Category Archives: Living Well

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Lessons Learned From Growing Roses

I love roses. They are my favorite flower. I carried them to both of my high school proms. I also carried them in my wedding bouquet. I particularly love white and pink roses.

(c) Gyro Photography/Thinkstock

Over the years I have bought a variety of rose bushes – hybrid teas, floribunda, David Austin, and Knock-out. My latest purchase was two old-fashioned roses.

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The Dark Side of Sucking It Up

For most of my life I have practiced the suck-it-up method. In fact, my family lives by this a good deal of the time. There is a lot to be said for this. We take responsibility for our own actions. We do not let small things derail us. We do not waste time wallowing in self-pity or engage in whining. Instead we do what we have to do, what is right, what must be done to get through whatever the situation is.

(c) Christine Whitman/Thinkstock

There are people who could benefit from sucking-it-up once in a while. People who blame everyone and everything else for their difficulties. Who collapse at the least sign of trouble. Then there are those like me who have practiced it to such a degree that we cause harm to ourselves. There is a dark side to this trait.

Article by Daniel Amen: 5 Ways to Unleash the Power of the Female Brain

Posted on Sharecare.com

For all who are women or who have special women (and girls) in their lives:  This is an article by one of the foremost brain experts in the country.  His team tested 46,000 male and female brains via SPECT imaging to see how their brains activated.  The results are fascinating.

(c) Fuse/Thinkstock

(c) Fuse/Thinkstock

If you want to purchase Dr. Amen's book, it can be found here.

Question:  How have you unleashed the power of your brain?  Share by clicking here.

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The Perils of Perfectionism

I confess.  I have very high expectations of myself.  I have been that way ever since I can remember.  I expect to be the best at what I do.  I expect to work hard.  I expect to always say the right thing.  I expect to not make a mistake.  I expect not to hurt anyone.  I expect, I expect, I expect. 

(c) Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock

There is nothing wrong with high expectations.  It is good to work hard, to push yourself beyond where you are now, work towards excellence, or as Michael Hyatt says, “Aim for WOW!”  Low expectations leave us stagnant.  According to Les Brown, “Most people fail in life not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit.” 

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Mix With Your Hands

My family has a recipe for Irish Bread that we got from our neighbor, Anita.  She made it every St. Patrick’s Day and gave it out to people she knew.  At some point she gave us the recipe so we could make it ourselves.  Our family loved the bread so much that we began making it for other occasions too.  This recipe is quite different from most of the Irish Bread you’ve probably had.  It is made with baking powder instead of soda, has no caraway seeds, and is sweet. 

Photo by Ann Thompson

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Dealing With Expectations Part Two: Life

What do you expect from life?  Unrealized expectations haunt many of us, particularly when we hit middle age and beyond.  Perhaps you expected to rise to the top of your profession and haven’t.  Or you thought your marriage would be perfect and it isn’t.  Or you thought you would sail through your kids’ teenage years, and then the ship sank.

Most of us have unrealized dreams.  Some may be fulfilled later, and some may never become reality  If we EXPECT life to work the way we dream, we can go down hard when it doesn’t happen.