May was a transition month for me. I only finished two books, but that is not a fair representation of how much reading I did. In the first few days of June, I have finished two more books, but those will go into next month’s book post. Summertime is traditionally the hardest for me, and last year my health completely feel apart during this time, so my #1 focus right now is prioritizing health and the rest and self-care that helps me maintain it. I also began teaching weekly classes in the PBT Institute community this month. More on that Read More
Tag: Weight Loss
Books I Read in January 2021
How is reading going for you in 2021 so far? I read seven books in January. I’m going to give some brief thoughts on each one here, then I need to get to reading some fiction, because six of my seven January reads were nonfiction. The images on these are huge. I don’t know why and I’m not skilled enough to change them, but if you click on the image, it will conveniently take you to the book on Amazon via affiliate link. Happy reading! Monsters of Men is the third book in the Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness. Read More
2020 Annual Review – Goals Check-in
This isn’t a review of the actual year 2020. I don’t have the guts or gumption for that. I’m just here to document how I did with the goals I set for myself. This time last year, I was in a bit of limbo, and that led me to cushion most of my goals in self-compassion. I’m glad I did. Here’s how I did. My Calling I spent the first part of the year working through a 12-week course to help me find my life’s purpose. What I learned is that I really enjoy trying to figure out my life’s Read More
FREEDOM 2020
Why Pick a Word? Do you pick a word or phrase as a theme for the year? I don’t remember how long ago I started picking a theme word, but it might coincide with when I started using the Rituals for Living Dreambook and Planner. I love this planner so much. I really feel like it helps me stay focused on what is important and helps me make plans to achieve some things that might just fall under “that would be nice” or “someday” if I didn’t have a system for dreaming and planning. My theme word for 2019 was Read More
Audiobooks I Solemnly Swear to Listen to Once Each Year
My first blog post was about some of the books that have changed my life. I have also made it known that I rely on audiobooks to help me reach my reading goals. (BTW, as soon as I finish my current audiobook, I will have met my goal for the year.) I know there are endless podcasts and playlists and other things that I could be listening to… but I often find myself returning to some of my favorite audiobooks time and time again. Naturally, I love fiction audiobooks. Some of my family’s road trip picks have been Mary Shelley’s Read More
Excellence is Not an Act, It’s a Habit
This adage from Aristotle gets kicked around a lot. We all want to be Excellent, right? Then again, some of us want to spend a lot of our time watching Star Trek reruns. I have to believe that there is space in my life for both. At my previous job, I had this quote posted at my desk. I had that job for a long time, so I am not sure when my fascination with habits started, but I began following James Clear and Gretchen Rubin several years ago. I just finished the audiobook of James’s new book Atomic Habits. Read More
A Discovery of Witches
Empty Nest Update I have been in a reading slump. You might remember that I spent most of the year preparing for an empty nest. I was really worried about what life held for me when I no longer had kids at home. When the time came, I took it pretty well. This was largely due to prepping and planning and important connections with people who made sure I had plans on my calendar. The kid, on the other hand, did not fare so well and will be moving home in December to consider Plan B. Disappointment happens. I went Read More
How I Lost 100 lbs in 500 Days – Bright Line Eating, Part 1
My most personal blog yet… How I Lost 100 lbs in 500 Days The problem… These stories always start with, “I’ve struggled with weight loss all of my life.” I’m not sure that’s true for me. Sometimes it wasn’t a struggle. I lost a lot of weight without trying while I was going through my first divorce. (“It was really easy once I lost the first 200 lbs!”) Then I started to gain weight when I got my first desk job. I didn’t hate myself or struggle with it every day. I was doing pretty well. I just ate out Read More