It’s birthday time for me, and as with previous years I’ve had the urge to do something unusual. Maybe it’s spring fever (never mind that everything was still buried in in snow when I started writing this post). Or maybe it’s because I’m a year older, and I want something to show for it. I […]
I believe that letting kindness guide my actions, rather than focusing on whether or not things are fair, will lead to fewer visits from Grumblings. I’ve often thought that I place too much emphasis on fairness when it comes to small things. I’m not talking about society, justice and the law. I’m talking specifically about […]
It’s not new, and it isn’t really magical — but it sure feels like the effects are magical. It’s common knowledge, really. So why devote a whole post to it? Because it’s worth repeating until it becomes second nature. What is this (almost) magical thing? It’s simple: Listen. Just listen. Listen properly. I don’t mean listen the way I listen […]
It’s been almost five months since I started this blog, and every time I write a post I learn something. I’ve learned that what I think I’m going to write often isn’t what I need to write — that is to say, I may think I’ve gotten to the bottom of something, but a different truth […]
Gardening is my favourite way to get filthy. I picture someone wearing spotless white clothes and a big straw hat. A tall drink with ice cubes clinking softly waits nearby. My reality is pretty much the opposite: sunscreen, sweat and filthy clothes. Usually I remember to bring a water bottle out with me. The more I need […]
This week, in my quest to find the good, I’m looking at gratitude as a tool to defend against Grumblings. I keep a gratitude journal, off and on. When I use it, I do so right before I take my glasses off for sleep. I find it helps me go to sleep in a positive […]
I went for hike along the Ottawa River with the Scouts this week, and the gorgeous sunset made it easy for me to decide that my next post would be about nature. Nature is an obvious good. I don’t know of anyone who would say that getting out in the fresh air isn’t healthy. Why […]
A good friend recently stopped me cold as I was taking verbal potshots at Husband. He surprised me into silence by offering me a temporary solution and giving me time to stop what I was doing — and to think better of it. Husband and I were having dinner and conversation at the home of […]
Why does grumbling matter? It may start small, but grumbling to myself can avalanche into such a bad mood that I perceive everything negatively. Grumbling gains power and affects everyone around me. When I’m grumbling, I have real trouble seeing the good, and I’m certainly nowhere near my best self, as you’ll see below. The […]