One of the blessings of being a Canadian and having strong links with friends in the US is celebrating two Thanksgiving holidays. Two of our long-time friends live in New York City and they regularly invite us to come to their home for the Thanksgiving holiday. They also love to come to Canada to celebrate […]
Author: Jeanette Lewis
Is your curiosity keeping you mentally sharp?
As I watch my cats explore any new package that enters the house, or inspect visitors before approaching them, I realize that curiosity and careful scrutiny is their method of analyzing new situations. Ever curious and hopeful for attention, novelty or food, they approach new situations by exploring. Eventually this natural inquisitiveness is rewarded — […]
What's your relationship with 'stuff'?
We all have ‘stuff’. Most of us have too much of it. We spend time de-cluttering. We waste time looking through ‘stuff’ for misplaced essentials. We spend time sorting and organizing ‘stuff’. And yet, if you’re like me, the amount of ‘stuff’ keeps growing despite strong efforts to create order. For several months I have worked […]
Why you shouldn't miss a 'reunion'
“As you grow older, you’ll find the only things you regret are the things you didn’t do” — Zachery Scott Last weekend I found myself in Montreal to attend the 40th anniversary reunion of the MSW graduating class at McGill University. The invitation to this reunion had arrived several months ago. There were no second thoughts […]
Want to be a 'nice' person without losing your authenticity?
“You taught me to be nice, so nice, that I am now full of niceness; I have no sense of right and wrong, no outrage, no passion.” Garrison Keillor During the 3-hour drive home from the cottage last weekend I listened to an interview with James Hollis, a Jungian analyst discussing one of his books […]
Achieving Good Karma in Retirement
‘Our deeds determine us as much as we determine our deeds’ quote from George Eliot With retirement comes the time to look back at various life events and experiences and to reflect on whether we have lived good lives. If one has lived a good life filled with generous actions, respect, hard work, kindness and […]
Retirement freedom — Moving beyond 'obligation'
Since retiring I am free to set my own schedule. Obligations on the work front are distant memories. Most current ‘obligations’ fit into a category of ‘optional’. However, moving into a head space where I no longer feel that it is necessary to agree to requests has been more of a retirement challenge than anticipated. […]
Do you suffer from 'brain' overload?
Our brains are constantly bombarded with stimulation. Smart phones, emails, social media, internet, television and other forms of infotainment raise the levels of physiological and nervous activity in our brains and in our bodies. Information overload, too many choices for human powers of attention, and constant demands for decisions stretch our brain-power to capacity. Technology […]
Celebrating 66 years — every birthday counts
The Days are long — The Years are Short — Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project I celebrated another birthday a couple of days ago — my 66th. Where do the years go? Gretchen Rubin’s comment ‘The days are long — the years are short’ rings in my ears as I think of how quickly the years […]
Retirement — How will you keep learning?
September always feels like the start of a new year. It’s amazing how the school calendar shapes the culture of North America. Thousands of children, adolescents and young adults head back to classrooms in September. Anticipation and an eagerness for learning fills their eyes. The urge to study, to take a course or to register to […]
