Advice from a Mighty Sequoia Tree

I recently had the opportunity to hike through the giant forest at Sequoia National Park.  We walked among trees that were 1000s of years old; some were over 40 feet in diameter and 100 feet in circumference.  Hidden in high groves of the mountainous sierras, it seemed as though we were walking through a majestic, […]

FREEDOM

Happy Fourth of July! Fourth of July picnics and parties will be held all across America this week celebrating the freedom that we have come to know and associate with living in the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”  Have you ever considered what your freedom really means?  We learn in […]

Is Negativity Affecting Your Life? It’s easy to identify other people who are negative and point out what makes them negative. It’s easy to point out how their negative outlook is limiting their life and relationships.  It seems much harder to take a realistic look at ourselves.  Being a negative person can be so deep-rooted […]

Reconnect with Your Life

We talk a lot about what stress looks like.  Many of our worries during stressful times take us to the future.  “I have to shop, wrap gifts, bake cookies, clean the house…”  With all the distractions come opportunities to tune out instead of tune in.  Before we know it, a running list of “to do’s” […]

Lessening Holiday Stress

Other than Dr. Seuss’ Grinch, no one begins holiday preparations by saying, “I think I will plan for disappointment, failure and anxiety this year.” We want to succeed in creating experiences of joy and celebration for the people we love. But our plans can backfire and leave us feeling inadequate if we become trapped in […]

A Christmas List

My children were busy this past weekend making their Christmas wish lists.  As I read through their lists, I thought about how each year seems to bring about some new “must-have” toy or game and a mad frenzy by parents to try to secure one for their child.  According to the History channel’s History Lists, […]