A friendly smile as I walked down the hall, and sharing frustrations with a co-worker while un-jamming the photocopier, are two of the daily interactions that disappeared when I retired. At the time they seemed fairly insignificant to my overall wellbeing. How could venting to a colleague about the construction that delayed our commute, support… Continue reading Cultivating Three Spaces For Your Wellbeing
Category: Connections
Mind The Happiness Gap
*Free Happiness Gap resource included* It has long been established that what people say and what they actually do, are two completely different categories. This applies to when we’re talking to ourselves as well. We tell ourselves a different story than our actions reflect. There’s a gap. Mind The Gap It’s common for us to… Continue reading Mind The Happiness Gap
A Simple Tip To See Your Friends More Often
Thanks to a friend’s wisdom, I’m more comfortable connecting with others. I used to feel like I was imposing on them, or interrupting their lives, by asking if they wanted to get together when I was in their neighbourhood. What if they didn’t want to see me, and were just agreeing to our meeting because… Continue reading A Simple Tip To See Your Friends More Often
Breaking The “Sorry” Habit
The minute I get into the bathroom, my phone rings. It’s almost like it has a sixth sense that I’m not available. Maybe this happens to you? But how often do you call the person back, and start with an apology? “Sorry, I missed your call.” Wait a minute there! Am I apologizing for not… Continue reading Breaking The “Sorry” Habit
Presence Without Present
There’s a terrible joke, that I only half remember, where a guy makes an excuse for turning up to an event without a gift. He says, “I am the gift, babe.” It comes across as incredibly conceited that his attendance is the best gift. Or, is it? For years now, engaged couples have been trying… Continue reading Presence Without Present
Conversing From Another Room
Have you ever tried talking to someone when you’re not in the same room as they are? You keep raising your voice in frustration. Yes? Then of course, like me, you’ve had others try to talk to you from another room, when you’re busy in the kitchen surrounded by running water, and a beeping microwave.… Continue reading Conversing From Another Room
Creating A Work Community
I know I took for granted the importance of the community that I had when I was working. I didn’t take the individuals for granted, I failed to appreciate the importance of my co-workers as a group, a community. We were people in the same industry, affected by the same whims of policy, and working… Continue reading Creating A Work Community
Get Used To Making Mistakes
Part 2 on The Benefits of Making Mistakes (click here to read part 1) It’s important to make mistakes. I’m not kidding. If you’re getting life more than 85% correct, you’re not in an optimal place for learning. “That means a 15% error rate, which allows someone to have space to improve without giving up…”***… Continue reading Get Used To Making Mistakes
The Benefits Of Mistakes
As a teacher, I often made mistakes. I realized when I started teaching the older grades that there were going to be times when the students would know more than me, or recognize that a word had been spelled incorrectly, or a math question had an error in it. It was inevitable. But, it was… Continue reading The Benefits Of Mistakes
Deep Conversations
There’s nothing I like more than sitting down, cup of tea in hand, to have a meaningful chat with someone. When I was teaching, having even a moment in the week to sit down with someone was almost unheard of. Life was too busy, too rushed, for conversations. Now, there is time for meeting at… Continue reading Deep Conversations
Retired, And Now What? 