Tag: present

I have a nine year old son who loves to read. Before bed, we’ll often grab a classic tale to read together. As I’m writing this, we’re deep into Treasure Island, enjoying the harrowing tale of a young boy named Jim Hawkins who winds up aboard a ship of marauding pirates. Jim has to use his wits to outsmart the mutinous crew as he seeks to right wrongs and avoid certain death. 

My son and I find ourselves drawn to the underdog hero, cheering his valiant escapades. We’re left wondering whether we could muster the courage to outwit the unscrupulous Long John Silver, whether we would put ourselves at risk to aid dying friends, and if we would be willing to undertake an arduous journey that would eventually lead to untold treasure.

We close the book after reading a few chapters at a time and find ourselves back in reality. I’ve somehow ended up in an uncomfortable sitting position, my back aching and my arm numb from holding the bo ...

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Becoming a 'Human Being' vs. a 'Human Doing'

When I was in college, I had a thoughtful professor who hated the 'b' word; as in 'busy.' He would say that too often people use the word 'busy' to describe how they have been and he didn’t understand why people felt the need to let others know that they had a ton going on. He also noted that the phrase 'being busy,' doesn’t actually describe how a person is feeling. I found this profound to think about. Why is it that some people feel the need to always be so busy and to let others know that they’re busy?

The way we choose to live our lives will shape who we become. Often that requires deep reflection of our habits and the kinds of relationships we are choosing to allow in our life. However, one of the greatest barriers to this deeper reflection is 'busyness.'

A lot of people recognized their addiction to busyness d ...

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Springtime always seems to bring with it an energy and a busyness that comes out of nowhere, at least for me! Out of the darkness and chill of winter, life bursts forth, and suddenly I’ve got a million items on my to-do list and a full calendar. Our culture certainly supports this mindset of productivity, and I feel programmed to rate the success of my day based on how many things I’ve accomplished. And yet, in both the counseling office and my personal life, I continue to be challenged to re-examine my ideas about doing and being, about productivity, relaxation, and rest.

As I often discuss with clients (and have shared about here in a previous post as well), taking intentional care of ourselves is so important to our health and well-being. Sometimes self-care looks like meeting a goal or getting something done, but sometimes it looks like taking a day off or doing something we enjoy. Human beings were not made to operate at full speed 24/7 ...

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It’s Sunday. You still have a million and one things left on your wishful weekend “to do” list and time is rapidly slipping by. Your motivation level is at a flat zero and you’re looking ahead at another busy week. Sound familiar? What if I told you it doesn’t have to be this way? What if Sundays became your new favorite day of the week. Let’s see if we can make that happen!

One way to make Sunday feel like an entire weekend wrapped into one day is to simply...unplug. Turn off your cell phone, lock it in a cupboard, and be PRESENT. My family knows that Sundays are sacred in my home. If anyone has an emergency, they know to contact my husband because your girl is unplugged for the entire day. Sundays are reserved for rest. When was the last time you gave yourself full permission to rest? No agenda, no to do list, no GUILT over not being the epitome of productivity and efficiency. Just rest.

If you give yourself this time a ...

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