Tag: focus

We often focus on the negative. What don’t we have? What is still lacking? What if it never gets better? 

There are times we should focus on what’s wrong. Ignoring it isn’t going to help anything. A life without reflection is likely one without learning or growing, and can lead to additional complications. I invite you to think of things going well in addition to this reflection. What have you done well so far in your life? There must be something. Don’t count yourself out before you’ve truly reflected on the ways you’ve learned and the ways you’ve succeeded. If life is feeling extra sad or gray lately, find ways to make life just a little sweeter. Some ideas include: 

• Stay in the sun for an extra minute. 
• Look at encouraging quotes.
• Read old cards or letters from friends and family. 
• Drink a glass of water. 
• Take time to m ...
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You are sitting on a bench at your local playground. It’s sunny (despite Michigan’s temperamental weather). Your gaze begins to wander and settles on children climbing. They are climbing everywhere. It’s amazing, actually, how many things children can climb on. You further notice how they run, walk, slide down slides, play tag, squeal with delight on swings. Toddlers trundle off in a big, new-to-them world. They seem to take up space with ease; it’s their world, we’re just living in it. They are so sure that they belong wherever they go. Do you have this scene? For me, this imagined space invites lots of emotions: joy, wonder, delight, curiosity, and sadness. Yes, sadness. Because I, as an adult, have a harder time feeling so present and excited and happy and confident of belonging. I have more awareness and more to my story as to why these emotions make sense for me.

What is play, and why does it make sense for all humans of ...

Turning off endless thoughts and rumination can be a difficult task for many people (in fact, 6.8 million people across the US).  So, it should not be shocking that we all may experience similar instances, or even times of day when we find it difficult to turn off the worry.  Some people may experience anxiety in the morning, throughout the day, or all-times revolving around sleep.  Have you ever been abruptly woken up from a deep sleep trying to figure out the world’s problems—many of us have! Or, are you the jealous type who envies your spouse for catching ZZZ’s moments after hitting their pillow—meanwhile, you are left alone with your thoughts for hours on end?! The thoughts can be endless, and thoughts do not necessarily have to be distressing in nature to be, well, distressing. 

Humans have the ability to think and think and think, without ever really finding the end of the thought—we simply ruminat ...