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The Holidays:Part One – Say “NO”
Welcome to our series on “how to survive the holidays and enjoy them.” How to say no, it sure does sound easy. It’s just a small two-letter word, yet at times it can be so hard to say that tiny word. The holidays can be full of demands, questions, wants and needs. Our parents want…
Read MoreSaying Good-bye to the Winter Blues!!
Finally, it is that time of year. We can put away our boots and winter coats and break out the sandals, shorts, tank tops and even bathing suits. For some people, your heart just sank when you read, “bathing suits.” Believe me, I understand. Isn’t it crazy to think about how much weather affects our…
Read MoreOf Barrenness and Burning: When Life Seems Bleak
As far as the forest is concerned, the season has switched from fall to winter. The branches are bare, and the forest floor is evidence of a year gone by. The other day, as I arrived at the trail I like to run on (first time since fall was in full foliage), I was surprised…
Read MoreMental Health and Running
It’s a chilly Oregon spring day, and an 11-year-old boy is about run his first competitive race, in all his 6th grade glory; the 800-meter-dash. The short shorts and tank-top barely cover his slight frame which is subsequently covered in goose-bumps caused by chill and nerves. Through the crackly bull-horn comes, “Runners take your mark…”…
Read MoreShame, Part 3
As we continue on in this series on shame it is important to know that shame and guilt are two different things. Sometimes they overlap and we can get them confused. But here is the difference, Guilt: “I did something bad.” Shame: “I am something bad.” Sometimes our guilt causes us to feel shame.…
Read MoreShame, Part 2
When was the first time you felt shame? Do you remember an instance when you began to feel shame? Maybe you didn’t know it was shame, maybe you would categorize it as embarrassment. That is where shame starts, with embarrassment. Maybe you did something and were criticized for it. Maybe something happened to you such…
Read MoreShame
Welcome to our series on shame. Shame is powerful and if we let it, it can take over. Maybe you are wondering if you have ever experienced shame, or maybe you are struggling with shame right now and you are wondering how to break free from it. Most of us have experienced shame at one…
Read MoreVulnerability
Whew…that is a scary word! Who wants to be vulnerable? I don’t think many of us would elect ourselves to be vulnerable. Lets look more into this world of vulnerability. The definition of vulnerable is “Susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm. (Of a person) in need of special care, support, or protection because…
Read MoreWaiting…
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? This question might be a bit of an odd question to some people. To others you might be dying for an answer to that question. Unfortunately I do not have the exact answer to this question. There have been countless times in my life…
Read MoreHOPE – A Four Letter Word
While out on a run recently – tunes blasting in my ear, my aging muscles screaming for me to stop, the heat and humidity of the Chicago summer draining the life from me one drop of sweat at a time – I heard a phrase through the earbuds, as if sent straight from the running…
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