While driving to the gym one morning last week I listened to a CBC interview with a tech expert from the UK who advocated getting off social media. The interviewer noted that social media has been characterized as ‘soul destroying’. Jaren Lanier is a scientist at Microsoft. His book, Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media […]
Lifestyle
Clutter Creep after Down-sizing
Two years after moving and clearing 25 plus years of clutter before down-sizing and selling our ‘too big’ house, I’m noticing clutter creep. It’s subtle but the signs are undeniable. ‘Stuff’ is coming back. Closets, drawers, and shelves that were uncluttered after unpacking and settling into our new house are filling up. Is it the birthday […]
September Transitions — Taking Stock
Similar to the beginning of a new year in January, a transition happens every September. September is a time of renewal. It’s a milestone month — an excellent time to take stock of goals and priorities. It’s also an excellent time to get moving on abandoned projects that were deemed as priorities for 2018. The […]
Embracing JOMO
During this summer, I’ve focused on embracing JOMO. In case you are wondering, JOMO is the short form for ‘Joy of Missing Out’. It usually means leaving behind the devotion to social media — ignoring tweets, messages, emails, and other distractions that rob us from living in the moment and appreciating what is happening right […]
Summer Cottage Rituals
This summer marks 34 years of cottaging at Lake Huron in the small town of Grand Bend. During these 34 years, we’ve developed many cottage rituals and habits. There are rituals for every season of the year, but the summer cottage rituals have special meaning. Summer is the season when we spend most of our […]
Retirement Without Regrets
In June 2010, I retired. It’s been eight years of a retirement without regrets! When the hoopla of many retirement celebrations, parties and lunches ended I packed up my office. I felt nostalgic during the last elevator ride to the parking garage, but in my heart, I knew it was the right decision. I closed […]
Recognize and Manage Life’s Transitions
The guided meditation at yoga class this morning began with a short discourse on how to recognize and manage transitions. The yoga teacher referred to sudden transitions in temperature as the cold spring weather suddenly turns summer-like and then gets chilly again. She reminded us that the change from day time highs of 10 Celsius […]
Do You Enjoy Your Own Company?
There are days when I simply want to enjoy my own company. I’m happily married (most of the time) and have been for 50 plus good years. I have a network of friends and acquaintances with whom I enjoy many social activities. I love socializing, being around people, and doing things with others. Sometimes, however, […]
Harness the Benefits of Journal Writing
For years I’ve written a journal. I don’t know if journal writing has improved my life but when I don’t write in the morning, it feels that the day hasn’t begun as it should. A comfy chair in my den is my preferred spot for journal writing. Occasionally I choose to write in bed propped up […]
Retirement Happiness — Learn from what’s not working
When we want to learn about what works in life, taking a look at what’s not working offers many lessons. When you try something and it doesn’t work, you learn from the experience. Sometimes, it’s smart to leave a frustrating endeavour and try something else rather than discouraging yourself in a hopeless project. If the […]