Tiny Bites of Wagaliciousness

Are you in the very destructive habit of comparing yourself to others? Maybe you look at another person and think “they’re better-looking than me.” Maybe you struggle with something at work that another co-worker finds easy and think “they’re smarter than me.” Maybe you look at the achievements of your classmates and think “they so much more successful than me.” The moment you compare yourself to...

Judgement happens all the time. Sometimes judgement is good, and sometimes it’s not good for you at all. When you think about it at its most basic, when you make a judgement about something, you’re simply making a choice. When you make a choice about what you prefer and what you want to experience in your life, your judgement is right, good, and it serves you. When you point your judgment towards...

Have you ever felt better after you lost something you thought you wanted? I’m not talking about expensive jewelry, I’m talking about a relationship. When my wasband ended our 30-year marriage, I was shocked to realize that a part of me felt free. When I moved into a small apartment, it felt good to make all the decisions. It felt good to not worry about any of the little things I smoothed over, s...

A small cut on your hand won’t bleed enough to kill you. Several small cuts on your hand and arm won’t bleed enough to kill you. Hundreds of small cuts on your body begin to be quite concerning, and once you get to a thousand cuts that only bleed a drop or two each, that can kill you. Why am I painting this somewhat gruesome picture for you? Inside your head, you cut yourself hundreds of times eac...

What is your sphere of genius? Everyone has at least one thing they’re really good at, really passionate about, and probably pretty humble about. Today, whenever you have some down time, think about what your sphere of genius is. If you get hung up on applying the word “genius” to yourself, that’s OK – choose another one, like talent, or ability, or interest. Write down the things that come easily...

Is there someone you deal with a lot – maybe a co-worker, maybe a family member – who gets your goat? They make you crazy, and you find them hard to be around, yet you can’t completely avoid them? Maybe you even blame them at least a little bit for how you feel and act when you’re around them? Uh-oh…that’s one step too far, and you might want to examine that blame-game you’re playing. Yes, there a...

Do you sometimes feel like the future is a maze of too many choices? It can be daunting to wake up in the morning, knowing you have a big decision to make. There are rarely just two choices, and when you start comparing other people’s input to decide which one is empirically right, it can feel overwhelming. Here’s an idea – instead of weighing the pros and the cons of each choice, compare how the...

Have you ever thought about the things that you believe? Imagine your beliefs as perfectly unique roadmaps that guide you through life. They’re unique to you because no one else has led the life you’ve led, learned from the mistakes you’ve made, or felt the feelings you’ve felt as you’ve lived. Sometimes, you might find yourself at a crossroads on that roadmap, face-to-face with someone who's been...

Do you feel like your life is a wobbly tightrope, making you feel off-balance? And when things get shaky, do you feel a bit peculiar, like you’re trying to balance on that tightrope? Researchers at the University of California Riverside have found that the unease caused by uncertainty is worse than the reality of falling down. Humans are kind of weird like that – we are preferring the fall to the...

Are you feeling like that emperor in the childhood story – you know, the one who went through the town naked and no one would tell him the truth? Navigating life is a little bit like trying on different outfits to see which one fits just right. Sometimes, we wonder if we're wearing the perfect ensemble, which could be a relationship, a hometown, or a job. Take a moment to think about your current...

Consider life as a huge stage where we all play our parts, and sometimes, the script takes a dramatic turn. The plot twist could include the loss of a job, a cherished relationship, or the painful departure of a loved one. The spotlight is on you, it’s blue, and you feel as though you’ll never find happiness again. Yet, as the play moves forward, act by act, you may stumble across a moment that ca...

Think of your energy as an old-fashioned wellspring, and of a few people in your life – you know who they are! – who dip their bucket in way too many times, draining you dry. They demand more than you can comfortably provide, neglecting the value of the precious water you generously offer. Time to cap off that well, at least for those few who abuse your generous nature. Your time is a precious res...

Picture yourself as a sailor on a vast, uncharted sea, feeling adrift with no clear course ahead. Oh, maybe you’ve felt like that before? We all have. There's a destination you yearn to reach, but the water is rough and hard to navigate. Instead of focusing on the waves, let your gaze rise to the starry night sky above, and let your mind play with why. Why are you on this journey, and why are you...

Where are you in the pathway to success you’ve dreamed for yourself? Imagine your life as a symphony, and within this magnificent composition, you are first chair, playing your exquisite instrument. We're often taught to appreciate the crescendos, the thunderous applause, and the spotlight of success. Yet, in this symphony, it’s the subtle, harmonious notes you contribute that leads to the crescen...

Think of each day as a page in the journal of your life. Did you write a mistake on today's page? Good job! Did you feel the cold grip of discomfort as you wrote, whether physical or mental? Excellent! Did you accidentally craft a plot twist, taking a satisfying resolution and turning it into a thorny problem? Well done! It’s in these moments that you're not just living - you're truly alive and hu...

Is there someone in your life who’s not good for themselves? Think of them as a flower in your garden. Maybe a friend or colleague struggles with self-destructive habits, like the flower that fails to thrive like the other ones around it. For your garden flower you might give it extra attention while seeking advice from others. Your friend, like that flower, requires your gentle support and maybe...

Imagine yourself as a thread in the tapestry of life. Especially during an unsettling time, it can be easy to feel tiny, lost in the vast design, and wondering if your presence matters at all. As humans, we underestimate our own strengths because they come so easily to us. We assume that others can do what we can do, and can probably do it better. That’s not true: you are a rare gem, a tapestry of...

Are you feeling a little bit powerless right now? Try this - imagine your power as a radiant, focused beam of light, shining only on the present moment. The brilliance of your past achievements or the gleam of your future dreams might tempt you to think about them, but they are completely outside that little pool of light. Your power lies only in what that beam of light is shining on – the present...

Is there someone who wants you to be someone you’re not? Imagine the people in your world as a large puzzle, with you as a beautiful, integral piece. When someone’s piece doesn't quite fit with yours, do you contort yourself to fit into their preferred picture? Do you hide your vibrant colors, hoping they'll like you better? Just like how the sun can’t shine on the whole earth at once, not everyon...

How confident in your self-confidence are you? Just what is confidence, anyway? Merriam-Webster says confidence is a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something. Most of us are confident about some things, and not so confident about others. For most people, confidence grows with age, because we gain more perspective about whether we can do something well and about whet...

Are you a fan of Jimmy Buffett? I am, and have been for about 4 decades. In the mountain of articles about him since his passing on Friday, one thing stands out - that man was an amazing leader. He had vision, he was resilient, he was coachable and teachable, he built a network, then leveraged the network to build an empire that landed him on the list of the world's billionaires. Perhaps the best...

Do you have a dog? Dogs have been part of my life since I was 8 years old and Dad brought home a tiny, warm nugget of fur, kisses, and a wagging tail. Unless you’re frightened of dogs, you’ve probably experienced the feeling of complete peace that sometimes happens when you and the dog are going for a walk. Dogs are the world’s most charming example of how to live in the moment. They’re perfectly...

Are you one of those people who likes to help make things – and people – work better? Many of the best people on the planet are fixers – see a problem, fix a problem. It’s how things get done, how the human race makes progress, and for some people, it’s as natural as breathing. And that might be a problem. Have you ever heard the phrase, “to a hammer, everything looks like a nail?” If everything l...

Who brings magic into your life? You don’t have to be best friends with David Copperfield to experience magical moments. Think about who surprises you. Think about who you laugh with a lot. Think about who inspires you, and that you learn from. Think about the person who learns from you. All those people you just thought about are sprinkling little bits of magic into your life by being part of it,...

Are you familiar with the concept of “flow state” or being in the zone? That’s what happens when you are completely engrossed in doing one thing. When you’re in flow state, it can feel like time is standing still and like the rest of the world doesn’t even exist for you in that moment. You’re not worried, stressed, or anxious – you’re happily, thoroughly absorbed in what you’re doing. It’s like th...