Reflections in the Mirror – You and Yourself

I don’t know about you but I have stumbled many times getting to where I am now.  I began stumbling, literally, when I took my first drink at 13.  Hiding behind the garage at an outdoor family gathering, I gulped down my whiskey and coke before any one could notice me.  The rush I felt was quickly matched by the uneasiness I experienced as I headed back to the group.  With darting vision, I hurried into the house so no one would guess what I had been up to. What I could have learned then was that alcohol had the capacity to “trip” a person up in more[...]

I am beginning a new book.  As I "see" it now, it will be a book of essays that will drive home to the reader the idea that just because we are moving into a later stage of life, we need not assume that our joys will diminish.  On the contrary, for most people they will flourish because they are relieved of myriad responsibilities they were saddled with in the earlier decades of life.  Children are grown and educated.  Retirement is at hand or already being enjoyed.  Fewer expenses have to be worried over.  Down-sizing has become the ideal and time for relax[...]

I'd have to say that the first forty years of my life were primarily focused on the actions of those people I walked among.  And I wasn't even conscious of it.  It was simply who I was.  It was how I had always lived.  What ever you said defined how I believed too, in that moment. I saw no problem with this.  Not having "a life of my own" wasn't of much concern.  I came to the realization of this in 1971 but seeing "Me" in print on that fateful page in John Powell's book didn't turn me around.  Let me elaborate. I was teaching a personal writing class at[...]

At an AA meeting this morning the topic of balance was suggested.  I have always felt that my life was pretty well balanced.  I exercise.  I eat well.  I have many friends, a great relationship with my husband, and my work life is very satisfying.  However, I am also exploring the idea of working less.  How would that feel?  Must I always be busy?  In past years I'd say yes.  I needed to be answering the "call" to write and saying yes to all of the invitations I received to facilitate workshops or speak at luncheons or dinners.  The idea of cutting back[...]

(In case you have not read the preceding post, I am projecting out twenty years and looking back on what my life was like.) Dear Karen, Your decision to assign participants in a workshop in 2013 to look back on their lives from a future point was fortuitous.  As you might recall, you were contemplating your own "next phase," wondering if slowing down was really what you wanted to do.  You weren't sure how many or how few workshops to commit to for 2014, let alone the next two decades.  Even stopping to ask yourself that question was good.  You had never[...]