“The path to change is seldom smooth or straight.”– James O. Prochaska Jim Prochaska is a leading researcher and author on behavior change – and a good friend of mine. Jim must have observed my lifetime when he made this simple but astute comment. When I was a …
Manufacturers of cups, plates, tables and picture frames have been tracking my aging process. They hate me. Yet, they want my money. For all my previous years, we have gotten along well. They make stuff. I buy their stuff. It’s been a symbiotic relationship. Then, they …
I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I was a prized window washer in LaGrange, Illinois, in the early 1960s. I worked on old houses, and owners would ask for me by name. Often, at the end of a full day, an extra dollar or two would be slipped into my soapy hands. Fast …
“Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”– Franz Kafka I’m in bed at 5:15 a.m., talking to myself again. “It’s dark and cold outside. My hip is aching. Why not stay in bed? I deserve it. Isn’t that right, favorite wool …
I’ve purchased The New Yorker magazine for years, even though I live 2,713 miles from New York. I don’t even care that much for the content. New York City’s “Talk of the Town” does not play well with the banter going on in Washoe Valley, Nevada. The magazine’s political …
Robins keep flying into our big windows at the office. It’s a little scary and sad at the same time. Some of them bounce off like orange-spotted pingpong balls and fly away. Others come to a permanent rest on our sidewalk. It reminds me of the old Alfred Hitchcock …
I love the wild horses of Nevada. I saw a herd for the first time 30 years ago, coming around a narrow canyon. I didn’t know whether to duck for cover behind a boulder or just continue to stare at them in amazement. Two stallions came forward, protecting a young foal and her …
My guess is, we all carry two stories about ourselves. One is the story we share with others. It’s how we want people to think of us. The other is the story we take to bed at night and wake up with in the morning. It’s the story about the person we think we really …
“The basic difference between being assertive and being aggressive is how our words and behavior affect the rights and well-being of others.” – Sharon Anthony Bower I’m getting better at some things. It’s not easy for me to change a long-grounded, negative …
The older I get, the more set in my ways I become. For years now, when I wake up in the morning, I immediately make myself a cup of coffee using the same chipped, chocolate-colored cup. I go to the same couch, which faces out to the backyard. I watch my four white …