Month: November 2017

All I Want for Christmas: A Wish List

By Angela Noel

November 30, 2017

The holidays approach. This also means my birthday is soon to arrive. In fact, it comes the same day as St. Nick. I’m one of those Christmas babies who get gifts but once a year. And though I lamented that fact as a child, now in my fourth decade of life, I realize this collision of Christmas and birthday can, maybe, help me get what I really want this year. Because, while “double” the presents for a Christmas Birthday wasn’t realistic, I did tend to get a more valuable “combo” gift on occasion. And that’s what I’m counting on now.  Continue reading “All I Want for Christmas: A Wish List”

Awesome Nuggets: Thanksgiving Edition

by Angela Noel

November 23, 2017

It’s Thanksgiving!

Weird thing about gratitude: In the act of calling to mind all the good things we have in our lives, we’re actually receiving a powerful benefit. As Alex Korb Ph.D discusses in The Grateful Brain, studies have shown that calling to mind what we’re grateful for has a direct effect on depression and an indirect effect on anxiety. As we express gratitude our brains increase dopamine production, making us both feel good, and increase our activity levels–a kind of “more of that, please” response. So offering thanks for the gifts we’ve been given is also a gift to ourselves. Continue reading “Awesome Nuggets: Thanksgiving Edition”

Cognitive Bias Series: Taming the Elves in Our Brains

By Angela Noel

November 16, 2017

Certain four-letter words get a lot of attention. I won’t write them here because you already know what I’m talking about. These words have power. Some studies have shown that cussing actually tempers the pain response in the brain. Preliminary theories tell us swear words trigger a “fight” response, helping the body dull sensations of pain.

But I want to talk about a different four-letter word: bias. The word itself won’t lesson pain. Its power comes from describing a whole host of unconscious actions governing our responses to all kinds of sensations and experiences. Saying the word out loud won’t increase or decrease pain, but bias operating in our lives just might. Continue reading “Cognitive Bias Series: Taming the Elves in Our Brains”

Twin Posts: What Does it Mean to be “Enough?”

By Angela Noel

November 9, 2017

Writing, whether for my own blog or for others, offers both joy and challenge. I’ve particularly enjoyed guest posting lately. Sometimes my host has had a specific idea of what he or she wants, other times not. In all cases, I seek a universal theme–the thread that connect us all.

It just so happens that the guest posts I wrote for two awesome bloggers happened to both be published this week. And both explore a core aspect of how I now view and operate in the world: being enough.

Whether you’re more concerned with relationships or work, there’s something here for you. Continue reading “Twin Posts: What Does it Mean to be “Enough?””

A Love Letter: The Nature of Love

A Guest Post by Dave Driver

November 2, 2017

A young friend posited the following: “I know the ones we love are never things we own. And I know that love is something to be given freely, not to be expected. Finally, I know that all things change in time, especially human beings. It is for all these reasons I wonder why long-term relationships are to be pursued.”

I sent this in reply: Continue reading “A Love Letter: The Nature of Love”