To Trust or Not to Trust?

Laurie Gardner Intuition & inner knowing, Love & relationships, Trust 5 Comments

  Trust is a tricky issue. If we trust too much, we could get burned. If we don’t trust enough, we could miss out – on important connections, lessons, and relationships. So how do we know when to open up and let down our guard and when to keep the protective walls up? You might ask, “What if my head answers that question one …

De un Libro Triste a un Nuevo Libro

Laurie Gardner Palabras de Sabiduría Leave a Comment

Una roca pesada cayó en mi corazón al leer el diagnóstico. Mi querida Subaru Outback, quien había estado tan amorosa y lealmente a mi lado por más de 17 años, estaba en su lecho de muerte. Toda su vida pasó ante mí: todas nuestras aventuras, nuestras experiencias, nuestros sueños y esperanzas. A través de todas mis angustias y alegrías, ‘Ru …

A Bug Story

Laurie Gardner Mindfulness 10 Comments

Emma. That’s what I decided to name the unusually large mosquito eater that was zooming around my house. Those bugs are creepy looking, like spindly daddy long legs with wings, but anything that eats the annoying, disease-carrying stingers that constantly welt my sweet skin is a friend of mine. I turned around from my computer and saw Emma suddenly dive-bomb …

Que No Te Enreden En Sus Redes

Laurie Gardner Palabras de Sabiduría Leave a Comment

¿Has estado con tu familia en días festivos, cuando de repente, regresas a una etapa mucho más joven? Tal vez tus papás o hermanos dicen o hacen algo que te volvía loco y te encuentras a tí mismo como un adolescente resentido. O quizás vuelves a ser el mismo niño de cinco años tratando de complacer a todos y mantener …

How’s that Workin’ for Ya’?

Laurie Gardner Breaking old patterns Leave a Comment

One of my favorite quotes is, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”   Many of us get stuck in patterns of thoughts and behaviors that prevent us from getting where we want to be in life. For example, I would very much like to get married someday, yet I’ve frequently …

Waiting for Godot

Laurie Gardner Patience & faith Leave a Comment

In my graduate school library, there’s a really old, unreliable elevator. It’s so slow that it often takes a full ten minutes to get from the third floor to the first. Sometimes, it doesn’t come at all. As a joke, we nicknamed it “Godot,” referring to a Samuel Beckett play about two men waiting endlessly.   Right now, my whole …

The Wisdom of Willy Wonka

Laurie Gardner Patience & faith Leave a Comment

“I want an Oompa Loompa, and I want it NOW!” screams little Veruca Salt to her father in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While I dislike her spoiled brat character, I can certainly relate to her impatience and desire to get what she wants right now. Have you ever been in a “holding pattern” in your life, taking steps toward where …

Valentine’s Day Attitude Adjustment

Laurie Gardner Attitude adjustment, Love & relationships 6 Comments

As Valentine’s Day approaches, many people start to feel pressured or anxious.  Those in couples often resent the huge price mark-ups and the imperative to do something romantic whether they’re in the mood or not.  Single people often feel lonely and depressed, either rushing to make plans or giving excuses of why they don’t really care about this day anyway.   …

The “Poor Me” Post-it

Laurie Gardner Attitude adjustment, Difficult situations Leave a Comment

Plucky and freckled, my neighbor Lana is a young Irish gal who’s always making wisecracks and is quick to lend a helping hand.  Lana grew up poor, raised by a quirky single mom whom she says dated men “with more criminal charges than teeth.”  To help make ends meet, Lana’s mom would take her daughters dumpster diving.  Since Lana was the …