On the road again !

I’m one of those crazy people who loves car trips. Since I’ve been taking car trips since I was a little girl, I can honestly say how much I can remember about each and every one of them. I remember leaving our house in New York at the beginning of every summer to drive to Maine. I remember getting the “hump” (or the middle seat) every year because I’m the youngest. I remember stopping at funky places along the way to eat. Some looked like giant cattle yards with oversized plastic cows out front. Others looked just like enormous pirate ships, stuck by the side of the road, with no ocean in sight. I also remember the fun of going to LL Bean in the middle of the night as a stopover. Most of all, I just remember the fun of setting out of the trip. Sure, we whined and pushed each other around in the backseat, but most of all, I remember all of us being excited to go on our trip. The break in the routine, and the joy of setting off on an journey, was something we looked forward to all year.

Obviously, now that I’m a mom and have children of my own, I’ve done my own fair share of car trips with them. With babies in car seats, I learned every changing table between Midcoast Maine to New York City. I learned where every family friendly rest stop was, and what great ‘kid activities’ places were on the drive. When we began traveling in different parts of the country, we learned in just a second, how to sum up the kids’ tolerance level…and if we could squeak just another hour or two in before we stopped. We have had some wonderful memories, listening to books on CD, talking and laughing, and even playing games in the car. Yes, we had times of the children taunting one another with “I’m not touching you”, holding a finger two inches away, and my own brilliant parenting retort of “No one touch anyone every again !”. But, for the most part, our trips were filled with the exhilaration of seeing new places and experiences new things.

Now that my children are in their teen years, our trips have given us more time for in depth discussions. Because my son plays hockey all over the Northeast, it’s given me time to get to know him all over again….who he is now, what his hopes and dreams are, and honestly, to listen to his opinions as a smart young man. It’s also given him pause, as a driver in his own right, to learn that his mom isn’t the best driver in the world. My daughter attends boarding school two states away, and while we miss her horribly, we have come to love the drives back and forth. My husband and I take turns having her all to ourselves. Those four hours in the car give each of us the most amazing quality time for in depth sharing, and a great deal of laughter.

Plane travel is a mode of transportation we have to use, given that half of our extended family lives on the West Coast. It involves long lines, angry people and a great deal of waiting around. It means taking off your shoes, being subjected to searches and lots of delays and lost luggage. We do like that we can go across country in 7 hours by plane. But, I think that plane travels loses something of the essence of a journey…the intimacy of it, and the ability to fully enjoy the trip. By car, there is no danger of lost luggage or an overbooked flight.

Long car trips aren’t without their drawbacks, of course. Stiff backs, aching muscles and too much fast food can wreak havoc on our bodies. One of the best twists in Yoga is the seated twist. This can relieve back pain and help to reset your spine. It can easily be modified to do in a chair (at a rest area) or even if your own car’s seat, when you’re not driving. Keeping both hands on the back of the seat, and bringing your torso to face the back, you will be able to alleviate all that tension very easily, by breathing into the twist, and doing the pose slowly. Of course, taking breaks to drink plenty of water, to eat healthy food, and to go for walks, are also simple ways to fight car trip fatigue.

So, pop in a great book on tape, or blast tunes from your favorite CD, and hop on the road. You never know what adventures will take place along the way.

Travel is more than seeing the sights. It is a change that goes on deep and permament, in the ideas of living. ~ Miriam Beard

Don't let it in the house!

(Note: I originally posted this on the Clutter Club blog, but thought it would be fun to share here, as well.)

I'm a history buff, especially when it comes to pop culture. I can picture snippets from almost every decade and can easily imagine myself as a 1920's Flapper or a 1940's USO girl. But, when it comes to classic movies, I have to say that the 1950's were a great time for exploration on film. Nothing seemed to capture this moment in filmography better than the Monster Movies of the 50's. We can all easily picture James Dean and Natalie Wood from this era. But, we can just as easily envision the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Although I wasn't born until the mid-60's, I remember staying up to watch the "Creature Feature" on Friday night television, where these classics would be replayed. One question I always asked myself was, "Why do they let the monster in the house?"

I think we can ask the same question of ourselves about clutter. Why do we let it in the house? We try so hard to stay on top of our mess, to create an organized system and to maintain a sense of structure in our daily lives. But, we turn around, and like a monster from an old scary movie with bag masks, there it is! The Clutter Monster has snuck in again! It comes in with stacks of mail, in our carry bags from the day's events and from duplicating things we already have.

This said, I have a secret weapon against the Clutter Monster:the trash can! The best way for me to get control of clutter is not to go into the house with it. When I come home, I walk right over to the trash can in the garage. I look through my mail, and unless it's a bill or something important, I pitch it right away. (If you live in a place that recycles junk mail: Mazel Tov! Just put it into your recycling bin.) I also make a point of going through my tote bag, the car, and anything else that might make its way into the house and evaluate

it quickly. Does this really need to come inside? Is it actually trash? Unless it's something that's critical, or will need to be used soon, I will either pitch it, recycle it or put it in a 'give away' bin that I keep next to the trash can. When I go to the dump every week (for those of you who don't have curbside pick up---it's a northern New England ritual), I also stop off at the local charity shop, and drop off my give aways then.

Another great way to keep the Clutter Monster at bay is to have a "one comes in, one goes out" policy. We all have plenty of clothes, shoes, books, and other miscellaneous items in my family. I have instituted a policy of "If you buy a new one, then one like item must be given away." Not only does this help with truly thinking about 'replacement' as opposed to 'aquisition', but it's a great way to keep full closets from getting out of control. I know that if I really need a new black sweater, then one needs to go to "Heavenly Threads", the church's thrift shop. This 'one comes in, one goes out' also applies to my formerly overstocked pantry. I am blessed with a walk-in pantry the size of small room. This blessing led to overcrowding to the point that I didn't know what I had, and was buying yet another box of Rigatoni, when there were already three on the shelf that I simply couldn't see. Now, I make my food shopping lists based on what's 'going out' in the trash.

The Clutter Monster is sneaky. It likes to tiptoe in when you least expect it. But, stopping it in its tracks, by not letting it in the house in the first place, can be one way to keep clutter at bay.

When life isn't fair....

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are times that life simply isn't fair. There are days when we do everything right, when we play by the rules, when we are the 'good guys', and yet, we're thrown a curve ball that knocks us out. Sometimes these events are purely random. Other times they're brought about by people who do not wish us well. Often, these two factors come together in order to form a desperate, unfortunate or frustrating situation. We look to the stars and we wonder "Why me? Why now?". We wail, and we fret and our minds twist in complex spirals trying to reason why we were singled out for this burden. But, wrapping our thoughts around 'why' will not solve these unjust events. It's only by rising above them, by taking our eyes off the situation itself to move into view of the horizon, that we can begin to move on past wrongs done to us.

Literature and movies are filled with stories about good guys who have a series of bad things happen to them. Charles Dickens was the great master of the unfortunates in the way of life's tragedies. More recently, the Harry Potter series is an excellent metaphor for a teenage boy, just trying to figure out who he is, while having the misfortune of being hunted by malevolent beings. Harrison Ford's portrayal of Dr. Richard Kimble, in "The Fugitive", takes us on a wild chase of adventure as an innocent man runs for his life, while trying to solve his wife's murder...all while grieving her death. There is something reassuring about knowing that we are not alone in our struggles against events beyond our control. By reading about them, and watching them on screen, we understand that we have a choice to make: we can either succumb to the pain of unjust failure, or we can make the choice to triumph over whatever adversity life throws at us.

In Charles Dickens' classic novel, "Great Expectations", the tragically compelling figure of Miss Havisham, who remains in her wedding dress for the rest of her life, having been jilted at the alter decades before, is a lesson to us all as to how *not* to deal with life's severe blows. The clocks in her home are stopped. The wedding feast is allowed to rot where it was set. Alone, and bitter for eternity, Miss Havisham makes her life a prison, trapped in her own worst moment forever. If Harry Potter shows bravery in the face of unjust odds against him, then Miss Havisham is his foil. She not only gives into her unjustice, but she allows it to twist and warp her spirit into something that is itself evil.

My own family has been beset by unfair blows, several of which have come in past month. We have looked at one another, thought, "We're good people. We pay our taxes, we work hard, and we love our children. We have never cheated anyone, and we live honorable lives." But, still life circumstances gave us pause for a few days, despairing over both the unknown and the unfairness of a series of events. At that point, we began to realize that we could be stymied by the situations in our lives. Or, we could work to better them. We could allow unfair situations to destroy the lives we've worked hard to achieve, or we could teach our children not to give up. My hope is that, even if we can't overcome every obstacle in our lives' paths, we can know we've done our best to walk the path itself.

In my yoga classes, there is very little that gives me more satisfaction than seeing a student achieve an asana she didn't think she could do. I teach a variety of classes, and have a wide range of students in each of them. The most rewarding class I'm teaching right now is to teenage girls. I'm working with a special program to help these young women build up their strength in body, mind and spirit. For too long, these girls have been told that they're overweight, or stupid, or have little value to people around them. I have the honor of working with these girls, to help inspire them to remove the obstacles standing in the way of their future happiness. One of my students came in so hesitantly, I offered to just have her sit and watch class the first time. She was so unsure of herself, she didn't even want to sit on a mat. By the third class, she was moving through her sun salutations, and I could see a brightness in her smile I hadn't seen before. On the fourth class, I was able to help her into a Bow Pose. This young lady was positive she couldn't do it. But, with my help, and encouragement from others in the class, she reached back and grabbed her ankles. Later on, this young girl's mother confided in me that her daughter had been plagued by a serious lung-related illness all of her life, and was told, by a particularly harsh physican she'd never be able to 'do much'. How incredibly blessed I felt to have been a part of this girl's overcoming her own physical, and emotional, roadblocks. Life may have handed her severe asthma, and it may have beaten her self-esteem down for years, but watching the sheer joy on this girl's face allowed me a humble glimpse into overcoming odds.

Life is rarely fair. Good people get bad diseases. Nasty people often connive their way to the 'top', stomping on others to climb the ladder of success. Wretched people can malign our good name. And, children can be so lost in spirit by the age of 13, that they don't see the point of moving forward. But, at just these times, opportunity for true greatness is upon us. We may not always like the circumstances we find ourselves, but we can darn well do our best to make the conscious choice to keep going.

Ghost Stories

Even though I happen to be the biggest chicken on the planet, I also just happen to love ghost stories. I can remember coming to Maine in summers with my cousins, and sitting around the fire, first telling jokes and then, ghost stories. Being the youngest, I was always the most afraid. And, yet, I couldn't wait for the next sentence, for the following thought, for ultimate test of human will vs. the ghost's scary plan. I also loved Scooby Doo...and even though none of the ghosts were real, "thanks to those meddling kids", uncovering the mystery behind the ghost story always left me a little disappointed. I wanted Shaggy & Scooby to actually meet a real ghost!

While slasher movies have given ghost stories a bum rap, in my humble opinion, I think there is something intrinsically healthy in being scared, facing that fear, and moving on, feeling more brave as the result of a ghost story. There is a feeling of captivation by a well told ghost story. One gets caught up in the book, or the movie, or the storytelling, and for a moment, we forget where are, what we're doing, and can easily become completely absorbed by the story. While movies like the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" just strike me as disgusting, I have yet to meet a serious movie buff who hasn't enjoyed "The Shining". The difference? Both movies create a sense of fear and adrenaline, but "The Shining" is a true "story". It has a beginning, a middle and an end, and the path that winds around Jack Nicholson's descent into a ghost's madness is brilliantly told. It's terrifying, and yet, the intellectual stimulation of a well written, and famously acted, story creates the magic of artistic ghost 'telling'.

And yet, there is another aspect to ghost stories that enthralls us: the possibility of making contact with someone who has passed on. Even if you don't believe in ghosts, in heaven or hell or in reincarnation, there is a human fascination with 'what happens next'. All you need to do is read a book to a persistent 3 year old to understand the human experience of wanting 'more' after "the end". When my daughter was a preschooler, she used to get so frustrated with the endings of books that she'd flip through the pages, trying to find more of them, after the book ended. This is a perfect metaphor for how we, as a species, feel about life. We want there to be something *more* after "the end". Ghost stories, in a sense, give us another chapter to think about. Whether malevolent or helpful, mischevious or companionable, ghost stories connect us with the possibility of a part of us that goes on. Beyond the religious ideals of Heaven and Hell, ghost stories captivate our attention because, to put it mildly, they bring the story to our backyard, and not to somewhere far away. Ghost stories don't lessen our belief systems. They are simply a method of feeling rooted in being alive against the alternative.

Ghost stories are rite of passage for many of us. They evoke memories of summer camp, or long bus rides, or sitting in a movie theatre with high school friends. They challenge us to be scared, and then to triumph. Many people we know have experienced them first hand...and if we have not, we feel somehow missing out on an adventure. Therefore, the listening to stories, the reading of books and the watching of well made movies draws us into that 'inner circle' where we can include ourselves in the 'have experienced' sector.

Maybe there are spirits who haven't moved on. Maybe there aren't. But our need to measure ourselves by our endorphin barometer, now and then, can be powerful. Elvis' ghost at Graceland aside, as long as we know that we can turn on the light, and know that there are no monsters under the bed, ghost stories can be a healthy outlet....not to mention an awful lot of fun.

Oh, Heaven, it is mysterious, it is awful to consider that we not only carry a future Ghost within us; but are, in very deed, Ghosts! ~ Sir Thomas Carlyle

Problems vs. Solutions

Have you ever thought about what it would be like not to grow up? Quite literally, have you considered what the ramifications would be, if you stayed a child forever? When I first thought about this concept, of course, the image that popped into my head was “Peter Pan”….a forever existence of playing games, camping out, no responsibilities and no work. I imagined the sunset days of playing tag on the beach, collecting shells and roasting marshmallows. I envisioned one piece snowsuits, building snow men and sledding to my heart’s content. I thought of hours of Saturday morning cartoons and bowls of surgery cereal. I remembered swinging on the playground swings and having races about who could swing higher before we jumped off. I tried to evoke that heady feeling of hanging upside down on the monkey bars, and sharing confidences with my girlfriends, before all the blood rushed to our heads, and we fell off, laughing.

But, what if you literally did not grow up? What if time passed chronologically for you…and you were expected to graduate, find work and create an adult life, while still looking like a 12 year old? This is the theme captured in Jennifer Haigh’s new book, “The Condition”, a novel about a family struggling to deal with their daughter’s “Turner’s Syndrome”, a condition that keeps her 12 year old body from growing up, but still requires her to make her way in the world. The social implications are vast. Gwen, the girl with the “condition”, must navigate the social world of academia and life on her own. What amazed me most about this story was not Gwen, and her condition, but rather Gwen’s family, and their inability to adapt. Remarkably, Gwen builds a quietly successful life for herself, while her family takes on their own struggles by their inability to be as adaptive as Gwen becomes. “The Condition” is an excellent book. Each one of the characters is unique and mutli-dimensional in their own personal struggles. I found myself wanting to sit down and talk with each of them to learn more about why Gwen, who was doing just fine in her own life, had such a profoundly negative effect on those around her. Gwen’s family has to face the fact that she will never grow taller than 4’7”, she will never have a woman’s body, never be able to have children and still face a number of health problems. While Gwen creates her own independent existence, the lives of her family remain in limbo, all stunted by Gwen’s condition. Gwen remains steadfast and interested in intellectual progression and pushing the limits of her limitations. Her family finds themselves “stuck” in the moment in time when Gwen was first diagnosed. Old habits remain, and each member retreats into the place they were, themselves, stopped from ‘growing’.

St. John of the Cross wrote, “I am not made or unmade by the situations in my life, but by my reactions to them,” in the mid 16th century. How true his words ring today! Situations are going to arise in our lives beyond our control. We will find ourselves spinning our wheels in frustration, unable to change something unfair, unjust and unwarranted. We can’t stop time from happening. We can’t roll back the calendar to those blissful days of building sandcastles. But, we can rise above those situations that occur, and offset our sense of personal equilibrium. Our family has been beset with many challenges this past month. It has felt as if we were facing one major obstacle on top of yet another one, without a respite or a solution in sight. It has seemed as if we were on a treadmill, unable to change direction or move forward. What our family has been learning has not been easy, but we are coming to a place in which we simply try to look at each moment from every possible angle. We are learning the skills of persistence, of lateral thinking and of patience in problem solving. None of these lessons are complete, nor do they help us at every moment we feel a sense of powerlessness. But, we do realize that the refrain of ‘rise above and move forward’ can be incredibly helpful during times of trial. We have also learned that forward doesn’t always mean the direction we had thought it would…sometimes we simply need to change direction. Life isn’t always fair. To the contrary, life is rarely fair. And yet, when we continue to run against a metaphorical brick wall, we are only hurting ourselves. It’s the way of finding the path around, through, over or under that wall that the answers are revealed.

In Yoga, an asana I have found to be incredibly helpful during times of powerlessness and frustration is Camel Pose. Camel is an extended back bend. While those with knee and back issues may find this asana challenging, it can be especially therapeutic during times of stress and anxiety. Camel in a pose in which you lead backwards with your heart open. Coming into the pose is also metaphorical, in that your heart leads in a direction that is unexpected and unusual. I find that even spending just 30 seconds in Camel can have a profound effect on how I feel, and how my thought processes work. By moving backwards, and into a pose that seems counter balancing, I realize that, at times, I’m able to come up with new solutions to nagging problems. At other times, I simply find myself better equipped to handle problems that don’t have immediate solutions, by keeping an open heart and mind.

Everyone goes through tough times. We all face obstacles in our paths. We are treated unfairly, unjustly and have little recourse. And yet, we can also find these to be times of growth. We may need to divert our path. We may find that life takes us in ways we would not have chosen. And yet, when we're not presented a choice, the path becomes clear: stop moving, or find a new way. New ways aren't always easy or what we expected. However, we all need to find the lessons that await us, or risk being stuck in place. And, who wants to be stuck in place, never moving forward?

The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running. (in reference to Ecclesiastes 9:11-12)

Cabin Fever

Global warming policies and issues aside, we are seeing record low temperatures in much of the northern states right now. As a matter of fact, arctic winds are prevailing leaving states from the Midwest to New England with temps dipping as low -40 in some places. The air is so bone chillingly frosty, that it’s almost impossible to take a full breath into our lungs without experience lung pain outdoors. For most of us, with the exception of my clueless dogs and a few hardy ice fishermen, this means more time inside. It means we'll be drinking warm beverages, cozying up to the fire, piling on extra blankets and keeping an eye on the thermostat. It can also signal preheating our cars before we leave the house and pulling as many layers as we can before we begin to resemble Stay-Puft marshmallow men.

Living in northern climates for most of my life, I've grown accustomed to making these concessions in winter. After all, people who are enjoying temps in the 70's now, will be baking in July, while here in Maine, we'll be quite comfortable. We have learned that a trade off is necessary, in order to 'enjoy' the time later. We've made the made the best of the situation, and we've become pretty good sports about it.

However, being indoors for long periods of time, can also come with it the downside of feeling blue. There are times we may feel slightly depressed or withdrawn, or simply "not like ourselves". We find that we're smiling less, and we're snarky with those we love. In short, we find ourselves with a nasty case of cabin fever. We daydream of long summer days, in which we can sit outside, far past 8 PM, still enjoying the warmth of the rays. We imagine taking off to the Caribbean, where we'll want for nothing, but some sunscreen and a rum drink, served in a pineapple. We contemplate ways to disappear inside our own homes, just for a moment of privacy.

In all honesty, while a little day dreaming can be both therapeutic and soothing, too much can lead to even more feelings of entrapment this time of year. So, how do we combat the Winter Blues? What do we do when jetting off to the Virgin Islands simply isn't an option? Obviously, for people with serious feelings of loss and depression, visiting a doctor is necessary. There are many treatments to help fight S.A.D. available now. Yet, for the rest of us, what's to be done?

Many studies have shown vigorous exercise, at least 3 times per week, can change a person's outlook remarkably. While running on icy surfaces is neither safe nor desirable (for breathing reasons, as well as prevention of slipping), many schools, YMCA's and health clubs offer indoor tracks, Elliptical machines, Stairmasters, rowing machines, and a wide range of classes to get your blood moving...and kick your endorphins into high gear. It can certainly be a challenge to get up and out, and yet, once you make this your 'vacation to yourself', you will find that your perspective can change drastically. In addition, eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can also help boost your immune system, and give you a much needed burst of 'good' energy. My favorite winter foods are Risotto and Ravioli: both heavy in the starch category. I am not depriving myself of them, but just being mindful that too much starch can also trigger feelings of sadness. Also, because I teach Yoga all week long, I would have thought myself immune to the Winter Blues. I've discovered that I'm just as susceptible to these feelings of angst as the next woman...when I'm not directly practicing Yoga. My answer has been to begin running. My daughter has made me CD's to run to, and before I know it, I've done a few miles on the indoor track while embarrassingly singing to the Black Eye'd Peas.

So, if you can't fly to Mexico, and if a vacation to Hawaii is out of the question, take special care with your diet and exercise. I realize this is not rocket science nor ground breaking advice. And, yet, when we really focus on those areas we can control, it's amazing how much better we can feel. It's hard not to focus on what we can't do...feel warm, enjoy sunshine and not have to worry about the state of our snow tires. But, by using on our energy on positive outlooks during this time of year, we can make Cabin Fever somewhat less pervasive.

When all else fails, make a Pina Colada, put on some cool jazz, and watch an old DVD of "Romancing the Stone". Just make sure you make it to the gym tomorrow.

Now you've listened to my story,

Here's the point that I have made:

Chicks were born to give you fever,

Be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade.

They give you fever

When you kiss them

Fever if you live and learn

Fever! 'till you sizzle

what a lovely way to burn... Peggy Lee's immortal version of "Fever"

Halfway down the stairs...

"Halfway down the stairs

is the stair where I sit.

There isn't any other stair,

quite like it.

It isn't at the bottom.

It isn't at the top.

So, this is the stair

Where I always stop." ---- A. A. Milne

The little nursery rhyme poem is from A. A. Milne's collection entitled "When we were very young". Many people don't realize that Milne was a lovely poet, in addition to his Winnie the Pooh fame. But, his books of children's poetry are timeless, wonderful, and some are just delightfully cheeky. I have a special place in my heart for "When we were very young" because it's the first book, and an early edition at that, that my father ever gave to me. I still have the enscribed volume, and I have to admit that I often find more wisdom in this slim collection than I do in many well lauded, poet laureate treatise. Sometimes Milne is exceptionally funny. But, other times, his wisdom is Zen in its simplicity and thoughtfulness. In this poem, the image of finding yourself halfway down the stairs, in complete contentment, is very fulfilling. It describes the sentiment so many children have: of living purely in the moment, of not wanting to be anywhere else but right where they exist in that place and time. It evokes a feeling of being utterly at peace in one's place in one's growth.

To be both literal and metaphorical, I happen to love the idea of the staircase. For much of my life, I've lived in one story (or mainly one story) houses. I eat, sleep, play, work and otherwise exist on the same level. This means no stairs to fall down with a basket of laundry. But, it also means that most of my house is open for all to see. There is very little separation between the public and private spaces of my home. The image of the staircase is one I find so enthalling because it represents a progression. Because my own house's configuration, there is a sense of not making progress during the day....unless up and down the hallway can count laterally, of course.

Staircases are so often the metaphor for progress. We see Biblical references to Jacob's ladder, and most of us, of a "certain generation" can easily sing every word to Led Zepplin's "Stairway to Heaven". As we ascend up, there is the sense of making our way towards enlightenment, towards fulfillment and towards our own destiny. Even metaphors that refer to "coming down from above" often are positive, in reflection of becoming "real" with the world and our fellow man in the journey of life. The citations are endless. But, internally, we can use the image to project a sense of who we wish to become by our ascension, and yet, remaning grounded by our descension. During quiet times of peaceful meditation, we look within our hearts to discover to which direction we really need to aspire.

For most of us, it truly does represent a balance. We need to strive to reach the top of the stairs to become our full potential, and yet we need to remind ourselves from where we came to keep us grounded and secure. In short, we need to find that middle step on which to sit, to think, to dream and to process which way we need to go next.

Stairs have not always been my strongest form of personal conveyance. On my first date with my husband, I literally missed the first step, and fell down a flight of stairs. I like to think of this less-than-graceful entrance as falling head over heels in love, but in reality, it's because I didn't have my mind where my feet were. While we do choose to aspire to reach our destination, whether it's up or down, we also need to keep a firm grasp on where we are, in addition to we are heading. Falling down stairs is never fun, whether they're literal or metaphorical. We can get ahead of ourselves, we can rush. We can find ourselves too immersed in the end goal to realize what we're doing until we topple, head over heels. Bringing mindfuless to the staircases in our lives can not only enhance our experiences, internally, but can save us from massive bruises, externally.

"The elevator to our highest potential is out of order. You have to use the stairs, one step at a time." ~ Joe Girard