They’ve been after me for over a year now.  They call, they text, they send me offers in the mail.  My wireless phone company – who shall remain nameless – is desperately trying to persuade me to upgrade my cell phone.

The thing is, my current phone works perfectly.  I like its old fashioned flip top and I finally know how to use all of its simple functions.  Sure, sometimes I’m tempted to get a flashier model with all the bells and whistles, but do I really need it? (more…)

I recently had a SMM (Seasonal Meal with Mom) with my daughter Victoria.  As we listened to mariachi music, she looked intently into my eyes and asked, “Mom, would you change anything about your past if you had your life to live over?” (more…)

They flew overhead all day long, the sun glinting off their wings.  We must have been right on their flight path since they came repeatedly, even into the night.  “Honk” “Honk” “Honk!” (more…)

The waitress placed the mushroom, egg, and pecorino risotto in front of me.  I inhaled the intoxicating woodsy aroma.  The man at the table next to us leaned over conspiratorially and offered, “I had the risotto too . . . it’s to die for . . . it’s absolutely to die for.

His choice of words floored me.  I had literally just gotten off the phone with my sister, who shared that our childhood friend had died at the tender age of 44.  My fellow diner’s casual expression has continued to resonate in my head as I celebrate my 48th birthday this week.

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I rang the small Tibetan bell three times.  My client and I closed our eyes and breathed in the sound, allowing ourselves to come into the moment with a heightened mindfulness.Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention on purpose, of noticing and savoring a moment exactly as it is.  When a client walks into my office, the mental noise from their day, from their drive, from their busyness hovers around them like a cloud.  Pausing long enough to listen to a bell results in a perceptible, even tangible shift in their energy. (more…)