There are many movements advocating for a slower pace of life. You may have heard of Slow Food - asking us to sit down as a family or with friends to enjoy a home-cooked meal, rather than eating on the go, over the sink or different meals at different times. The Slow Movement is also gaining momentum - suggesting that we slow our lives down and notice our surroundings more. Interestingly, this one began in Italy as a protest against a McDonalds opening there. Now there are de

I was at my acupuncturist the other day and he said that he read that most New Year’s resolutions are discarded by Valentine’s Day. This is not surprising. I would guess that it’s even earlier than that. The new year gives us a clean slate upon which to create our lives, and most of us are tempted to set goals or make “resolutions” about our behavior. WHY then, are those things given up so early in the game? Because my birthday is the 17th of January, each year I take the t

I have always felt a little bit like an outsider. From as far back as I can remember, I didn’t quite fit in. I was different. I was never the most popular, sought-after friend or the one with the most talent in anything (in anything that mattered anyway). Winning my school’s spelling bee in sixth grade didn’t win me friends or admirers. Being first chair of the trumpet section in the band wasn’t listed in the junior high school yearbook like captain of the basketball team w