I remember walking into my boss’ office at my day job to turn in my resignation, almost exactly 10 years ago today. I was quitting the life of a regular paycheck, to become a full-time blogger and writer. I was filled with an overwhelming sensation of fear, and an overwhelming sensation of joy.
Category: zen habits
Get Better at Dealing with Anger
Yesterday a loved one asked me about dealing with anger — he lashed out at someone he loves in a way that hurt her and filled him with shame and regret. I think we can all related to this — most of us have lashed out in anger and regretted it later.
A Guide to Making This Your Best Year Ever
Happy New Year my friends! It’s that time of year when we start afresh, with a blank slate, and think about the possibilities that the new year holds for us.
The Simplicity Cycle: Returning to Paring Down to Find Your True Needs
Simplifying your life isn’t a single project that you can finish and be done with — it’s actually a cycle. At least, that’s what I’ve found in my decade plus of simple living … I’ve downsized numerous times, in all areas of my life, and I keep finding myself coming back to the process of simplifying.
A Guide to Finding Calm & Being Less Frustrated
One of the most common sources of difficulty for most of us is frustration – we can get frustrated with the smallest things, throughout the day. And yet, becoming aware of how often we’re frustrated doesn’t quite solve the problem. Someone pointing out that you’re frustrated only makes you more irritated. How can we let go of our frustrations, and find calm?
Developing Extraordinary Resilience
We’re all beset with difficulties, obstacles, pain, tiredness, and a thousand other setbacks, small and large. What determines whether we take these setbacks in stride, or let them bring us down, is something that psychologists call “resilience.” It’s an ability to come back from setbacks, adapt, learn, but not be dragged down by these setbacks.
Gratitude to Overcome Boredom, Difficulties, Complaining, & Feeling Overwhelmed
As many give thanks for what’s in their lives this week, we might look at how to go deeper with gratitude. “Gratitude” seems like a trite and even perhaps boring topic to many — we all know we should be grateful. And yet, there are ways that we aren’t cultivating gratitude … and our lives could be much easier, even richer, if we did use gratitude in these deeper ways. Let’s take a few examples.
How to Form the Decisiveness Habit
People who are plagued with indecisiveness generally know they don’t want to be that way, so I won’t belabor the point. It’s not fun, and I feel compassion for those who have this difficulty. So how can we form the habit of being decisive instead?
Resting in the Open Nature of Life
It can take some practice, as it’s easy to have your mind be very active, or reject certain parts of the experience, or get caught up in a chain of thoughts. That’s OK. Just notice that happening, and think of this as a part of the experience. Just keep practicing.
How We Lose Sight of the Profound Awesomeness of Life
There are moments when we are able to soak in the incredible beauty of life, the preciousness of it, the awe-inspiring power of the world around us. It is breath-taking, gorgeous, deeply moving. But most of the time, we forget.