I wanted to take a moment to share some of the things that are currently making my life awesome. We’ll call this a gratitude post… or “a few of my favorite things” list (if you want to get all Julie Andrews about it.) Mostly, I just thought it would be a good time for a happy note. So here goes:

1. The Book of Awesome

Most of you have probably heard about Neil Pasricha‘s blog, 1000 Awesome Things. I’ve been reading about it for months and, since I knew that practically everyone on the planet loves it, I figured I probably would not enjoy it (’cause I’m just that way). Well, to my great surprise, Neil recently sent me an advance copy of his new book… and I fell in love with it! I feel like such a goob now for missing out on all the Awesomeness he has published so far!

Posted in happiness 50 Comments »

Stress kills. Period. Stress, anxiety, worry, fear, panic… these sorts of things start as psychological or emotional discomforts, but end up manifesting as physical illnesses. Our bodies create symptoms as a red flag to our brains: “Whatever you are doing, STOP IT!!!”

Recently I told you I was waiting for a diagnosis, because I felt worse than I’d ever felt in my life. My blood work, chest X-rays, and EKG all came back squeaky clean. I’m fit as a fiddle (contrary to all probability, given my lifestyle). This was great news, but didn’t answer the question of why I felt like I was dying.

As it turns out, the answer seems to be… stress.

Posted in anxiety, balance, inner peace, Life, mental health, Overcoming Challenges, serenity 95 Comments »

There is no such thing as “teaching”. Some people present information and ideas, but those are only of use to the student if the student is interested enough to learn and apply them. Otherwise, at best, students will memorize, regurgitate, and forget whatever they are “taught”.

Our school system is obsolete, because it focuses almost exclusively on what should be taught, and how to measure whether that was accomplished. But, as Oscar Wilde said, “Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” Instead, schools should focus on helping students LEARN, based on their interests, aptitudes, and internal motivations.

Posted in choices, homeschool, Life 62 Comments »