I’ve seen references to kindness in a number of places, from it being one aspect of positive psychology to it being an element of happiness (everyday acts of kindness) to a way to aid shifting negative self-talk (Loving Kindness Meditation). So when someone suggested a book specifically about kindness, I bought it. And then it sat … Continue reading Am I Kind?
I was very excited to read that a whimsical garden is “going to be huge in 2023”! I would definitely classify my gardens as whimsical! What is a whimsical garden? The articles refer to it as an English cottage garden’s edgier, more eclectic cousin. It is characterized by unique shapes, lots of texture, pops of … Continue reading Being On-Trend this Summer!
While I have not picked a word of the year (WOTY) in a number of years, if I had to choose one right now, it would be SAVOR. This word captures a number of elements that pop up in articles about happiness, kindness, wellbeing, positivity, longevity, etc. To savor, you need to slow down and … Continue reading Savoring Summer
July 15 was the anniversary of my first day of retirement - it has been 9 years! Then, July 27th will be the anniversary of my blog (8 years!). In some ways it feels like no time at all, and in other ways, working at a full-time career feels like ancient history and my blog … Continue reading Happy Anniversary to Me
I’ve written in my Retirement Transition book (see link on amazon here) about understanding “what does a house mean to you?” as part of your retirement transition. So many folks in retirement move houses, whether it is to relocate to someplace they always wanted to live, to downsize space no longer needed, or to reduce … Continue reading GoodBye Goldie – Hello Lissa
There’s a meme about how old you are when you realized things. I just realized that the astrological summer season starts on the longest daylight hour day of the year, which means summer days are all about fading daylight hours. Before this I always equated summer with long daylight hours, when in fact spring has … Continue reading summer solstice
In my retirement transition journey, I’ve explored the area of positive psychology in a number of different ways. First, early on in my retirement, I intentionally tried to shift from being a critical, cynical pessimist to a more positive person. I had a boss once say to me, ”You’ll never be happy”. I really wanted … Continue reading Practicing Positivity in my Retirement Years – a Reflection
During my grieving journey, I have been struggling with forgiveness. I have also had a few instances where others have triggered my insecurities, resulting in me not managing my anger effectively. Am I forgiving myself? Forgiving others? Setting appropriate boundaries? A recent discussion made me realize I needed to better understand forgiveness and setting boundaries. … Continue reading Forgiveness and Boundaries – Easier Said Than Done
This spring, for the first time in a long while, I did not create any kind of seasonal plan. No action plan, no possibilities list. I did continue to track “new experiences” as well as books read and new recipes tried. I use my tracking not for goal achievement, but to allow myself to look … Continue reading Spring Review and Summer Planning
Although I recognize retirement, like life, is a series of transitions, it still surprises me how things change. Over my years in retirement, I’ve gone from doing consulting projects that kept me “being productive” to not doing any paid work at all. I’ve added different types of exercise into my life; some stayed and some didn't. … Continue reading Whimsey
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