Challenge is essential to my happiness. When someone asked me to imagine my best life, it would include some challenge. But finding the right amount of challenge is key. I can’t imagine a life without any problems to try to solve. I’m not talking about where to buy new winter tires or how to fix… Continue reading Happy Challenges, Happy Self
Category: Emotional journey
Thinking The Worst
There’s a storm coming and it’s one of the ever-increasing things that trigger an emotional response of dread in me. What if we lose power like we did during the ice storm? The older I get, the number of events that cause me to react this way grows. It makes sense. I have more lived… Continue reading Thinking The Worst
What Will Be Your Legacy?
I didn’t consider my legacy until recently. As far as I was concerned, if I did my job well and took care of my family and friends, that was my legacy. For many people that is their legacy. There is nothing wrong with that. But now that I have time to consider it and time… Continue reading What Will Be Your Legacy?
Am I Stuck?
I’m a firm believer in leaning into new skills or ideas. Slowly start to adopt them bit by bit until you arrive. Be consistent and persistent and you will get there eventually (wherever there is). But there is a time in the journey when you wonder if you’re making any progress at all. I’m finding… Continue reading Am I Stuck?
Goodbye Great Expectations
I didn’t realize how much I was carrying when I was working full-time. All the expectations of my job and those of the pandemic were heaped upon me for three years. In an instant, I retired and the work email vanished and so did all the constant contact with my class (on Google Classroom), and… Continue reading Goodbye Great Expectations
Creativity: A Writer’s Gotta Write.
There was fear and uncertainty when I started this blog. I’d never written for a larger audience than my class and their parents. I wondered if I would run out of ideas. Surprise! I’m discovering that the more I write, the more I have to write. Creativity Grows The More You Use It. It turns… Continue reading Creativity: A Writer’s Gotta Write.
Loving This Version Of Me
i will never have this version of me again let me slow down and be with her – Rupi Kaur. Body Acceptance Is Hard. Slowing down and appreciating this version of me was hard. I’m not a make-up and nails kind of person. In the past, I didn’t spend much time considering myself. Maybe it… Continue reading Loving This Version Of Me
Joys Of Today
I’m trying to stay true to the perspective that this blog is build on. What happens when you retire? How does it feel? What are the challenges and what are the rewards? It’s natural for me to barrel ahead into the challenge side. When I see an obstacle, I tend to work hard to figure… Continue reading Joys Of Today
Missing Friends And Connection.
Now that I’m out of the workforce and not seeing work colleagues every day, I’m feeling it. Collective loneliness: it’s loneliness from not being part of a group that’s working towards a common goal, according to Dr Marisa G. Franco*. Working in a large school (1400 students), the colleagues that I saw daily were the… Continue reading Missing Friends And Connection.
Difficult Emotions And Toxic Positivity
I find it one of the hardest things to do, to just sit with uncomfortable emotions. I want to talk about them and fix them. I look for a way to make these feelings go away. I really need to work on sitting and observing them. Toxic Positivity. The belief that everything should be rosy… Continue reading Difficult Emotions And Toxic Positivity