Grit
Grit is defined as "unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger" (Merriam-Webster). Within myself and those around me there seems to be a vast amount of sense of hardship and danger related to the upheaval in the US Government and facing physical health challenges. Both of these situations present challenges on how to maintain a sense of strength and hope.

Learning
I typically consider myself to be capable of learning most anything. My brain gets satisfaction from memorizing things (temporarily) and regurgitating it to pass an exam. This served me well as a child, teen, and adult. But this isn't the learning skill Rick is asking us to grow. He wants to help us understand how to change our brains.

Mindfulness
It is snowing in my neighborhood! As I watched the snow fall  this morning while eating breakfast, I shifted from a frenetic mind to a peaceful mind. And I thought 'ahhh now is the time to write about mindfulness'. Mindfulness was awakened when I became mesmerized by falling snow, as plans were canceled, and while noticing the cheerfulness and quietude that accompanies snow.

Hold Tight
As dark clouds appear
And your mind fills with fear
Hold tight my dear
I'll be with you here

Compassion For Others
I have been working my way up to this post ever since 11/5/24. I am seeking to be able to have compassion for anyone and everyone. Don't get me wrong, I have compassion for a lot of people. I struggle at times and for various reasons. I have one particular person in mind and  I'm not fully

Compassion
A recent trend in therapeutic interventions is the use of compassion to improve mental health. It's warranted, don't get me wrong, it's just the big buzz word, which usually means people think they "should" do it but don't always know how. Kristen Neff's research shed a lot of light on the importance of having compassion for yourself. And neuroscientists have shown that when we have compassion, shame is reduced and we are more likely to make changes. So it's a very 

Resolution Or Intention
Many people set resolutions for the New Year, however in America it is almost expected that we  will break our resolutions early in the year. That is unfortunate, because if we truly want to follow through with a resolution we almost jinx the goal by calling it a New Years Resolution. I prefer the word Intention. It allows me to hold my goal more gently, allowing me to be more compassionate 

Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, or Happy Tuesday
Wishing you time for activities and connections that bring you joy and peace today!
For me, today is Christmas Eve and I'm spending the morning listening to my favorite Christmas songs. I have a playlist of favorite holiday songs that inspire a sense of peace and/or joy. When

Resilient
​Our nervous system is one of the most powerful resources available to us to improve our well-being. On the other hand, the nervous system can trap us in difficult mindsets, and be one of our biggest barriers to wellness. Rick Hanson, Ph.D. believes that we can access “durable inner strengths” that are “hardwired into our nervous system”. His book Resilient walks us through how