Decision making

The peace of the pause

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I wrapped up a big theater project last weekend and Monday morning felt like I’d hit a wall – face first! Every step, every thought took effort. What was going on? I was exhausted after 3 months of intense work, 6-7 days a week. And I was sad. Ending a show feels like the end of summer camp. You’ve had a great time with a new group of friends you know you’ll never be with again in that same setting. And while everyone is still around, you grieve the moment that’s lost.

AND to make you crazy, the songs from a musical run in a continuous loop in your mind for another week or so! Torture.

So this week I’ve spent time meditating on the challenges we met, the fun we had, and the show we produced. I’ve sent out thank you notes to add closure. And I’ve tried my best to be quiet to give myself time to pause for a couple of days between projects. Continue reading →

The Feng Shui of Organizational Zen

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Feng Shui is an ancient art of figuring out how to create and sustain energy within your environment. Like most practices, I don’t love the “naming” of parts – I just like the action. Here’s some Feng Shui action that ties in with my thoughts on creating and sustaining Organizational Zen in your life.

If your stuff is bugging you, fix it or pitch it!
If something’s bugging you, get it out of your head, into your planner, and take action. In Feng Shui, this might mean getting rid of a chipped bowl in the cupboard that you notice first thing every time you open the cabinet door. Or getting rid of stained coffee mugs. Or choosing to have all matching dishes – or not have all matching dishes!

There’s no “right” within this. It’s a matter of paying attention to yourself and figuring out what kind of stuff makes you feel happy. Continue reading →

No regrets

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In case you were wondering, I have to say something about my last post that started with the mysterious “444444444.” Does anyone else work on a computer where your cat stretches out between the monitor and the keyboard? And MOST of the time it’s okay? Yeah, well right as I hit “publish” last week, Flynn stretched out and added his little signature line, which is apparently, “444444444.” And once you hit “publish” in a blog post, there’s no going back. So from Flynn to you, I wish you a very happy “444444444.” And now on to to my current post 🙂

A common regret you hear about from people near the end of their lives is that they didn’t live a life that was true to who they were, and instead lived a life others expected of them.

You don’t want that! You want to go out a big smile on your face because you’ve done the things you’ve dreamed about. You want to think back on the opportunities you created. The people’s lives you touched. The energy you brought to the earth. Continue reading →

Making a small change

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You know the theory that the air stirred by a butterfly’s wing can eventually cause a hurricane? Well, I would posit that making a tiny, simple change can lead to an avalanche of energy!

Test this out for me, would you?

Change one thing this week on your body from your shoulders up.
This could be a new hat. A haircut. New earrings. Add or don’t add make-up. Buy new shampoo. Shave off your mustache. Shoulders up – what’s one simple thing you can change? Continue reading →

In praise of a backache

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I’m directing a big Christmas musical at a local community theater. This show has taken up pretty much every minute of my free time over the past 10 weeks and I’ve loved every minute of it. Theater for me is a passion that brings energy to all of my other work and even to chores.

For the last 10 weeks, I’ve been at the theater almost every day – teaching, directing, building sets, making props. To make time for this, I’ve read less and blogged less. I’ve skipped running and meditation. And I’ve been eating on the fly and drinking coffee. I look like a bag lady wherever I go – hauling around work, my planner, scripts, and props.

I thought I was holding it together until Wednesday night when I threw out my back, and last night missed the opening of the show.

Here’s why I’m deeply grateful for this. Continue reading →

Consider Meatless Mondays

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It’s probably unfair to post this right after a huge Thanksgiving meal. Or maybe this is the perfect time :).

If you want to be efficient and do great work, it helps to be healthy! And a huge part of being healthy is being mindful of the foods you eat and how you feel after you eat them. More and more people are experimenting with foods – testing how they react to sugar, to gluten, to corn products, and to dairy products.

I would argue that it’s also important to test how you feel when you eat less meat. There’s nothing evil about meat, but it’s hard to digest. It’s high in fat. Many meat animals are fed unnatural grains and other substances including antibiotics so you don’t know exactly what you’re eating. And meat production can be taxing on the environment.

You don’t have to give up all meat to try out a month of meatless Mondays. So why not try it and see how you feel? Continue reading →

We are terrible at listening to people we disagree with

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“We are terrible at listening to people we disagree with.”

That was the topic of a TEDx speaker yesterday in Portland.

Chanel Lewis was visiting a local flea market, taking pictures for her Instagram account when she met two staunch Republicans who wanted to know what she was doing and why. She explained she was looking for unusual images. Somehow, that evolved into politics and she quickly discovered she had nothing in common with these two men. But she chose to continue the conversation with them because she’s practicing “internal quieting, and radical listening.” That’s where you turn off your inner murmur and just listen. Continue reading →

Finding your Element

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I’m reading The Element by Ken Robinson and am finding all sorts of deliciousness. Here’s a point I was pondering today.

  • Recognizing where you feel most yourself is a clue to figuring out what your “element” is.

If you feel most at home in a library, then loving books and loving to read may be your “element,” and your soul may want to be a writer, editor, or publisher. Continue reading →

Turning Points

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You have points in your life where everything was going in one direction, then “this” happened, and your life headed off in a new direction. You know what I’m talking about? Those big “before” and “after” moments.

For me, this would include the day in 8th grade I decided to try out for cheerleading which changed who I hung out with in high school, what I did with my free time, and how active I became in my class.

Another big turning point was my decision to go to the University of Virginia. This meant I met certain wonderful, life-long friends, chose a certain major, and hated being at the University so much I chose to go hiking for 3 months with an Outward Bound program. This, in turn, was another HUGE turning point because that’s where I met the person I married and had children with. Continue reading →