Category: Mindset

Via Negativa: The Study of What Not to Do

When thinking about how to improve something, most people instinctively focus on what can be added or changed. You want to improve your life, so you ask, “What new habits can I add?” You want to improve your business, so you ask, “What processes need to be changed or adopted?” You want to be smarter,…


Be. Do. Go.

I sat on my bed looking at the last page of a journal I’ve yet to use. Almost three years ago, a dear friend of mine wrote an encouraging note starting with the phrase “Go. Do. Be.” I remember walking into 2015 with this phrase at the forefront of my mind. Years later, this phrase…


Some Women Choose Unassisted Birth, Here’s Why

“Mom, where did the seaweed find a job?” My 8-year-old daughter read from a list of jokes that she’d prepared for me. “Where?” I asked, smiling at her and trying not to moan. “In the kelp-wanted ads!” I threw back my head and roared with laughter. I’d recently read that laughter can help ease labor…


The Wisdom on Nature

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” —John Muir Ah, nature. It’s a balm for the spirit and an education for the soul. It has nurtured a wealth of poetry and literature, inspired some of the most treasured works of art, and moved musicians to create soul-stirring compositions….


Move Toward What You Resist

Our minds have the tendency to turn away from what we fear and resist the most. We naturally don’t like pain, frustration, and difficulty. So turning away and avoiding such things are protective acts. And yet, this keeps us in our comfort zone, the stagnant zone. Growth requires pushing into resistance. Each day, find the…


The Most Neglected and Powerful Act of Self-Care

Many of us are (rightfully) focused on taking care of our health, eating nourishing whole foods, and trying to be active, while meditating, flossing, and taking time to disconnect from devices. These are wonderful acts of self-care, and they are necessary and important. But there’s one act of self-care that is very often neglected, and…


Do the Real Thing

We all have things we want to accomplish and values that we want to live out. But many things can get in our way: busyness, laziness, fear of failure, you name it. I want to share with you a simple phrase that has really helped me to make progress toward my goals and made my…


Losing a Loved One to a Violent Death

It was a beautiful Tuesday morning on September 11th, 2001. I was making rounds in the hospital greeting a couple of patients with a smile, as I knew they were well enough to go home that day. Others were holding steady but not quite ready to return home for their recovery. In another section, patients…


Your Why Matters

We are inundated each day with ideas, messages, beliefs, and expectations. We ingest more information than we can actually digest. It can overwhelm and discourage us as we try to navigate this world. There is nothing wrong with exploring and challenging these varying perspectives, beliefs, and expectations. We are free to correct course when we…


Overcoming Regret

Minimalism isn’t just about letting go of excess possessions and the things we no longer use or enjoy. It is a whole-person release of everything that diminishes our well-being. There are things that complicate our lives far more than the clutter we can see—things like the heavy burden of regret. Regret can anchor us in…