Recalibrate Your Work, Rest, and Play.
previous issues of the sabbatical lifestyle
A Thorn Birds-Style Love Affair and Lizzo
I lost my 95-year-old friend this week. He was a beautiful human whose ugly end-of-life circumstances didn't honor his wishes. (YES, THIS IS YOUR REMINDER TO GET YOUR PLANS LOCKED DOWN. YES, I'M SHOUTING.)
That Time This Past Week When I Was a Jerk
Fresh off a holiday about gratitude, I'm foregoing another listicle about 5 ways to practice gratitude to instead give you a "warts and all" example of a surprising source of gratitude for me this past week. But first: can we all acknowledge that we each have our own special sh*t show? And that the meaning of life is in turning our sh*t show into a sh*ft show?
Color Me Beautiful and...Well...Death
Show me a tan blonde wearing black and I'll show you a person who's not achieving their "seasonal color potential." If you're like me, you are always up for need a good challenge.
How to Crisis-Proof Your Midlife with Meghan Krause
The midlife malaise is real and in this episode we dig into with life coach Meghan Krause. If you’ve been asking yourself “Is this all there is,” if the things you thought were going to make you happy are not, then know that you are not alone…
Harder, But Better: a Midlife Mantra
Seriously, when I launched my coaching business, I saw more than a few skeptical glances from people who had no exposure to the discipline of coaching psychology (part science, part art!). Yesterday, though, as I looked at a snapshot of my past year, I see just how much YER GIRL HAD GUTS to start a new business after having been through the ringer with her health, previous business, and relationships.
Exiting Midlife's Struggle Bus
Sometimes you’re making progress—you nail that job interview, you hit the gym 4 times a week, you enjoy a fun date that leads to a second date, you make it through a family gathering without fighting—but soon enough you’re right back where you are.
On Middlescence
By the time we hit 40, most of us face a reality that can look quite different from the future we anticipated at 25. Sure, there’s a spiritual maturity--a deepening self-awareness and introspection--that results from embracing (Getting hit upside the head with?) the truth about ourselves. If we’re honest, though, it’s a bit more confusing, searching, and scary than we’d imagined--like waiting on the wall at your Middle School Dance.
Flamin' Hot Cheetos Powder and Thought Work
If you happen to feel bad because you've habituated the behavior of eating Cheetos and licking your fingers and you say things like, "Oh my gosh, I feel so bad because I'm weak and I have no willpower and I'm lazy..." take heart, it's just your brain creating a habit to conserve energy.
Hustle Porn, Hustle Shame...What Gives?
There's hustle porn: "WORK TILL YOUR EYES BLEED! STOP WATCHING TV! STOP DOING ANYTHING REMOTELY ENJOYABLE TILL YOU'VE CRACKED THE 3-COMMA MARK!"
And then there's hustle shaming: "Don't do all the things. People who do all the things have secret adrenal fatigue. Just be of service and get in alignment and flow, and adopt a loving mindset of abundance, and the money will come to you. You don't have to work hard; you just have to work smart! Money is energy!"
You Know How It Is: The bigger the package, the better the...
For my 8th (Golden) birthday, my wicked older sister handed me a giant box the size of a freezer chest. Back then, I definitely thought the bigger the package, the better the gift. These days, "the bigger the package..." has a different connotation. And it's not always better.
Heart's Ann Wilson, storytelling, and night cheese
I’ve always been drawn to stories—not just what happens, but how the story is told. Stories are essentially about one person saying to another: This is who I am. This is how I see the world. Can you understand me?
What My 95-Yr-Old Neighbor/Friend/Priest's Boxing Exploits Have to Do With Your Life Goals
I just compared notes about my former boxing days with my 95-yr-old neighbor/friend/priest (<----- never words I ever thought I'd string together), and I had an "aha" moment... "Punch through the target, not at the target" is a truism of boxing...AND OF LIFE.
The Worst Type of Travel? A Guilt Trip
Why do we let kids have all the back-to-school fun? (This includes tubs of paste. Remember those? I longed for a fresh tub of paste every year, no matter how much I left unused the previous year. I know what you're thinking, , but I didn't eat it. I left that job to Jamie King in Mrs. Economy’s 1st grade classroom. I guess I just saw hope…possibility…and sweet satisfaction when I opened a fresh new tub. Yep...I find inspiration in inanimate objects like any good child of an artist/counselor. ;)
The Upside of Those Voices in Your Head
"I talk to myself more than I listen to myself," said Dr. James Gills, a super-accomplished surgeon who's published more than 180 medical articles, edited or authored eight medical textbooks, competed in 46 marathons (including 18 Boston marathons), completed 14 mountain terrain endurance events of 100 miles or more, and run in nearly 20 assorted races of 50 miles or more, completed six Double Iron Triathlons within the 36-hour maximum time frame, and completed five Hawaii Ironman Triathlon World Championships...oh, and raised six children.
Blocks of Cheese, Dr. Pimple Popper, and Numbing Out
Amid reports of more mass shootings, you might opt to numb out. I understand. Most of us use something in our lives to numb out when we don’t know how to handle or process our distress.
Aging, Lessons Learned, and What Level Are You?
I’m writing you from my family's lake home, where I'm staring at the deck umbrella that's bent perpendicular and cannot be restored. It was one of those "accidentally left the umbrella open during a storm" moments by a family member.
The 3 Biggest Lessons of My 40th Year
Imagine the awkward burn lines. (Not quite as awkward as the lines I used to get playing fastpitch. Shout out to the red stripe across the top of my fivehead, compliments of a visor…you’re the real MVP.)
Imagine the tomato-colored skin earned from (an arguably short) time in the unrelenting Baja California Sur sun (she said with a hint of defensiveness).
Imagine the sting from the light brush of my caftan billowing in the breeze.
3 Tips for When Your Overload Is On Overdrive...
It's true confessions time. Does your life feel unreasonably busy? Do you work your tail off each day... but still feel like you’re never doing enough?🙋🙋🙋 There's a big, ol' chorus of people who feel this way. So many of us live in a constant state of fear and distress that no matter how hard we push, we’re still not doing enough. But what if you are?
I Like Big Bones and I Cannot Lie...
Was at my nephew Spencer’s grad party this past weekend, which happened to fall on Father’s Day. It was a lunch lady sitch for me, which is ideal for making convo with all kinds of friends I’ve not yet met.
Big talk, small talk. I love it all. Size doesn’t matter. Actually, that’s not true. Size absolutely matters (it’s not what you’re thinking, perv).
Burnout: Not Just Chris from Junior Year
If you're like me, the term "burnout" conjures images of Chris from Junior year, rockin' a jean jacket (popped collar, natch) with a pack of smokes in the pocket, a hole-filled hair band t-shirt, acid-washed jeans, off-brand hi-tops sans laces, and a mullet that's not seen water in days. Oh, and a crucifix earring in one ear.