Simply Enough

Have you ever felt the pressure, or the letdown, from wanting the holidays to be perfect? But the holidays can come alive more as feelings in one’s heart, rather than outer events.   Build upon the foundation of sentiments that make a holiday real.  The universal language of gratitude is contagious and life giving! Rather than one day on the calendar, live a life of Thanks-living, thinking of specific things from boogers to moo-cow...

Have you ever been frustrated with traffic, or even have momentary road rage? Did you know your car can be a great classroom of life? Ironically, one can learn to find joy at the same time of feeling frustrated, because switching perspectives can change a situation and environment completely. With life lessons in traffic, we can remember that we can't control others, and practice not taking things personally, and develop the s...

Have you ever reasoned or talked yourself out of something you really want? Cerebral thoughts in the head can explain away the pull of what's going on in the heart. But not everything has to be by-the-book, or have a rational purposeful "Because" as an answer to the "Why". Affirm when it's ok to the moved by the heart, and not just led by the head. Sometimes, that internal pull of "I want to"...

Have you ever felt like your life was just the same ol' routine? Do you wish there was something to give you that jolt of adrenaline rush and surge of energy? Being scared can be uncomfortable, but can also be exciting! Sometimes, our own internal need for control, safety and self-protection can hold us back and keep us from testing our sense of living and feeling fully alive. Rather than avoidance, you can approach and move t...

Have you ever felt low, or on edge, after watching tv, scrolling social media, or listening to the news? Have you looked at what you're consuming? Just like food is nutrition for physical health, then for emotional and mental health, examine what you ingest and allow in too. Be mindful of what lifts versus what weighs down your spirit. Take control and be the subject, not the object, of your life sentences. You are your own ch...

Have you ever been swept up into other people's stormy situations, engrossed in their drama? Is that the best way to be helpful? Other people's energies can swirl around but you can stay grounded in peace, to be of service. Taking on drama won't necessarily mitigate it. Misery loves company, but commiserating might actually perpetuate the storm. You can have compassion and empathy for their reality without taking on ...

Has anyone imposed their opinions on you, or projected their emotions on you? Or have you ever done that to someone else? Opinions aren't facts, whether they come from others or come from your Self, yet it's easy to believe opinions as unwavering truth. Don't take other people's impressions and limiting opinions as your own lived experience. Don't stop yourself or hold yourself back based on someone else&ap...

Did you ever feel unpopular, or not one of the “cool kids” or outside the social hierarchy? Have you ever felt taken for granted, or, have you ever been the taker? Is it true we become the average of the 5 people with whom we spend the most time?

Listen to the voice inside you that knows who you are and is guiding you, and align with those with whom you respond positively.  Reflect on the time you devote to certain people....

Have you ever berated yourself? What do you say? Do words of self doubt reverberate in your head? We are constantly sending messages to ourselves and to others. Talk to yourself like you would to a beloved friend.  Feel free to debate yourself rather than swallow the negative soliloquy. Condemning words are like self-inflicted wounds with the salt of shame being rubbed in it.  With affirming self talk, replace the double-negative o...

As a kid, did you ever have an old curmudgeon of a teacher, and you swore you would never grow up to be like that person? Or, as an adult now, do you look at younger generations with disdain, while they look at you and say “ok, Boomer”?  There’s a lot we can learn from youth— from their open-mindedness, and their shameless willingness to say “I don’t know, but let me try”. Learning isn’t just wisdom passed down from the old, but al...

From the devastating tragedy of the fires in Maui comes clarity of what really is most important and most valuable in life. Also, in its aftermath, there were many demonstrations of how people can come together and demonstrate what kindness and generosity look like, rallying to do whatever it takes and whatever is needed to care for others. The immediacy of resiliency, figuring out what can we do and what do we have that we can giv...

Amidst the tragedy of loss from the Maui fires, the resilience, generosity, and sense of community have been inspiring, and puts into perspective what really matters in life. Have you ever felt like you were constantly chasing "more"? Yet, we are more than our possessions, acquisitions, accumulations, and titles, and Enough is actually a choice we control. Looking at what we have and being grateful,  rather than what we&a...

Have you ever driven yourself mad from wishing things were different? Not accepting things in the moment as they are, or yourself as you are, is the root of stress. We are all works in progress and living in real-time. Life doesn't have to be curated or edited. Just do things anyway. It's ok to have a "round two" or another trial. Accepting things isn't about being complacent. It's coming to a place of...

Have you ever regretted holding yourself back, or kicked yourself with the thought  “if only I had …” ? Delete the narrative you tell yourself that keeps you from being bold!  A missed opportunity is a bigger deal than the fear of a little temporary awkwardness, embarrassment or rejection. Practice recognizing the opportunity of Now, and embolden yourself, to ask and go after what you want. Weigh the risks of not doing and not tryi...

Have you ever felt blah and needed a pick-me-up? Need a cure for feeling meh? Being mindful and present with the sensations you're feeling can give moments of reset. Recognize the weights we carry that are heavy and buffer or pull us down rather than uplift us. Then have a refreshed start. Show up for yourself and start small, to overcome inertia, and fuel momentum to be uplifted. Eschew simulations because "there ain&apo...

Have you ever been at the crossroads of how you want to show love versus how the object of your affection wants to receive it? Working through the impasse of what love looks like on all sides can be  messy.  Remember to process and honor not just how that person feels, but also how your own actions are making you feel, and how you show up as a reflection of what you truly ultimately want in the end.  Being “all-in” in a loving rela...