DAMN GOOD LIFE

Ahh,  the five senses we are blessed to have: touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Each of these sensing organs has a role to play. They not only heighten our ability to enjoy life but they send the information to the brain to help us understand and distinguish the world around us. I want to focus on the most important of the five senses. Can you guess what it is? It’s smell! Think back to your childhood for a moment. Close your eyes and picture mom cooking your favorite dinner in the kitchen. Is your mouth starting to water? Are you getting hungry? Are you picking up your phone to call home and ask mom if this weekend you can swing by for dinner? It’s incredible the information we retain from the molecules we once inhaled. Of course, not all substances are as delicious as your favorite meal. The world has its share of some pretty “icky” fragrances too. Dirty laundry, kitchen trash can, that musty coat from winter storage. You get the idea. Whether it’s a lingering...

It’s that time! You just finished your nightly routine and you’re undressing your bed. It’s been a long day and you can’t wait for it to be finally over. All you can think about is how good the cool sheets will feel after a hot summer's day. The lights dim down as they shut off like they too are saying goodnight. One last sip of cold water before you crawl in. The softness of your pillow as you lay your head and it sinks in. You let out one last yawn and shift around to get settled. Everything is perfect. Tonight is the night you will sleep soundly. *ding* Notification! You choose to ignore it. Your eyes still shut, you take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Wait, did I set my alarm? You turn and reach over to grab your phone just to make sure. The brightness of the screen awakens you again. Yes. All set! You shut it off and get comfortable again. You try to clear your mind in hopes to drift off sooner. Then another thought pops up. Did I turn up the volume or is my pho...

It’s June!! We are officially halfway through the year 2020! So many of us, if not all of us, this past December started to evaluate the journey we had in 2019. We celebrated our victories and replayed how we would have done things differently and made what we call, resolutions. Well, I’m here to ask you, “Why wait until December rolls around again to start creating and recommitting to resolutions you made to work on yourself?” If you are all in and want to once and for all  celebrate  success at the end of this year then here you go. The secret to achieving your goals, which has been proven time and time again, is to  create small, attainable targets! Imagine, if you will, a staircase. There’s no point in dwelling over how many steps it’d take to get to the top because you know that ultimately the top is where you want to get to. Everyone has their own staircase in life. Goals we want to achieve. Looking back over the past 6 months, how are you doing on t...

From time to time, we all have those moments that call for a deep sigh to release tension. Most of us recognize stress when we feel it. That overwhelmed state of mind causes our body to flood our system with hormones, predominantly adrenaline, and cortisol. While this incredible sense of “super-power” can allow us to respond to an emergency, it’s not something you need to feel on a regular basis. Can I confess something? I was living like this by default! I still find myself experiencing the tightened muscles, the heart-pounding, the frenzied feeling, and the occasional migraine. Being mindful, of course, has helped me to shorten the effects stress brings about and it enables me to then focus my energy on something productive.   So without further ado, these 5 tips are my go-to: 1. Turn Off All Electronics! Yes, that means the t.v., tablet, computer, your phone. Pretty much anything with a screen. There’s no need to add to the already sense of frustr...