“When we talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” Fred Rogers Mr. Rogers is one of my childhood heroes and is probably one of the top 5 reasons why I served for over 15 years as a pastor/chaplain and eventually went on to become a mental health ...read more
“Sometimes it all gets a little too much”
These are lyrics by Canadian singer songwriter Shawn Mendes. An awesome younger person I’m close with recently shared this song with me at a poignant moment. I was moved to tears when I heard it. This song speaks to the fact that we all have pain and suffering. We so often choose the route of hiding ...read more
Hack your anxiety in 3 simple ways
Let’s face it - there is a lot of anxiety in the world. Here are a few tools to reduce your anxiety RIGHT NOW: #1 Breathe. A simple trick to help focus on your breath is to remember the number 4-7-8. Breathe in for 4 counts, hold breath for 7, and exhale for 8. And repeat the cycle until it ...read more
How a Joyful Japanese Woman Reduced My Anxiety
Every new year my wife and I go on an intense cleaning and organizing spree. We believe that tidying and organizing the clutter of our surroundings is a great way to reduce the clutter and anxiety in our internal world. This year, we stumbled upon a Netflix series featuring Marie Kondo, a ...read more
The Beginnings of All Things Are Small
"The beginnings of all things are small." This quote from Cicero was given to me by a friend when I was a student at Texas A&M University over 30 years ago. These words continue to remind me of the importance of starting with small changes instead of overdoing it when I want to make a change. ...read more