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A blog for exploring, creating and appreciating life, by Aysha Griffin

What Should I Wear?

What Should I Wear? (and life’s other big questions )   NOTE TO INHABIT YOUR DREAMS READERS: Greetings from Catalunya! Before beginning this blog post, I want to explain what happened about a week ago. This website mysteriously disappeared. My trusted web manager, Margie Baxley of Geek Websites, was able to restore it from backup…. Continue reading

Flower Time in Girona- Guest Blog by IggyMo

I spent the winter hanging out at home, reading and absorbing some of the most important lessons about life and art. On the first day of spring I realized I’d become a bit of an art critic and there was no better place to exercise my new-found skill than Girona… when the whole city becomes… Continue reading

Getting To Know Gaudí: La Pedrera

You can’t set foot in Barcelona without being bombarded by GAUDÍ! Sometimes referred to as “God’s architect,” Gaudí is big business for the tourist industry… but don’t let that deter you from experiencing his outrageous, mind-blowing creations. And even though Barcelona offers a multitude of compelling reasons to visit this beautiful progressive world-class city, Gaudí… Continue reading

Mercerie High Street Food Converts This Non-Foodie

Not a fan of “fine dining” restaurants, I have prided myself on being a “non-foodie,” annoyed by dishes described as if abstract art, the snotty attitudes of wait staff and the absurdly inflated prices for petite portions. But all my negativity dissolved recently in twice experiencing dinner at Mercerie “High Street Food,” a new slick,… Continue reading

Bicycling in Rome

Common sense dictates that – with Italian drivers owning the reputation as the most aggressive in the world, coupled with poorly maintained roads, baffling traffic signals, millions of visitors milling about and no bike lanes or paths – bike riding in Rome is a ridiculous and dangerous undertaking. This is true. And there is a… Continue reading

The Best Hairstylist in Rome

Call me shallow, but after two weeks in Rome, my favorite discoveries have been the best hairdresser in the world, the best artichokes, the best gelato store, the best shoe store for my size 10 (Euro 41) shoes, and the best new friends. Like countless tourists before me, I’ve been to the Vatican Museum, the… Continue reading

Vatican Museum

  It’s too big and too crowded… and you must go. Of course, this is The Vatican, the seat of the predominant religion and government of the western world for centuries, Michelangelo’s dome of St. Peter’s Basilica dominates the skyline and, well, it houses some of the greatest art ever created. To skip the lines… Continue reading

Wandering Trastevere

Pedestrian alleyways lined with trattorias, osterias, ristorantes, enotecas (wine bars), gelaterias and shops of all kinds intersect at odd angles, punctuated by piazzas offering a few tables and chairs in front of a small bar, great for people watching. This is Trastevere, across the Tiber and south of Vatican City, considered one of the oldest… Continue reading

First Days in Rome

From our apartment on Viale di Trastevere, the Number 8 tram (across the street) takes us to its end at Piazza Venezia in just 10 minutes, and we are in the heart of the Centro Historico. The tram and bus systems are easy, especially with Google Maps (you can download an offline version to use… Continue reading

The Worst Part of Travel

… and why going to Rome is worth it even if Cancun Airport sucks “The worst part about travel is the travel part.” So said my dear friend and travel writer, Judith Fein, as I blithely assumed that my extensive preparations for this trip from Mexico to Rome would be seamless. I insist my travels… Continue reading

Cuba’s Finca Marta: A Model Organic Farm: Part II

Continued from previous post on Finca Marta, Part I     Fernando’s vision is broad, sincere and actually working: “I want to demonstrate that’s it’s possible to improve rural life and expand opportunities for the workers. There are lots of farms; many led by professionals – academic agricology projects, organic farms on a bigger scale… Continue reading

Organic Farming in Cuba: It’s Not What You Think

Cuba’s Finca Marta: A Model Organic Farm: Part I West of Havana, 45-minutes’ drive, past the billboard announcing the province of Artemisa, an unmarked dirt road leads to Finca Marta, an impressive model of organic practices, integrated systems and respectful human relationships. But please, do not get too excited that this is the future of… Continue reading

How Real Was The Grief Over Fidel Castro’s Death?

On Nov. 30, five days into the declared nine days of mourning for the death of Fidel Castro, I arrived in Cuba – on my 9th trip in 4 years – with a group of American travelers. Like some of my Cuban friends, I conjectured (in a previous post) that Cubans would compensate for this… Continue reading

In the Wake of Fidel Castro

What is a trip to Havana without music, dancing and mojitos? My group of 11 U.S. travelers and I were about to find out. The Cuban government, which controls most aspects of everyone’s life, declared that there woulld be no music, no dancing, no alcohol and all public events would be cancelled for 9 days… Continue reading

Opportunities and Challenges of Donald Trump’s Presidency

The world awoke to a surprising reality on Nov. 9, 2016, that a sleazy businessman – who has said and done the most outrageous, vulgar and hateful things – was elected the 45th President of the United States. I wandered in a daze all day, under chilly gray skies, unable to focus. Everyone I passed… Continue reading

Cuban profiles

It’s the people, the encounters, the relationships, that make any travels special… or, for that matter, our lives, wherever we find ourselves. And this is especially true in Cuba. Here are a few special souls I’ve encountered.  

Scenes from Old Havana

         

Paladares in La Habana

Since Cuban President Raul Castro permitted a number of categories for self-employment (Cuesta propistas) in 2011, some 500,000 people are estimated to now run their own businesses in Cuba. Most popular are taxis, paladares (restaurants) and casas particulates (like B&Bs), although bakeries, digital print shops, beauty salons and spas, etc. are sprouting in neighborhoods around… Continue reading

Visiting Havana August 2016

Perhaps because it is August and the long days of oppressive tropical sun simulate a photographic effect of a landscape overexposed. In Havana where, on my past six visits in 3-1/2 years, stark contrasts have been obvious, now few contrasts seem evident. All is worse than before. Even the glorious colonial restorations of portions of… Continue reading

Cuba Stole My Heart

This post is from the introduction to my book in progress, “Cuba Stole My Heart.” Please consider joining me and a group of friends for the next “Journey for the Creative Spirit!” to Havana Nov. 30-Dec. 8, 2016. Cuba embraced me and I returned with a kiss. It was spontaneous, unimagined, unbidden… at least on… Continue reading

Writer’s Marketing Workshop in San Miguel de Allende

Marketing Your Book With Love – Sell Your Book And Nurture Your Soul Tuesday January 12, 2016 • 10am-2:45pm San Miguel de Allende Biblioteca Sala Quetzel Click here to Register! Learn about the Workshop Read past participants’ comments Overwhelmed by “the business” of marketing your books? I’ll show you how to replace the fear and drudgery… Continue reading

A Writers’ Journey To Cuba

October 7-14, 2015 Those who know me know that I fell into an unlikely and unexpected relationship with the island nation 90 miles south of Miami, which is a mystery to most U.S. citizens. Due to my experience with digital publishing, I was invited by the Cuban Book Institute in late 2013 to share with… Continue reading

How to Stay in Europe

The Saga of Acquiring a French long-stay Visa “There must be a way to stay in Europe!” I thought after arriving in Madrid in May 2014, determined to pursue a long-time dream of living somewhere in southern Europe. After countless hours of online research and talking with immigration attorneys, bankers and small business consultants, I… Continue reading

Catalonia’s Human Towers

Lessons in teamwork, pride and self-confidence Imagine tightly wrapping a length of thick black cloth around your middle and then, firmly grounded, entwining arms-to-shoulders with the people next to you so others can scamper up your back. This is how you start to create a human tower or castell. It seems crazy, and yet this… Continue reading

10 Tips for Independent Travel in Europe

10 Tips for Traveling in Europe If travel is on your  mind, may these tips for saving, safety and deeper experiences encourage you to get going! They are based on my experiences of 5 months of solo travel in Europe last summer – Spain, France and the UK. Although without a human companion, I had… Continue reading

Writers’ Workshop in Santa Fe

Marketing Your Book With Love – Sell Your Book While Nurturing Your Soul Wed. Oct. 22, 10am-1pm Click here to Register! Learn about the Workshop Read past participants’ comments Overwhelmed by “the business” of marketing your books? I’ll show you how to replace the fear and drudgery of marketing with a new paradigm that ignites your… Continue reading

I found my voice in Girona…

Or Why Taking Responsibility – That Isn’t Yours – Can Be Detrimental To Your Health! On the red metal bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel, over the River Onyar in Girona at sunset, walking with my friend Anna, a man, thirty-something, with a jaunty walk, approached from the opposite direction. Recognizing Ana, he slowed and exchanged… Continue reading

68 Thoughts A Baby-Boomer Woman Traveler Has When Traveling Alone in Europe

After walking the ancient wall that encloses the original city of Girona, Catalonia,  I returned to my computer to find an article, “68 Thoughts Every Traveler Has On Their Trip Around The World” by Nomadic Matt, one of the many travel writers to whom I happily subscribe. He does a great job at encouraging his… Continue reading

The Travel Writer Returns (or How To Restart Your Blog)

Hello, I’m back. The passing of this summer Solstice, which finds me in Girona, Catalunya (northeast Spain), seems a perfect time for committing or recommitting to what is important. There is so much I want to write about, to share, in the European adventures I’m having, in the new life I am creating at 59… Continue reading

Thoughts of Spring and Transformation

I have wondered how to start up again to craft blog posts when my days are full of work commitments and my own projects and preparing for travels and traveling and engaging with the people and tasks before me and trying to stay in direct touch with the many incredible friends who grace my life…. Continue reading

Visit Cuba Resources

Nearly 3 million visitors went to Cuba in 2012 – from Canada, U.S., South America, Europe, Asia, Australia… well, just about everywhere. It’s a beautiful, diverse, dynamic and complex country that welcomes tourists with increasing services and amenities. And beyond tourism, Cuba is a fascinating society in transition. Citizens around the world know they can… Continue reading

Visiting Havana

Cuba had been calling to me for a long time. Perhaps it was my memory of being a six-year-old in Miami and going to the beach with my dad to watch giant navy warships glide southward to engage in what became known as the Bay of Pigs, a disatrous attempt to overthrow Castro and his… Continue reading

In Loving Memory of Simone Griffling

Simone Griffling (December 21, 2003 – February 23, 2013) On New Year’s eve, 2003, I asked a group gathered at our Santa Fe, NM home, “What would you like in the new year?” David answered, “A dog.” Little did he know he was soon to have not just “a dog,” but the most extradordinary Standard… Continue reading

San Miguel Writers’ Conference 2012

Last year, I fell into it at the last minute. This year I came prepared to deliver, at San Miguel Writers’ Conference, a 90-minute workshop on “Self-Publishing Success.” My overview of  the rapidly-changing world of print on demand (POD), eBooks and online marketing was well-received by 40 gracious and eager learners. I shared what I… Continue reading

Saturday in San Miguel de Allende

It’s been a while since I posted – life sometimes takes precedence over blogging. In the meantime, I published a book of my short stories, “Leonardo’s Revenge and Other Short Stories” (more on that soon), and I’ve been preparing to present again, on Self-Publishing, at the San Miguel Writers’ Conference, which starts later this week… Continue reading

Letting Go

SHE LET GO… As we say adios to 2011, reflecting on what is past, envisioning what lies ahead, and cultivating Presence and gratitude in the Now, this beautiful poem (below) was sent to me by Michael Sudheer (check out his website for fabulous photos of San Miguel de Allende). I share with you these profound… Continue reading

Getting Your Needs Met

We all have needs for attention, appreciation, affection and acceptance. But we vary individually in HOW we want those needs to be fulfilled, our capacity to receive, and our ability to express them clearly, so they might be met. Feeling our needs are not met leads to resentments, anger, sadness, pain, distress, discomfort, constriction and… Continue reading

A New Thanksgiving, Without Defenses

I like to think of Thanksgiving as a time for openly expressing gratitude for the abundance and love in our lives. And yet stresses of the holiday season can easily reignite old wounds and a sense of needing to defend our self against the judgments or negativity of others, especially those closest to us. Usually,… Continue reading

Day of Alignment and Forgiveness

The Second Greatest Alignment Day In The History Of The Earth One is the number of individuality, undivided, pure, soverign, united, harmonious. Alignment means: a state of agreement or cooperation among persons, groups, nations, etc., with a common cause or viewpoint. In terms of self, it means integrating, embracing, loving all the various parts, which… Continue reading

7 Top Free eBook Sites

Who can argue with Free? If you are not familiar with the concept of free downloadable books, I thought you’d appreciate knowing that there are scores, perhaps hundreds, of websites where you can download free ebooks. I mean, really and truly for free. The scope of information and genres is, well, endless. While I’m only… Continue reading

Learning To Love A Cat

I was dreaming of galloping on horseback across the Russian steppes, a la Doctor Zhivago, in a big fur coat and hat, when I awoke to find Frijol, the cat, draped over my head on the pillow. The “Cat As A Hat”… what would Dr. Seuss would say about that? He might say I was… Continue reading

Kissing A Boo-Boo

I did not turn on a light in the dark hallway last night and  scraped the back of my hand pretty hard against a door knob (ouch!). My automatic response was to put my hand to my mouth and hold it against my lips. I naturally kissed the boo-boo, as my mother had done when… Continue reading

Celebrations

Growing up in suburban New York, I recall celebrating birthdays with cake, the Easter bunny with chocolates, and Christmas with presents. That was it. Not much preparation and over by bedtime. So, living in a place where there are full-on celebrations nearly every week, with planning that may go on for the whole preceding year… Continue reading

Hijacked Blog

There are many kinds of violation and, in every case, the person violated rightly feels all sorts of emotions, including anger, fear, frustration, shame and powerlessness. Such was the case when I discovered that this very website had been broken into by some unknown persons who uploaded more than 60 posts. Luckily, they were benign… Continue reading

Guanajuato – Revisiting the Past

Last week I had the extraordinary experience of being 19 years old again. As a gringa living in San Miguel de Allende (SMA), in the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico, I am often asked: “Is this your first time here?” While my last time was earlier in 2011 (see January and February archives), my… Continue reading

Renewal

It’s easy to let things slip away, through lack of attention and care. I became so absorbed in the chaos of my own change-making that I forgot the importance of the other areas of my life… but then, one cannot deal with everything at once. While I have ignored this blog for the past five… Continue reading

Santa Fe Area Fires: Resources

This is an effort to combine in one place the various resource links and news concerning the Las Conchas Fire (Los Alamos area, northwest of Santa Fe) and the Pacheco Canyon Fire (northeast of Santa Fe in the Santa Fe National Forest).  PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW! The smoke (and sometimes… Continue reading

A Windy Memorial Day and Call To Action

May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being. May you walk through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life. – Apache Blessing In this beautiful… Continue reading

Social Media Does Not Equate To Sales

For the past few years, we’ve been inundated with the idea that businesses must use social media to drive sales. The purported logic is that social networks are an effective and necessary avenue for reaching out to customers. The more you reach out, the more money you will make. However, USA Today says a new… Continue reading

Business Lessons from a Standing Ovation

Last night, I attended a Gary Burton/Chick Corea concert at Santa Fe’s Lensic Theater. For these two jazz legends it was the last night of a grueling global tour, although there was no evidence of burn-out or boredom. As professionals, they gave their fans a polished and passionate performance, connecting with the audience through brief… Continue reading

How To Make Money Online

Maybe you’re a lot smarter than me and I should be embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve spent many, many hours in the past year online attending webinars and teleseminars, and downloading and reading free eBooks  offered by dozens of “gurus” who promised to help me make a fortune online. I wanted to understand how… Continue reading

Transitioning To A New Story Of Connection

Depression. Anxiety. Despair. We are familiar with the morass of emotions regarding old systems and beliefs that separated us and no longer work, and new creative ideas and ways that connect us but are not yet fully developed.  We know things must change, but it’s often difficult to imagine ‘how’ when it seems the “powers-that-be”… Continue reading

Mexico City High Points

It has been a week since I returned to Santa Fe, New Mexico, my home for the past decade. But before I begin writing again about business and relationship matters, I want to share some thoughts and photos from my last days in Mexico City, or D.F. (Distrito Federal, as it’s called). I  thought I… Continue reading

Egg On Your Head: Cascaronazo Carnival

On a Saturday afternoon in early February, I wandered to the Jardin, San Miguel de Allende’s central plaza, and stumbled into a Carnival celebration. Throughout the Catholic world Carnival is a big deal, with the idea of exhausting the craziness of people’s behavior so they will be ready for the solemnity of Lent. In Mexico,… Continue reading

Mexico’s ‘elephant in the room’

A few weeks ago, I published a personal experience article, “Is It Safe To Visit Mexico?“. Being a very “hot topic,” it received thousands of hits and some lively comments, mostly appreciating the balanced picture I presented. Here, In his “Notes from the Field,” (March 8, 2011), Simon Black, the international business-savvy “Sovereign Man”, dives… Continue reading

Mis Tiendas (My Stores)

Americans (i.e., U.S. citizens, to distinguish between other residents of North and South America) have long bemoaned the disappearance of “Mom and Pop” shops – those locally-owned stores from a now long bygone era. Even author John Steinbeck, in “Travels With Charley,” chronicling his last tour around the United States in 1968, railed against the… Continue reading

Pursuing Her Dream As A Young Artist

To dash out to the store for eggs, cheese, bolillos, avocados, bananas, I need only to walk a short block to the corner tienda where Marisol and her mother, Carmen, greet me with huge smiles and easy conversation. Mirasol is a beautiful 21-year-old who is learning English by watching TV. When we first met, Mirasol… Continue reading

Making Do in San Miguel de Allende

One of the many wonderful and endearing aspects of life in San Miguel de Allende is the constant interaction with vendors. They arrive at our door and ring the bell, punctuating the day with offers of tortillas, gorditas, tamales, flowers, nopales, soil; deliveries of bottled water and bottled gas. Then there’s the hombre whose knife… Continue reading

The San Miguel de Allende Writers’ Conference

I call it magic when doors swing wide open, opportunities unfold easefully and support is present at every turn for realizing my dreams. This has been the experience of my first month in San Miguel de Allende. This colorful city has charmed many writers and artists and been much lauded in print and paint, so… Continue reading

Is It Safe To Visit Mexico?

first published at the group travel blog Your Life Is A Trip “Aren’t you afraid?” and “Isn’t it dangerous?” These were the consistent questions posed by friends and family upon hearing I had booked a trip to Mexico. From my standpoint, it was a matter of avoiding winter’s cold, pursuing Spanish language studies and visiting… Continue reading

Happy Valentine’s Day From San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

The Mexican culture is inherently romantic, colorful and festive. Since this is my first Valentine’s Day here, I don’t know how widely it is celebrated – there are so many saint’s days and other holidays! But here are a few images of love and hearts I’ve captured to share. May love, joy and appreciation fill… Continue reading

Frida’s House

Imagine the most vivid, fierce color of blue, its intensity shouting beyond the natural world, conjuring fantasy, magic and surrealist dreams. This is the color of the home into which Mexico’s most famous – and tormented – woman painter, Frida Kahlo, was born, lived with her husband Diego Rivera, and died, just after her 47th… Continue reading

Pilgrims

The pilgrims who began their 9-day walk, or Caminito, to San Juan de Los Lagos, should be arriving today, to receive the blessing and miracles of Our Lady of San Juan de Los Lagos. Nine days ago, in the pre-dawn darkness, in front of Harry’s Bar in el Centro de San Miguel de Allende, a… Continue reading

Acts of Love – Take 1

Along the cobblestone streets of Miguel de Allende, I am struck by the kindness I see – between parents and children, lovers, friends, old and young. I know there is no panacea, and there are angry and thoughtless, wounded people everywhere, but it seems that the more I notice acts of love, the more I… Continue reading

Colores de San Miguel de Allende

Some of you have asked for more photos of picturesque San Miguel de Allende, so here are a few … enjoy!

San Miguel de Allende: First Impressions

The full moon hovered large and bright above the mesas, accompanying my pre-dawn shuttle van from Santa Fe to Albuquerque, like a friendly blessing to my farewell to winter and the start of my trip to San Miguel de Allende, in the central “Bajio” region of Mexico. I had visited San Miguel 37 years ago… Continue reading

Two Weeks, One Carry-On

Traveling light is an art… and a great relief once you master it. With excess baggage charges and the inconvenience of schlepping more than one piece of luggage, it’s smart to feel in control and have only just what you need to embark on your next adventure. As travel guru Peter Greenwald says, “When it… Continue reading

How To Plan A Trip

When planning a trip, do you: spending years pouring over guidebooks and reading relevant books and articles? Hire a travel agent or book a tour? Spend countless hours online researching? Or, simply taking off without a plan?  There is no right way.It’s a matter of what works for you, the destination, and available time and… Continue reading

Who Says? How To Stop Arguing For Your Limitations

“Argue for your limitations and sure enough they are yours” – Richard Bach All day long, in one communication and another, I heard dear friends use emphatic statements to describe “how it is,”  as if they were speaking the absolute truth, like: “It’s really hard to…” find a publisher, a place to rent, get away,… Continue reading

New Years Benediction – Surprise Yourself!

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next… Continue reading

A View From the Last Day of 2010

Almost every day for the past 10 years, (except when I’m traveling), I have woken to this beautiful view; sometimes bathed in apricot and peach colors of sunrise and sometimes, like on this brisk winter morning, dusted with snow. Almost always the piñon and juniper-covered hills are outlined by the blue backdrop for which New… Continue reading

Free Online Course to Lose Weight

A new year is upon us and, for many, that means resolutions to lose weight and get the body you want. I am here to encourage you in that! A good place to start is understanding and examining what has been keeping you from such goals. Hay House Publishing is offering a free 6-week online… Continue reading

Grace, Beauty and Passion

My holiday wish: May you be held in grace, appreciate the beauty that surrounds you, and live your passion!

Slow Down!

Like a dish or glass that slips from your hand, you know in that instant, it’s going to break. So it is in an instant that we slip, trip, stumble or otherwise fall and “have an accident”. And the most common reason “accidents” happen is because we get in a hurry. Recently, my friend’s vibrant… Continue reading

Listening and Loving

This post is reprinted by permission of Greg Newman, a gifted and exuberant body-centered coach/teacher I met at the Hendricks Institute training in 1999. For nine years, Greg has diligently emailed a monthly newsletter, each with a new insight and actual practice for enhancing our communication and conscious awareness. At the end, he poses some… Continue reading

How To Get Your Man To Change

Don’t you just love provocative titles like this one? Women’s magazines thrive on this sort of nonsense. The Truth is, YOU CAN’T GET ANYONE TO CHANGE! It’s impossible to address each individual’s circumstance (except in the confidential confines of therapy, coaching or friendship), so I’ll offer some general observations from my own life, and those… Continue reading

7 Ideas For A Joyful Holiday Season

I admire people who just love the holidays and approach the season’s festivities with boundless enthusiasm. But I can’t relate. If, like for me, the holidays hold for you some sadness from past loss, cynicism, loneliness, or lack of joy, I thought it might be useful to come up some ways to make it different… Continue reading

The Lighter Side

Christmas Carols for the Psychologically Challenged Before we get to some humor…Last night I watched a PBS documentary, “This Emotional Life,” examining the causes and effects of such crippling emotional conditions as depression, PTSD, phobias and uncontrollable anger. While these are real, frustrating, heart-breaking and destructive (to mind-body-spirit and relationships to self-others-work), the two “solutions”… Continue reading

Families and Holiday Strife – The Choice Is Yours!

Getting together with family over the holidays can be stressful. If you dread obligatory time with relatives – where there are deeply ingrained patterns, predictable dynamics, unpleasant behaviors and topics to be avoided – you know that it is like walking into a minefield of emotional distress. So why would you do this to your… Continue reading

Why Dreams Don’t Soar

by C. Hope Clark (by kind permission of the author) What we often attribute to fate and the hand of others is more the fault of grounded dreams – dreams we weighed down ourselves, not allowing the wings to spread and take flight. The change isn’t a sudden slam of a door or quick reversal… Continue reading

60 Seconds to Accomplishing A Goal

Hold That Thought. Spend 60 seconds with your eyes closed focusing on your ultimate goal (or any goal, for that matter). Watch how your mind wanders, contradicts, raises objections. Holding a clear unobstructed idea/image for even 15 seconds is a challenge to most people. When you can do it for 15, go for 30, then… Continue reading

Giving Thanks – A State of Grace

I could not improve upon the message of Thanksgiving from one of my wonderful teachers, Hal Isen, who sends out a newsletter, “Core Wisdom® – The Way of the Practical Mystic,” from time to time. I highly recommend his life-changing book, The Genesis Principle: A Journey into the Source of Creativity and Leadership. His website… Continue reading

Do You Love Your Self?

I was 47, looking in the leather-framed mirror in an elegant bathroom in the house my partner and I had designed and built just the year before. I’d just gone through my first and only (thank the gods) bout with depression. For several months, on several days a week, I’d wake up trapped in a… Continue reading

How Dishonesty Undermines Healthy Relationships

I know a married man whose relationship philosophy includes, “Just say what people what to hear.” He believes that being honest can be hurtful or embarrass someone (especially himself). He claims “honesty is highly overrated.” This justifies his surreptitious sexual relationships. Denying the value of honest communication is a wonderful defense against letting anyone in… Continue reading

Minding My Own Business

A friend invited me to a free “healing session” with a woman she had a private session with the day before. She warned me that this healer talked a lot and was not someone with whom she connected personally, but the transmission was powerful and she felt strongly I would benefit from it. Indeed, the… Continue reading

How To Lose That “Last 10 Pounds”

This article is primarily about losing weight, but the metaphor of the “last 10 pounds” applies also to any dream you’ve been putting off, delaying, waiting to happen. Please read on… In my case it was 15 pounds. In yours it could be 5 or 50. It doesn’t matter. What matters is having the courage… Continue reading

Harness the Power of Positive Self-Talk

4 Tips to Help Harness the Power of Positive Self-Talk By John Boe Print Article RISMEDIA, September 27, 2010—In 1957, Earl Nightingale, speaker, author and co-founder of the Nightingale-Conant Corporation, recorded his classic motivational record “The Strangest Secret.” “The Strangest Secret” sold over one million copies and made history in the recording industry by being… Continue reading

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