If you want someone to remember something, you tell it to them as a story. Stories are more memorable than facts. As a teacher, I knew this to be true for my students. According to cognitive psychologist, Jerome Bruner*, stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts. But if stories are so easy… Continue reading Stories Are Back!
Tag: retired
That “Open Hamster Cage” Feeling
“How are you liking retirement?” asked a friend the other day. I still find it so hard to answer that question, even after 11 months. I feel a combination of disbelief and guilt. Disbelief, that time has passed and I’m actually retired and not just taking a pause from work. Guilt, about being able to… Continue reading That “Open Hamster Cage” Feeling
Respect For My Body
I’ve been fighting with someone close to me. I’ve been annoyed when they interrupt my day with their constant needs. I’ve thought unkind things about the way they look. Their communication is often subtle and easy to miss. My attitude towards them is adversarial and impatient, and has been for as long as I can… Continue reading Respect For My Body
The Selfishness Of Retiring, The Possibility of Volunteering
I made my decision to retire almost a year ago. At the time I gave myself an arbitrary amount of time to flounder: a year. I told myself that I would take the first year to recover, to explore and to relax. As my first year anniversary approaches, I wonder if continuing to stay retired… Continue reading The Selfishness Of Retiring, The Possibility of Volunteering
Try it.
Anyone of a certain age will remember the Life cereal ad where the kids get Mikey to try it for the first time, even though “he hates everything.” Getting over your fear of trying something new is no easy feat, especially if you’ve convinced yourself that you hate it. Things I Disliked. I’ve noticed that… Continue reading Try it.
The Power of Glimmers Over Gratitude
Most people are familiar with the term, triggers. They are events or words or places that can cause a person to relive the stress of a traumatic experience. As I grieve, I find there are many triggers in my day. But have you heard of glimmers? Glimmers Are Personal. A glimmer is something that recalls… Continue reading The Power of Glimmers Over Gratitude
My Body Yells At Me
Why do I wait until my body is yelling at me before I take care of it? We all carry stress in different parts of our bodies as migraines, pinched neck muscles and upset stomachs. When I’m under continued stress, it usually settles into my body as debilitating lower back pain. But I’ve noticed that… Continue reading My Body Yells At Me
No Information? I’ll Make Up A Story
Sometimes the most reasonable answer is not the one I consider first, when faced with a problem. I like to tell myself stories first. This just leads me to jump to conclusions that are not helpful and don’t solve the problem. The other day, I wrongly blamed a neighbour for a chemical smell. But today,… Continue reading No Information? I’ll Make Up A Story
Letting Go Of Worries About Important Tasks
There are things that are urgent and important. I will do those immediately. But then, there are things that are not urgent but important, like taxes and medical tests. I will delay those things as long as possible. I don’t like to do them and I don’t want to face them. So, I play the… Continue reading Letting Go Of Worries About Important Tasks
Forgetting To Remember To Be Present
I’m trying to use my time wisely and that’s more challenging now that I don’t have a regular work schedule to plan around. You’d think that having more time would make it easier, but often it doesn’t. Time gets frittered away on numerous things during the day and suddenly it’s dinner time again. Being mindful,… Continue reading Forgetting To Remember To Be Present
Retired, And Now What? 