6 Things I Learned From Being Left at the Train Station

Left at the station,what I learnedWhen we travel, my husband and I have a plan in case we get separated: the one left behind stays where they are and the other comes back to find them. We have this plan because we do a lot of train and subway travel and do not have cell phones. We have never had to use our plan, until our last vacation.

After 18 hours of travel, we were boarding out last train of that trip. It was chaotic, and one of our bags got misplaced. It contained all our photography equipment and a computer. For us, a big part of vacation is the joy of taking photos. Continue reading

11 Ways to Distract Yourself From the Harsh Inner Critic

safe place from Harsh Inner critic. distractionIt may feel like there is no way to get out from under the control of the Harsh Inner Critic. The messages are so powerful and feel so true. The good news is that with time, practice and support you can develop the skill to be in charge of your thoughts and how you respond to them. This is not to say you can have absolute control, rather it is the ability to not believe everything you hear inside and, therefore, be able to make choices.

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5 Steps to Calm Down

A walk outside can help

A walk outside can help

Last week, we broke down the 5-step process of getting upset. We used the example of a father trying to get his daughter ready for school. He wanted to remain calm in a stressful situation, but instead became anxious and angry. It ended with him yelling at his daughter, her crying, and him feeling like a bad father.

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The True Self: Part Discovery, Part Reinvention

 

reinvention of self

How to eat an elephant

You are on the path of finding your true self. This process is part discovery, as you learn about the parts of yourself that you like and want to keep, and part reinvention, as you merge the “keepers” with the new pieces you find.

When you are integrating the old self and the discovered self, it is helpful to have some direction.  Pamela Mitchell, founder and CEO of The Reinvention Institute, has put a lot of work into providing this direction.  Reading some of her latest works helped me assemble these steps to get you started. Continue reading