#1 way to grow in every area of your life

At my last acupuncture appointment, my practitioner inquired about a trip my husband and I took up north to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I told her the getaway proved a magical way to usher in our 30th year of marriage. I also shared that, in retrospect, the majority of our married life had always seemed effortless. This insight struck my husband and me recently after we experienced a falling out and realized that, over the past several years, we’d stopped investing: in each other. In us. Bottom line: When we begin to pursue separate interests more and communicate less, we invite apathy. When we fail to faithfully plant seeds of kindness and love, we foster discontent. But when we afford effort to make together time a priority, we cultivate connection. Here’s the takeaway, friends: what we feed (invest in) grows—whether it’s our vocation, education, bank account, spiritual life, health or relationships. Or even an addiction. And what we starve dies.

Where do you invest the most effort?

Photo source: http://www.erinbettis.com.

You’re so vain (you think this song is about you)

[Image credit: Boaz Yiftach]

Although my ankle appeared to be slowly healing since last week’s mishap, I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I tried wearing boots to work a couple of days ago.  In my defense, the bruising and swelling had decreased, as well as the limping.  However, apparently the two-and-a-half-inch heeled variety of footwear (with pointed toes that scream Chic!) — and a sprained ankle — do not a (successful) partnership make.  With each agonizing step I took from house to car and from car to office, I winced as my ankle objected to the torture of not only being bound in an Ace bandage, but gagged in a tight pair of faux leather.  Needless to say, I spent most of the morning at my desk for fear of adding insult to injury.  When asked by a co-worker what I had been thinking (clearly I hadn’t) with my choice of footwear, I said my outfit wouldn’t have looked as stylish in tennis shoes (or flats for that matter).  Duh.  The saying pride goes before a fall quickly flashed through my mind and the thought of a longer recovery time — or worse — sent me hobbling home at lunchtime to change out of my boots and into something less fashionable, but a lot more comfortable.  And after the swelling started up again last night, it looks like both my vanity and my trips to the gym need to take a backseat for a bit longer.

How often does your pride get in the way of your well-being?