-
Did you notice the moment the sleeping grass woke up and turned green? Maybe you noticed a daffodil emerging through the warming earth. While you were busy cleaning the dishes or writing that memo, a squirrel dropped by, looking for a morsel of goodness. Did you see that little fella?
Maybe you noticed something new growing on your body. Did you know your ears and nose never stop growing? Or maybe a freckle happened in a place you’ve never had one before. I stepped outside to snatch up a breath of fresh air and sunshine and noticed the lizards were back, looking for delicious bugs to consume. Oh, and there’s a bunny, back for more backyard adventures.
Continue Reading -
Calm Your Mind.
Calm. The word conjures up images of relaxing in a hammock, unplugging from the world, or maybe listening to nature or some relaxing music. It is amazing how simply focusing on the word can immediately slow my pace and open up opportunities to feel calm. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy feeling calm.
When I feel calm, my heartbeat slows, tense muscles loosen, and breathing invites tranquility. For lack of a better word, it creates a Zen state. I imagine my cells and atoms gathering in a peace-full energy. Doesn’t that feel nice?
Continue Reading -
When was the last time you recognized feeling delighted? I’ll share more about my delighted feelings momentarily. Have you ever wondered about the subtle difference between delight and happiness? There is a subtle difference between the two. You may ask, “Alexis, why does it even matter?”
First, the difference between delight and happiness. Delight has more to do with pleasure or satisfaction about a specific event or achievement. Happiness is a broader, more enduring state of well-being and contentment that doesn’t rely on any specific moment or event. I’m delighted about the very secretive anniversary plans my husband set into motion to celebrate our anniversary. (“What is he up to now?” she asked, filled with anticipation.) I feel happiness about the longevity and adventure of our marriage.
Continue Reading -
It matters what you think! No, I’m not talking about what others think about you. Instead, I’m talking about the power of our minds and what we think about. You may have heard this notion: what you think about comes about. Our minds are one of our most available and powerful resources. Let’s dig in.
I was just listening to the Daily Jay (Jay Shetty) on the Calm application, and he was talking about should versus could. He discussed how asking what we should do engages our brains to rely on what we’ve already learned or experienced. This leads us to choices based on that. However, when we shift that to what we could do, our brains open up to a vast array of other possibilities. I never thought about that before, but it makes sense to me.
Continue Reading -
There are Benefits of Enthusiasm.
Are you enthused? (She giggled as she put her thoughts together about feeling enthusiasm.) Enthusiasm helps me feel alert and full of energy. Do you suppose our bodies actually support this feeling with good chemicals when we feel it? I think it does! The National Library of Medicine thinks it does.
When I’m enthused about something, it’s hard to feel stressed. Have you ever noticed when your enthusiasm ramps up, your stress lowers? Hmm. There might be something to this. Try this: Think about something you’re enthused about and pay attention to what happens to your immediate outlook. How does it change? That’s a fun game! Goodbye stress, and welcome on in here positive energy!
Continue Reading -
I’m just a person navigating this world. I post a lot of information about emotions, about ways of thinking, and I’m even dabbling in some insights about intentional living. What are my credentials (you might ask)?
Some people believe that thoughts and ideas need a paper credential to support their validity. Sometimes that is very true. However, I think there is a life credential that sometimes gets overlooked. There is deep value in life experience, and I don’t know of any formal credentials for that. I ask you though, does your life experience teach you? I’m taking a guess here, but I think your experiences have taught you valuable lessons about how to behave, how to stay safe, and maybe even how to care for yourself. My experience has taught me things, too.
Continue Reading -
Hello fondness. Thanks for dropping in for a visit. I’m fond of my retirement life, and it’s nice to look upon my day with your presence.
Do recognize when you feel fond of something? Perhaps You’re fond of someone’s creativity to make something out of ordinary things. Do you ever feel fond of someone? Maybe you find yourself feeling fond of your heaters when it’s cold outside.
When I feel fond, I sense a warmness in my heart, and I can feel the corners of my face turning upward into a smile. Writing about fondness is a little challenging because it’s one of those feelings that happens without much notice. It’s worth noticing though. Being aware of fondness highlights things I’m not so fond of. Isn’t it interesting how being aware of something’s opposite can enrich our awareness about it?
What happens when you recall a memory and find yourself feeling fond of it? It’s more colorful and vivid. Fondness immerses us into the experience in our memory and encodes information about a memory that makes it easier to recall.
How about our decision making? Fondness can subtly influence how we make decisions in ways we might not realize. When we’re fond of someone, we might unconsciously prioritize their preferences of opinions. What an amazing thing to realize in any context. In a corporate context, how does this impact your decisions? Hmmm. I certainly did this in my career days (probably more often than I might care to admit).
When we are fond of something in our lives, it probably influences the choices and actions we take. If I want more calm in the chaos around me, I’m inclined to feel fond of feeling calm and lean toward choices that will amplify that calm. Never thought about that one before.
Hello fondness. Thank you for coming to visit. I appreciate getting to know you a little better!
Emotions fill our cells with energy…
If you would like to explore more feelings in the Stayin’ in Touch – Positive Emotions book, click here for more information.
Continue Reading -
Hope: The Antidote to Anxiety and Doubt
Ah yes, hope. I hope this message finds you well. Oh, I hope I did well enough to pass the test this time. In my wildest dreams, I hope I get to go to Santorini, Greece one day. I hope everything goes okay during the surgery. I hope someday things won’t feel as awful as they do right now. Does any of this sound familiar? I’m playing in a puddle of hope today, to see what I can learn about this feeling.
The context of hope sometimes has more to do with yearning or anticipation. The hope I’m exploring today is the resolute feeling in my heart that feels peaceful or trusting in a desired outcome. It is anticipation free from anxiety or doubt. Of course, there is an element of yearning in any form of hope, but I like to think of it from a glass-half-full perspective.
Continue Reading -
Is it right or different? When I’m working with others, an interesting dialog happens in my head. (She hangs her head as she realizes how quick she is to judge.) “You have to do it this way.” “Just do it right.” “Why do you walk all the way around there when you can get there quicker going this way?” Sound familiar?
There’s right and wrong, for sure. Is it possible, though, that there’s right and different? When I think back on corporate frustrations, one that pops readily to the surface has everything to do with the judge and jury in my head. It was easy for me to get caught up in ‘my way is the only way’ to do something. Do you ever find yourself in this spot? The presence of mind to realize different is okay, often diffuses the drama of someone ‘not doing something right.’
Continue Reading -
Happy New Year and here’s to new intentions for making life what we want it to be in 2024! So, do you set some resolutions? I go for intentions just because I’m weird that way. There’s something about setting an intention that feels like spending my energy creating what I want in life.
Continue Reading -
In the spirit of closing this year and bubbling with excitement about the new one fast approaching, I’m playing with what grateful feels like. First, let me express my gratitude to each one of you for playing with me in these little missives about life and our feelings. Thank you! Big hugs to each one of you, all around!
When I feel grateful, my heart warms. Have you experienced that? When I’m feeling grumpy, finding different ways to show gratitude helps me feel warmly aware. (She found a yummy, special sauce to include in her recipes for intentional living.) Did you know that expressing gratitude helps you sleep better? I didn’t know that! It makes sense, though.
Continue Reading
No Results Found
Life Gifts
- I send you courage and honor.
- I send you joy.
- Sending you warmth and caring.
- I send you warm blankets to snuggle with as you sip warm tea and warm up your cold body.
- I send you glorious freedom to move your body and experience joy.
- I send you large bundles of gratitude for being who you are, and for being connected with me.
- Sending you calm to scatter around the chaos.
- I send you life rafts for navigating the waters of life.
- I send you soothing cups of hot tea, your favorite music to listen to and time for you to relax and enjoy.
- I send you whimsical moments that make you giggle out loud, whether or not you’re around people.
- I send you joy as I think about how delightful you are.
- Sending you tasty inspiration.
- I send you the deep, rich colors of berries to paint your soul.
- I send you focus and energy as you write today.
- I send you a warm, snuggly kitty to comfort your soul and remind you about the power of love.
- I send you healing love and energy.
- Sending you magical lenses to sharpen your focus.
- Sending you music to fill your heart with warmth and comfort.
- Sending you peace and beauty, like the glassy stillness of a lake before the breeze’s caress stirs things up.
- Sending you flashlights for exploring your dark places.
- I send you revolving hours of joy for writing about what you want to write about.
- I send you a warm, relaxing breeze, a comfortable hammock with sounds of water lapping on the shore.
- I send you the lightest hint of lilac and a handful of petals.
- I send you energetic bursts of joy.
- I send you chortles, giggles and warm hugs.
- I send you music to make your insides dance.
- I send you love.
- I send you bright-colored flowers that fragrantly shower your surroundings with joy and delight.
- I send you chortles, giggles, and warm hugs.
- I send you good thoughts for successful surgery, for doctors and nurses to care for you with love and honor, and for healing comfort.
- I send you fresh, crisp apple bites of life to bite into everyday.
- I send you light energy to charge your healthy cells and create health.
- I send you patience to allow new things to unfold positively for your life.
- Sending you willing, loving hearts and hands to help you.
- I send you buckets of bubbling, juicy kindness.
- Sending you love and caring.
- Sending you a bubble full of love and healing, to hold you and your heart.
- Sending you a luxury craft to drift in a while you regroup.
- I send you moments of pause so that you can remember you are loved and cared for.
- I send you delicious moments to remove clutter from your life.
- I send you a warm spot of cheer and buckets of love for you to use as you wish.
- I send you showers of confetti filled with sparkling, renewing energy to keep you fresh and succulent.
- Sending you blankets of love to help you feel safe.
- I send you soothing healing.
- I send you delightful whimsey, goodness over flowing, and creative deliciousness today.
