life, travel, stories – Join the journey, Love Raven
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 →
Dear Reader, Sometimes “finding the time” can feel like a treasure hunt rather than a simple task. We’ve all got things going on, but on occasion our schedules feel like too much to handle. I am lucky enough to have a manageable calendar this spring, however, with an irregular work schedule and a course, settling... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, When I was in high school, I remember one of my friends proclaiming that 26 is the average age of a first marriage in the US. Years later, I cannot remember from which website or magazine this was gleaned, however, this factoid for some reason is still stuck within the fibers of my... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Everyone is busy with something and I am no exception. I have made a (mental) list of New Year’s resolutions for myself and I’m finding it hard to make time to do everything that I would like to do consistently. One of my 2020 challenges is to run a half marathon in May.... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, When was the last time that you saw something so magnificent that were in awe? Was it seeing the Grand Canyon, a California red wood, or a famous work of art perhaps? Feeling awestruck is a powerful experience that has many positive effects. I recently read an article called “Awesome awe: The emotion... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, How big is your existence? Do you have a large family, an abundance of friends, and call a few different locations home? Or, perhaps, does your path cross with fewer people and your home is just one tiny spot on the map? On my afternoon commute today, I started to think about my... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, When was the last time you tried something new? I don’t mean like a new restaurant or craft beer, but something more significant. I have a lot of vague New Year’s resolutions (which I should really just write down and clarify to be honest) relating to new things. Two such resolutions are that... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, How often is your brain actually focused on something? For me, when I am having a discussion, solving a problem, or writing, then my brain is incredibly focused. Though if I am doing something less stimulating (for example, repetitive work, chores, etc.), then my brain simply will not give its undivided attention to... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, If you are sitting at the bottom of a wet and cold valley, it may become hard for you to imagine the beautiful and warm beach on the other side of the hill. Sometimes, when we feel sad, we also feel hopeless and like things will never change. Conversely, when we feel happy,... Continue Reading →
