Receiving an odd compliment recently, prompted a journey leading to a unique discovery. I often write about managing anxiety here at Mindfulness Monday, sharing tools and techniques which help with every day anxiety. After receiving a compliment for my curious mind, I discovered curiosity tames anxiety by redirecting anxious thoughts. Curiosity actually releases the neurotransmitter, dopamine, triggering feelings of Joy,…
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How Curiosity Tames Anxiety
August Abiding:Share Four Somethings
Waving farewell to another month, I rejoice in a glance back at my August Abiding joining Heather Gerwing as she hosts a monthly feature called, Share Four Somethings, where writers share the fourth Saturday of each month something in each of four categories from the previous month. Many readers notice I choose a theme for each month, which often reflects lessons or themes from…
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The Transfiguration of Resilience
Bewildered by what appears the incredible speed of time in general, I felt stunned in realizing the arrival of yet another month’s One Word Update. Continuing with a meditative approach to a deeper understanding of my bold friend, Resilience, found me pondering the transfiguration of Resilience through two particular quotes. The lessons so far, speak deeply into my life. I…
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How Curiosity Restores Joy in the Lord
Nothing delights me more than a child’s curiosity. Free of societal constraints, their eager minds question, explore, and examine. Curiosity provides the basic skill for learning about the world around them. As adults, joy-filled curiosity goes the way of all childish things. But learning how curiosity restores Joy in the Lord, reveals the error in hastily discarding this childhood treasure….
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Faith For Living in a Troubled World
Patiently listening, my heart ached as I heard the familiar refrain. A family member expressing the overwhelming feeling of being “lost”. Not only facing a loved one’s steady decline, but reeling from world events and feelings of despair. I felt the depth of her pain as she wondered aloud if she had faith for living in a troubled world. As…
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Finding God in the Scattered Seeds
Laughing out loud when my husband shared the story, I soon recovered my composure enough to wonder what my neighbor was thinking now. Maintaining a large backyard garden, he plants dozens of seeds each year. Having a small variety of melon and pumpkin seeds left, on his way to the prepared plot for planting, he tripped. Staring at the scattered…
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Embracing the Morning
Long one of my favorite flowers, their location in one of my front gardens sends me on my way in the morning; and welcomes me home at day’s end. Cheerful and unassuming, they whisper the ease of embracing the morning, with innocent hope for the day. Even on the cloudiest of days, their sunny personalities never fail in bringing a…
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Embracing the Treasure in the Unexpected
Warm rays caressing my eyes, the sun greets me with the promise of a brilliant Saturday morning. Inviting me into my cozy arm chair, I linger over my morning coffee. Closing my eyes, hugging my warm cup, He’s there. Inviting me into the joy of embracing the treasure of the unexpected day unfolding before me. How I covet my Saturday…
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When Routines Become Ruts: Invitation to Change
Routines provide a lifeline in my sometimes chaotic world. While simultaneously creating a paradox: because those same routines at times drain my energy and quench my joy. When my routines become ruts, it usually means my routine has become an avoidance tactic, as I resist stepping outside my carefully curated safe zone. During a recent quiet time, as I prayed…
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