Kerri On Down The Road

 When I was younger (before cell phones were a thing) I often found myself taking unplanned "scenic routes" while driving.  Best described as impromptu detours from the destination I had in mind, I was that driver who would eventually discover that perhaps that left turn should have been a right turn after all.  It always turned out fine in the end and usually resulted in the discovery of a new route or new sights along the way.  As long as time is not an issue, a scenic tour can be quite refreshing. Enter cell phones and GPS systems and our opportunities for unplanned scenic tours seems to be lost.  It is difficult to "accidentally" take a wrong turn when most of us carry with us tiny computers that can prevent that type of mistake from taking place.  In fact, the last time I was on a quasi scenic tour was a couple of summers ago driving out of town to visit a friend.  I had unknowingly turned on the "avoid highways" mode in Maps and as a result was t...

There are so many lessons in life that seem to be on repeat.  Whether it is because I didn't listen the first time, didn't absorb the learning, or simply need to walk through them again, they just seem to pop up over and over.  Moving from a place of frustration at the repetition to becoming curious about what it is I need to learn again has helped me to be open to these second chances. This week's "update" is about practicing kindness, in particular self-kindness.  I tend to be someone who has a lot on the go, most of the time.  I enjoy trying new things, taking on new challenges and setting new goals for myself.  This fall I will be working towards a big and important goal that I have had on my radar for some time now, and am excited (and a bit nervous, if I'm honest) about the work ahead.  I mentioned this to my therapist on a call and she asked if I was still taking university courses on my journey towards my BA.  I said yes and she casually commen...

 If I were to ask you to define discontent, what words or feelings would come to mind?  I find this one of the harder feelings to really nail down as far as what it is or how it feels.  I guess I would say that there is a nagging sense of something not being quite the way I wished it to be, or want it to be.  A sense of disillusionment with the way things are or where I am in an aspect of my life.  Perhaps an uneasy feeling in my stomach and low-grade stress.  Generally, feeling discontented leaves me feeling anxious and in need of a solution to whatever the problem or trigger is that has caused these sensations to rise up.   Often when I have felt discontentment, I have used that as a catalyst to make a change in my life and nine times out of ten the change has been what was needed and I am glad that I went through the exercise.  Lately though, I have started to wonder if maybe sitting in discontentment might be what is really needed. Let me...

 I was unsure of the title for today's post - was it tuning in or tapping in that I wanted to explore?  Perhaps both are worth exploring.  I feel like they are actually connected in a way - I have found that the more I tune out and disengage from the present moment the easier it becomes to tap out when facing a challenge.  What frightens me about this is realizing just how often this has been taking place in my life and how easily it has been occurring.   The tuning-out part of the equation is nothing new to any of us by now.   The way we can so easily slip into that place of replacing engaging in the world with engaging in numbing activities or thoughts that take us away from the present moment.  Despite my best intentions to do the very opposite, I cannot tell you the number of times that I have taken a wrong turn on a walk or a run because I have been too engrossed in the mindfulness podcast I have been listening to.  Irony at its fin...

 Wait, WHAT??!!?   That was my initial reaction upon having this thought pop into my head.  I was on a morning run, letting my mind wander and ponder when this piece of wisdom landed front and centre,  basically up-ending the standard operating procedures I have been following all my life.  I was so certain that every question not only needed an answer, it had an answer and it was my job to figure that out before making decisions or moving forward in my life. Once the initial shock wore off, I decided to wander down this line of thinking to see where it might lead me.  I started to think about times in my life when I was faced with big questions and what the end results were of my delayed reactions, and actions while waiting for THE answer to appear.  A very clear trend began to surface.  My desire for an answer was often the one thing holding me back from forward movement.  In reality, it was a sneaky way to procrastinate without lookin...