Positive Attitude

September 27, 20160

Stay Calm and Get It Done

I began this Mindful Musing in the Tom Bradly International Terminal on my way to Bali for a long awaited book-research trip. Since then I’ve enjoyed a thirteen hour flight on EVA Airlines, during which time I stretched much, slept little, watched movies, and ate jook for breakfast—a rice porridge also known as congee made with minced pork, and in this case, sprinkled with dried bits of fish. The jook was a particularly auspicious treat since it’s comfort food for the heroine of my ninja vigilante thriller. All in all, a good beginning to my real life adventure that now, apparently, includes a typhoon in Taipei!Read more

Empowerment, Exciting Stuff, Motivation, Writing

May 31, 20160

Finding Our Tribe

Even when engaged in a solitary endeavor such as writing, community matters. Perhaps more so. How else can we truly connect except by helping one another, sharing stories, and rejoicing in each other’s success? It is far too easy to lose ourselves in the obsessive passions that drive us forward or to succumb to the demons and worries that threaten to hold us back. Whether we are consumed with career, school, exploration, creativity, or mastery, our lives are benefited by meaningful interaction with our tribe.Read more

Calming Emotions, Health, Mindfulness, Relationships

March 1, 20160

How to Choose NOT to Worry

Worry is an action that occupies our thoughts, eats our time, and taints our present with anxiety about the future. It’s not, as many believe, an inescapable extension of love or empathy. Nor is it a demonstration of awareness and planning. It is not a byproduct of anything. Worry is an action. And that makes it a choice.Read more

Health, Mindfulness, Motivation, Writing

January 31, 20160

How I Met My Writing Deadline: Caring for Others and Self

An emergency with my elderly parents sent me flying out of the house with a hastily packed bag, numerous tins of whole leaf tea, and of course… my laptop. What more could a writer need? When two days turned into nine, I had a few more ideas! Fortunately, the most important necessity could be found anywhere at any time.Read more

Calming Emotions, Health, Mindfulness

December 28, 20150

Reflections on Gratitude (Insights from a Fractured Tooth)

Who knew a blast of air on a fractured tooth could render a badass ninja into a trembling kitten? Okay… I suppose I would have expected it if I had given it prior thought. But here’s the thing: I don’t have problems with dental work. I don’t leap from the chair like a Halloween cat and claw the ceiling every time the dentist pokes at a tooth. In fact, my biggest concern is staying awake in those comfy reclining chairs. But when that air blasted my nerve, I embedded all twenty of my claws so deeply into ceiling panel I didn’t think I’d ever come down.Read more

Mindfulness, Perspective

June 30, 20150

Art of Meaningful Coincidence

What is it that makes us look left instead of right so we can see exactly what we need to see, or that makes us pick up an unknown book from a wall of thousands to find exactly what we need to read, or that leads us along a series of unusual choices to an unexpected—yet perfect—outcome?Read more

Mindfulness, Perspective

November 1, 20140

Staying Young

As we get older, there’s a tendency to cross certain physical activities off the list as being too childish, too dangerous, or simply beyond our strength, agility, and balance. But are they? How many of those physical challenges are off the list for no more reason than we’ve lost our courage to try?

Launching Empowered Living Radio with a Powerful Discussion on Personal Responsibility

Weekly Live/Podcast that Shares Strategies to Celebrate Life

Well, in less than a week I will be debuting the first episode of Empowered Living Radio! This is a topic oriented show and the first topic is a big one—Personal Responsibility. Those two words trigger a variety of emotions in people, everything from defensiveness to pride, bringing up thoughts of blame, shame, and even politics. Independently and together these two words are emotionally charged. They are also the foundation for healing and empowerment.Read more

Calming Emotions, Mindfulness, Motivation, NINJA, ShowBiz, Writing

October 2, 20130

Dodging Disappointment

When we are willing to do the work, remain flexible as to the means, and have unwavering belief in our ability to get it right—disappointment has no place to root. On the other hand, when our heart and mind are attached to a fixed outcome and timetable, disappointment digs deep and sprouts up like a nasty weed. Water those weeds with doubt, and soon we’ll have a field of despair where nothing positive can grow.Read more

Exciting Stuff, Mindfulness, NINJA, ShowBiz, Writing

August 1, 20130

Planes, Trains, and Peace of Mind

So, there we were, sitting on the tarmac in St. Louis biding our time. Actually, the pilot had taxied our plane away from the gate to avoid the mandatory evacuation that is required after an hour or so of just sitting in a non-ventilated cabin, enjoying the slow ripening of 150 humans. He would chime in periodically to inform us of the status of the thunderstorms that had temporarily shut down La Guardia airport—apparently lightening is not a good thing. It was time for some ninja magic.Read more

Mindfulness, Motivation

May 1, 20130

World of Possibility

BarBQ Have you ever noticed how some people always find a way to get a task done while others flounder and fail? We might be tempted to assume that it has something to do with the nature of the task—and sometimes it does—unless we witness two people facing the identical challenge. Our second assumption might be to credit the fortitude and resourcefulness of the individual—which is frequently the caseRead more

Calming Emotions, Mindfulness, Perspective, Relationships

February 1, 20130

Redefining Happiness

What is happiness, exactly? Is it big smiles and laughter? Champagne, presents and celebration? Love? Peace of mind? Contentment? What does happy look like to you? How does it feel – to you? Most of us list happiness as a fundamental goal but how do we know if we’re achieving it if we haven’t taken the time to define it?Read more

Calming Emotions, Mindfulness, Motivation

January 1, 20130

Doubt Arising

Doubtarising Negative thoughts can take over our minds like weeds in a neglected garden. Given time, those suckers dig in deep. But while pulling a mature weed is darn near impossible without an Olympic tug-of-war team behind you, pulling a new weed is easy. The trick is to take them out when they first appear.

Perhaps the worst of these insidious thoughts is doubt. Doubt is a weed on steroids. It undermines every positive idea, project, or relationship we try to grow.Read more

Calming Emotions, Mindfulness

November 1, 20120

The Problem with Blessings

It’s easy to discount the ease with which others live their lives when we are not feeling it ourselves. We hear what they’re saying but jump to all the justifiable reasons of why our life is, and must continue to be, a struggle. We list the causes of our stress—very real stress, thank you very much, not the petty minor stresses of those other people—until our listing takes on the ironic tone of bragging.

It’s tempting to itemize our ailments as though our lifestyle choices had no bearing. We can blame bad luck, poor genes, and unavoidable circumstance—all of which may be true and valid—but if we focus on this,Read more

Calming Emotions, Communication, Mindfulness

October 1, 20120

Whining Not Allowed

Whining. I don’t like it in others, and I don’t tolerate it in myself. My family can attest to this fact. Let’s just say that I’m not always the best person to come to if you want to indulge in the “Oh, woe is me” self-pity-fest. However, that is not to say that I’m not a good sounding board for ranting. I don’t mind a good rant now and then. So, what is it that distinguishes whining from ranting? For me, there are a few distinct elements.Read more

Tag: Positive Attitude