Tag Archives: anxiety
Best Not to Start With the Gestapo
I’ve been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately, not for a noble reason such as the New Year and trying to better myself, but because, like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man, I’m stuck in this compulsive habit of keeping a little … Continue reading
Filed under anxiety, hope, poetry, spirituality
Keep Calm (or Not) and Carry On
Here is a picture of a print that I have in my office: You may know it–it became very popular this year, and is supposedly a reproduction of the original “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster produced by the British … Continue reading
Filed under anxiety, courage, poetry, spirituality
As Cool as the Air in a Redwood Grove
One of the chapters of Anne Lamott’s Travelling Mercies is an account of a health scare she had with her son Sam. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, depending on your perspective (and mental health), we had a similar experience this week … Continue reading
Filed under anxiety, courage, depression, family life, spirituality
Transitions & Resilience: “Just do your best, then say ‘Amen’”
Today in Target I had one of those thoughts that I suspect you should probably not say out loud. For the first time in my life, I thought, “I’m not sure if I should have had kids.” Since I am not Jennifer Aniston, … Continue reading
God Put a Rainbow in the Clouds
In 2002, Maya Angelou was the speaker at the University of Illinois’ commencement. It was a cloudy day, and all the dusty old Important University Administrators droned on and on with their dusty old words. And then Maya Angelou was introduced. She stepped … Continue reading
Filed under anxiety, courage, family life, poetry
Why Balance is an Unhelpful Ideal (Unless You Are a Gymnast or a Tightrope Walker)
Whenever I see a flyer for a workshop or talk on “Work/Life Balance,” I get a very bad feeling in my chest and my head starts to hurt. Unless there will be someone at the workshop with a clipboard and … Continue reading
Filed under anxiety, courage, mindfulness, poetry
A Case for Running Backwards
There was a lady in our old neighborhood who used to walk up and down the sidewalks backwards. Sometimes she carried what appeared to be two gallon jugs of drinking water, one in each hand. She was very thin, made … Continue reading
Filed under anxiety, courage, mindfulness
Your Worst Fears Come True/”Everything is Going to Be Alright”
Good writers seem to know a lot about neuroses. Anne Lamott, for example, is so exactly right when she describes her students’ fears about being writers because she is smart, observant, and has experienced them all herself: “[They] want to know … Continue reading
Filed under anxiety, courage, creativity, poetry, therapeutic writing
10 Ways to Tell if You Are a Hypochondriac
You are a hypochondriac if: You have memorized your doctor’s phone number, or have it listed under “Contacts” on your cell phone. You are not a doctor, but nevertheless possess a medical encyclopedia, the most recent edition of the PDR, and/or … Continue reading
Filed under mindfulness, poetry, spirituality
“Sit. Feast on your life.”
Today is the first Friday of Lent—no meat for those observing Lenten practices. And here’s some interesting Catholic trivia I found while looking up Lenten fasting: “abstinence,” which in this case refers to not eating meat, does not include “meat … Continue reading
Filed under depression, love, mindfulness, poetry, spirituality
