life, travel, stories – Join the journey, Love Raven
Dear Reader, We’re almost exactly halfway into the year 2020! I don’t want to be that annoying person, but… how are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? If you did make resolutions this year, this is a reminder to check in on your goals. I annually make resolutions and try to stick to them; however,... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, In the absence of severe injury or affliction, your mind is the only thing in this world over which you have 100% control. Let me say that more clearly — you can only control your mind (i.e. not other people, not the weather, not even your own health completely). The funny thing I... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Have you ever dissuaded yourself from reading a book because you found it to be too popular? For me, this is where my hesitancy lie when I was considering Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia. Despite near universal praise for this story, the premise of a... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Are you still able to make it outside during these uncertain times? If you are, how much of that outdoor time do you spend in nature? A new study has found that living close to nature and spending time outside has significant and wide-ranging health benefits, including reducing the risk of certain diseases.... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, There are four types of people in this world, well, at least according to Gretchen Rubin there is. In her highly-acclaimed book, The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too), Rubin divides people into Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels based... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, How is it that one person can look like a college student and the other middle-aged while both are in their early 30s? Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Elissa Epel get to the bottom of aging in their book The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer. Telomeres are the... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Whoever coined the phrase "home sweet home" surely must not have spent 23+ hours at his residence for any significant period of time. My physical world has shrunken as a result of the pandemic, and, at times I feel crippled by the restrictions that prohibit us to move about freely. On the morning... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, We are not doomed to be upset just because something does not turn out the way that we planned. In 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, psychologist Amy Morin discusses key steps that everyone can take to help improve their emotions, outlook, and general life satisfaction all by focusing on developing mental... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, The present and engaged mind is the mortal enemy of stress. Last week, I took a course on presentation skills and had an opportunity to give a three-minute talk on a topic of my choosing. Encouraged to speak about something that makes our heart sing, I immediately thought to make stress the theme... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Sometimes it’s hard to stay focused. I listen to podcasts, audiobooks, and television while I perform chores or other mundane activities. While I find the chatter of dialogue through my earbuds to be a great comfort, I also realize that my split attention rips me away from my surroundings. It can be tempting... Continue Reading →
