The Cultivation of Contentment

People often talk about how contentment and happiness are different, often to make the point that contentment, not happiness, should be our goal.* I.e., you can feel a calm contentment, a spiritual quality, without needing the excitement of happiness or feeling deficient if happiness isn’t your overriding emotion. I certainly agree, but my experience is Read More…

The Online Dating Experience

It’s always interesting to see people’s responses when Mike and I tell them we met online. For the most part, I think any stigma attached to online dating seems to have dissipated; even my mom (who might be expected to be the most cautious, at least proverbially) didn’t bat an eyelash because she’s seen plenty Read More…

Saturday Thoughts on Simplicity

Proliferation seems the great tendency of life. Not just that it tends to become more and more full – like the branchy tree outside our window that suddenly leapt into leafiness one day – but that each branch splits and multiplies. This complexity often manifests itself as a shortage of time. Our commitments have multiplied, Read More…

Why I Become Afraid of Planning Ahead

I should start by saying that, most of the time, in fact I’m a big planner: I like to plan things in advance and know what I need to do, what events are coming up, and feel assured that nothing will be forgotten. Normally, for me, planning includes the following: Making to-do lists, both daily Read More…