to see if we're free that weekend."), it's not surprising that research shows that these behaviors are having damaging effects on our children.

The Misery of Being a Grown-Up

The realities of being a grown-up!

Those bills need to be paid, today. You need to call somebody about that drip in the basement. You need to go back to the grocery store and tell them your receipt doesn't reflect that awesome BOGO promotion there was so much signage for you'd be blind to miss it--but yet, somehow, their computer system still did. You need to speak to a manager because the service, or the food, or something at this restaurant is truly sub-par and your experience has been awful because of it.

And those are just the little things. What about the big decisions? Should we remodel or move? Lease or own? Family of three, four or more? Stay together or call it quits? Keep working that emotionally-draining job or take a leap of faith that something better is out there?

Being Early

"The early bird catches the worm." --William Camden

I have a confession to make: I have a really hard time making it to places on time. Okay, so people who know me already knew that. But, honestly, one of my top New Year's Resolutions for many, many years has been: "to be on time." And, since it has been a resolution for many, many years, that means I have yet to be successful at it. This year, I'm trying a little different tactic.

The Joy of the Sun (or Sun Salutation)

It's a challenge to stay mindful and present during this cold, hard winter. All I can think about lately is when spring will come. I know I'm not alone. But there is one constant with us through every season (even though it may hide behind the clouds some days): the sun. If you're feeling down about the weather or you can't keep yourself in the present moment because you're too busy thinking of spring (or even jumping ahead to summer!), why not try to bring yourself back to the present with an ancient practice known as a sun salutation?

The True Meaning of Valentine's Day

So I realize this post is a bit outdated as Valentine's Day was four days ago, but in my Procrastinator's Handbook the section entitled "Better Late than Never" says you can make up for your untimeliness if you have a reasonable argument for why you don't need to do something on the actual date. Here goes...

The Joy of the Dentist

I had a not-so-fun dental procedure (forgive my redundancy) done today, and you may be wondering from my choice of post titles if it included any laughing gas. It didn't; however, I'm choosing to view it as a positive experience because of the opportunity it offered me to enrich my mindfulness journey, believe it or not!

The Art of the To-Do List

You may remember in my New Year's post I talked about setting goals as opposed to resolutions for the year, and that my primary focus was to work on my time management issues (ahem) challenges. I will be doing a series of posts throughout the year, which will include techniques I am trying and changes I am making on this organizational journey, which will be dubbed "Integrated Time Management" or ITM (you may have heard of "Integrated Pest Management" or IPM--a method used to solve pest problems while still being as forgiving as possible to people and their environment? I'd like to think of this as very similar methodology.)

Mindful Parenting in Isthmus

I am very excited to announce my first article "in print" since my reintroduction into the writing world. Of course, like all things today, you can also access it electronically by clicking here. 

Isthmus gave me my first big break (and several thereafter) when I started writing years ago, so I am happy to be working with them again. It is a great weekly newspaper that isn't afraid to tackle some big issues. After you check out my article, look around some more.

Happy reading!!

The Misery of Resolutions

I'm sure I'm not alone in my dread of making resolutions. We all have the best intentions, and this is the time of year where we really let them shine. But there is something about New Year's resolutions that I find to be disconcerting.

The Joy of Bedtime

Oh, yes! I want to convince you to think about bedtime in a positive light if you don't already. Something that can seem akin to a nightmare can actually be one of the best parts of your family's day.

Thankful Parenting

I know it's cliché, but this is a great time of year to step back and consciously sum up what you are thankful for. Everyone has something, regardless of your situation. You just have to find it.

Thankfulness is also an important lesson to instill in your children, as it is not a skill that comes naturally. In fact, we know that young children are naturally egocentric until about age seven, which is about as far off from thankfulness as you can get.

The Misery of E-mail

Now, before I get deep into the message of this post, I want to make it clear that I depend on e-mail just as much as the next guy. With a mostly introverted personality, e-mail has been a saving grace in many personal and business encounters. I'd much rather communicate an issue or conflict through e-mail, if appropriate, than have to deal with someone face to face.

But my intent with the mindfulness sections of this blog ("The Joy of ___" and "The Misery of ___") is to reflect on the things I can change to make my life more mindful and meaningful. I think a great place to start is e-mail.

The Joy of Leaf Raking

This past weekend we saw most the leaves come off our trees in one fell swoop. On Monday, after sending the kids off to school, every time I looked out the window I would consider going out to rake. But it was windy, and I just couldn't get myself motivated.

The Joy of the Street Sweeper

This morning I stopped to watch the street sweeper come down our street and I was instantly transported back to childhood. One of my favorite memories was when the street sweeper would be near...(you can always hear it before you see it) and I would instantly run to the living room window to stand still and watch while it slowly sauntered by.

The Joy of Dishwashing

Here it is--the one place where I spend A LOT of my time during the day, especially after dinner. But, before you feel all sorry for me and tell me I should make my husband do the dishes more often, let me tell you two things.

Working Toward Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a topic I find myself more and more interested in, especially how it can carry over into my parenting. I think it can be a very useful tool for parents to have in their "belt," especially during those moments where you feel like either: a) screaming at the top of your lungs or b) walking away...far, far away. (And I do advocate walking away in the heat of a moment at home with your kids, but not far, far away and definitely not when walking away might compromise their safety--i.e. the public domain).