Lovable

God and good mothers love us as we are.  Pets love us as if we were God.  May we all remember that regardless of how harsh we can be to ourselves, we are lovable just the way we.

Good Enough

My definition of great, for any specific task, and yours are quite likely very different. "Good enough" brings me much joy and far less stress than continually striving for an elusive "best".  Continuous improvement is in my DNA, but embracing "good enough" each day keeps me happy and healthy (and probably more fun to be around). 

I've decided to be perfectly imperfect, rather than constantly struggling for impossible perfection.  Good enough is perfectly imperfect.

Time to Relax

The glorious holidays are filled with marvelous opportunities to celebrate with cherished family and friends.  It's sometimes only when the last present is purchased, the last task completed or the calendar marks Christmas Day that we finally allow ourselves time to relax. 

Moments are often all that are needed to recharge our batteries.  I'm going to try to remember that regardless of how many items are on my perpetual to-do list, taking a few moments to relax each day needs to be a recurring priority entry.  

Winning by Watching

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to spend time with a dear friend who is in middle school.  Among our activities was a card game, Phase 10, that I'd played once when Julia introduced it during her last visit.  It was great to watch her competitiveness emerge during the phases of the game.  Though I lost, I won by watching her compete.

It reminded me that score is just one measure of winning.  We often win by encouraging others, spending time with them, and competing in efforts where age, skill and experience don't dictate winners.

The Magic of Distance

A dear friend and I were recently analyzing the reasons that some out-of-town business trips can generate great memories with work colleagues who already are, or because of the trip, become great friends.

Many of us have countless opportunities to visit with work colleagues in the office, at luncheons and after work events.  When we're at home, each of these sessions comes to a natural conclusion, with each of us returning to the demands of daily responsibilities - job, family and community.  When we are out of town, these normal daily demands are temporarily suspended.  Those great conversations can continue without detriment to other responsibilities.

We owe it to ourselves, and those we hold dear, to create some less time-bounded opportunities to let our conversations morph as they can when our daily responsibilities are distant.

Balancing Work, Life and Stress

Sometimes we just need to schedule time to talk about how we can create our most effective blended work, family, community and individual lives. Today, three of my colleagues and I spent time pondering how best to balance work, life and stress, in anticipation of an event on Friday.

Some tips include:

• Focus on gratitude
• Protect time for self-care
• Set boundaries between work, family and other activities
• Create transition time during the commute to move from work/home to self to home/work
• Establish entry/exit routines to move from work/home and home/work
• Don't wait for big times - a glass of wine with your spouse after work is special
• Take time for daily devotional, exercise or other super start to the day
• Communicate clearly and compassionately 
• Agree to roles and responsibilities

Remains of the Tray

My favorite gatherings are those where the slight remains of the trays are consumed in the kitchen, reminiscing about the lovely time enjoyed by all.