Saying "I'm sorry" can become a reflexive response to so many things, but do we really mean it? Saying I’m sorry isn’t always an acceptance of responsibility, or fault, offering to fix it, or taking the blame for something. And yet we say it. So what can we do to express regret for something someone is experiencing? Listen on. 

When we're busy, busy, busy, it's a good idea to take a few breaths to re-center so we can be at our best!

Mind too busy to meditate? Yeah, I get it, I've been there too, but my eyes were opened with a little practice, and I see it differently now. So can you. Have a listen and let me know what you think!

Sometimes we overload ourselves with the worries of others. We want to help, to support, but we also need to take care of ourselves as well as the other person. If you, like me, are a "fixer", wanting to be there for someone to the point we wear ourselves out? Listen to this podcast and let me know what you think.

This Hawaiian forgiveness practice is about accepting responsibility for wrongs that are done. Not just wrongs by us or to us, but accepting responsibility for what is going on in our world and offering to reconcile with those wrongs on a universal scale. We can heal our fractured world by repeating this beautiful prayer as a mantra, repeated over and over to soak it into the depths of our beings, connected with all other beings as well.

Pretty much nobody just sits down, starts meditating, and is immediately changed. Like everything else you aspire to do, you gotta practice to develop your skills. You gotta do the work to reap the rewards.  The work is the practice.  The joy is in the practice too.

When things get rough on this roller coaster ride we call life, the memories of what brings us happiness or joy can sustain us. This is simply a reminder to be present with matters most. Different for everyone in one way or another, but alike all the same. We are one human race, with similar desires, problems, needs, and sources of joy. All are to be held precious!

Listen to my dear friend Dr Cecilia Lopez on those automatic thoughts that influence our behaviors in so many ways. Dr. Lopez has been practicing therapy for eight years in California’s South San Francisco Bay Area. She has a doctorate and master’s degree in counseling psychology and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has worked at a non-profit as a clinician for seven years and now runs her own private practice. Cecilia takes pride in helping others work through mental, emotional, behavioral and stress-related challenges by supporting the development of skills and insight that promotes a life of well-being and flow.  She playfully refers to herself as a "Fear Coach". Her passion for helping others and her energetic (and sometimes playful) personality provides an ideal blend for promoting the improvement and awareness of mental health. Follow her website: drcecilialopez.com,  podcast Mindful Living with Dr. Cecilia Lopez and look for her work on TikTok!

My wish for you for 2021 is to know that you are good enough, strong, enough, smart enough, and to wish for you all that you need to be your best self. 

If we can take just a second or two to appreciate before we move on? We open the door to making appreciation and gratitude an integral part of our lives. We can LIVE in gratitude and enjoy the benefits all the time.