“You’ve been criticizing yourself
for years and it hasn’t worked.
Try approving of yourself
and see what happens.”
— Louise Hay —

As I washed my hands in the ladies’ room at church one Sunday, I noticed the woman beside me glaring into the mirror. Her eyes were intent, seeing something far beyond my view, her brow was furrowed, and the general grimace across her face revealed far more than the mirror ever could. After a moment, I startled her as I spoke:
“What are you thinking?” I asked, knowing the answer was not going to be good.

I was driving through a busy, tourist-filled parking lot when it happened. A man pulled out right in front of me. I quickly slammed the brakes to stop, but still ended up so close I could clearly make out his facial expression. I saw him mouthing something and immediately thought, “What a jerk.” Of course, I braced to get flipped off too, as people tend to do that when it’s their fault. But that didn’t happen. As he pulled around me, he rolled down his window and stopped. “I am so sorry,” he said, sincerely. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” I responded and smiled.

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing.”
— George Bernard Shaw

It’s summertime, and even if you work full-time, it’s time to play! I don’t mean call in hooky or goof-off at work, I mean shift your brain to a schools-out-for-summer mentality. If you’re a nine-to-fiver, thank nature and daylight savings time for giving us extra time to frolic after work, whether you want to garden a little, go for a beach walk, or get some afternoon sun at the neighborhood pool. June 20th is the Summer Solstice, when we will get 14 hours and 16 minutes of glorious daylight. That means even if you work eight hours that day, you still have a full 6 hours 16 minutes to play, enjoy, bask, and have some fun.

Two remote controls, a Google Home, a cable box, and a cell phone. That is the equipment needed to turn on the one television in my home. I have to wonder if anyone truly knows how to turn on their television anymore? If your answer is yes, does this mean you have the actual know-how to get the picture and sound on at the same time or did you just luck into it? And, even in your triumph, are you not terrified you may push the wrong button and never find the Hallmark Channel again?

“Lighten up, Francis!”
— Sergeant Hulka, Stripes

Does the world seem extra heavy to you right now? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but nature begs to differ. She is giving us comfortable temps, mild breezes, beautiful blooms, and lots of sunshine that beckons our spirit to lighten up. Take some deep breaths, go outside, slow down, and allow ease to penetrate your bones. Start saying yes to things you love. At least once a day do things that bring you joy and fill your soul.