“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” — Socrates A busy life is too often seen as a badge of honour. Everyone is constantly busy. Schedules are overloaded. People rush from one thing to another while often accomplishing little or nothing during a day. Life is busy yet it feels empty and unproductive. My threshold […]
Lifestyle
How to motivate yourself
Do you know how to motivate yourself? Are there aspects of your lifestyle, habits, or health that you want to change but you find yourself stuck in old routines? Do you find yourself in a holding pattern that needs invigoration? After almost five years of retirement, I find myself repeating patterns that satisfy me. Unfortunately, […]
Handling Loneliness
Have you learned how to handle loneliness? Most of us, no matter how socially active, fight bouts of loneliness. Feeling lonely is not shameful nor is it a sign of failure. It is a normal feeling that happens to everyone. The presence of other people doesn’t insulate you from loneliness. Even when you are in […]
7 Tips to Avoid the Last-Minute Christmas Crazies
It’s time for a bad case of the last-minute Christmas crazies. With only days before the 25th, many of us are moving close to panic mode. I’m at the front of the line. December has flown past and the Christmas crazies have hit me and, it seems, many around me. This happens every year. I […]
What’s the meaning of “I’m too busy” ?
Do you often hear words like “I’m too busy” or “I’ve been busy” or, simply “busy” as a response when greeted with ‘how are you’? When someone greets me with “how are you?” — too often, I respond with words indicating that I’ve been busy. The response says little yet it is socially acceptable. “I’ve […]
Too Many Commitments
Is your retirement happiness compromised by too many commitments? Is your daily/weekly schedule overloaded? Are you stressed out with too little time to smell the roses? Do you have time for goofing off or doing nothing? Too many retired people say they are busier than ever. As a result, they find themselves overwhelmed because a […]
10 November Gratitudes to Increase Happiness
Gratitudes during the month of November are difficult for those who live in Northern climes. The skies are a wintry grey. Dampness makes the cool air feel downright cold. The trees have shed most of their autumn beauty. Day light is scarce. For me, November means blah days and low energy levels. I’m challenged to keep […]
Retirement Happiness — A New Smartphone
Does having a new smartphone increase retirement happiness? Do we need a cell phone that does more than just make voice calls? Is learning how to use a smartphone essential for survival in the digital age? And how does this relate to retirement happiness? Last week my husband bought me a new iphone — not […]
Canadian Thanksgiving Celebrations
Canadian Thanksgiving is a time of celebration. Observed on the 2nd Monday of October and affectionately known as ‘Turkey Day’, Thanksgiving in Canada is closely linked with European harvest festivals. People gather for excursions, family events, and relaxation. In the Kitchener-Waterloo area of Ontario, Thanksgiving weekend means Oktoberfest celebrated with Germanic traditions of beer, […]
How NOT to Celebrate Your Husband’s Birthday
What should you not do to celebrate your husband’s birthday? What should you avoid? I’m exploring this topic today because my husband has another birthday coming tomorrow. After 48 years of marriage, we have celebrated many birthdays. Most of the birthdays have been happy celebrations with good feelings associated with wishes for many years of […]
