Do you ever wake up wishing you were someone else? Or at least wishing you could change yourself in some way or another? I often do. I wish I were more consistent, more thorough, more determined, more disciplined, more this or that and less that and this. I'm sure you get the idea. You probably have your fair share of days in which you wish you could change something about yourself too. But it's usually super frustrating to recreate yourself in a different mold. You … [Read more...]
Jumping Rope: Learning Something New Later in Life
Posted by 2 Comments
I've decided to learn how to jump rope. My daughter Rya has sent me a new, state of the art jump rope -- the kind that boxers use. And I'm excited to try. Trying Something New at 72 To get ready, I did a bit of online research about jumping rope and this morning, when I went to Saint Mary's Park, I started jumping. I pretended I was spinning a jump rope and, on the balls of my feet, I started bouncing. 100 bounces at a time. Turns out that it's even fun to jump … [Read more...]
Remembering Sonia March Nevis
Posted by 3 Comments
I learned this morning that my teacher and friend Sonia March Nevis passed away. I've been enjoying my memories of that wonderful woman, calling back the ways in which she changed my life. A Kind Gesture Softened My Heart Sonia was the cofounder of the Gestalt International Study Center on Cape Cod. Some years ago, I participated in a leadership program at the Gestalt Institute. Over the course of several days, we were assigned to teams that then were given an extended, … [Read more...]
What Makes Your Life Significant as You Age?
Posted by Leave a Comment
In the first two quarters of life, the question of significance don't seem to matter much. What's Significant in Your Life, and When? Q1. In the first quarter -- 0 to 25, you are doing your best to become self-sufficient. You learn skills. You grow into and explore your body. You get an education. You go from being fully dependent to being somewhat independent. And grappling with those things is a full time job. You are still immersed in yourself. Q2. In the second … [Read more...]
7 Ways Women Get Better with Age
Posted by Leave a Comment
As I scanned the magazine racks in the Hudson bookstore at JFK on my way to Italy earlier this month I saw nothing -- absolutely nothing -- written for women over 50. Actually, that's not quite true. Allure had a cover story about "Hot Dame" Helen Mirren and an article on "7 Things That Get Better With Age." Curious about what the Allure magazine staff thinks gets better with age, I picked up a copy. As I read their version of what gets "better with age" I couldn't … [Read more...]
Traveling Through Life: Setting a Destination and Wandering
Posted by Leave a Comment
I just got back from 11 days in Milan, Italy. 11 days away from the U.S. news. 11 days away from my computer. 11 days just to wander in a new city. 11 days to clear my mind. Here is a lesson I learned over those eleven days that you may find helpful too. Set a Destination and Wander Wandering without a destination in mind feels aimless quickly. And feeling aimless soon leads to a sense of ennui. It's hard to maintain the excitement and curiosity when you … [Read more...]
Fighting Procrastination: Walking Through Walls of Resistance
Posted by 30 Comments
Every time I have a big project to do -- one that take thought and attention and care -- I've got to find a way to walk through a wall. Again and again, I walk right up to the wall of resistance and turn around to do something less stressful. Comfortable Procrastination Rituals I admire people who seem not to be plagued with walls of resistance. People like that (perhaps you are one of those lucky folks) know what they have to do and simply set about doing it. It's that … [Read more...]
What Values Do You and Your Community Live By?
Posted by 2 Comments
Do you take the values you live by for granted? Do you ever discuss them? Or do you assume that you and the people you associate with agree? And who is your community, anyway? Your family? Your neighbors? Your clubs or special interest groups? Your living community? In all likelihood, you have several communities. And the values that determine the way the people in each group function may be different from one of them to another. But I've come to think that we don't … [Read more...]
Avoiding Frustration: Scheduling a Meeting for a Large Group of People
Posted by 2 Comments
I've been working on scheduling a meeting of a diverse group of a dozen people. It's my Condo Board and I'm the secretary. Super High Frustration The scheduling process of pinning down a meeting time for these 12 people has been super frustrating. I've been reminded how subtle things can make a huge difference. I must confess that for a while my frustration was so high that I just about resigned my thankless task thinking to myself, "If no one cares enough to respond, … [Read more...]
Don’t Do it Yourself – Ask for Help
Posted by Leave a Comment
You've probably heard the old saying: Want advice, ask for money. Want money, ask for advice. It's a phrase people often use in the fundraising world. A phrase so simple that it masks the profound power of that sentiment. Think of it this way... If you do everything by yourself, you're effectiveness is limited to your energy and knowledge and understanding and abilities. Don't get me wrong -- you may be tremendously capable and may, on your own, be able to … [Read more...]