The practical aspects of disappointment

(this is a follow-up to my post on the mindfulness of disappointment – read that HERE)

In my last post, I discussed how to reframe feelings of failure when you get turned down for an opportunity. While I’m specifically talking about juried exhibits and gallery shows, the advice can apply to more: job applications… promotions… product launches… any situation where you put yourself out there and it doesn’t turn out as you hoped.

In this post, I wanted to talk about some of the more practical aspects of the “you just got turned down” situation. Understanding these aspects can further help you get past feelings of disappointment and back to trying.

The mindfulness of disappointment

- stephanie 1 Comment

The original working title of this post was “The mindfulness of failure.” But then I realized I was being a complete hypocrite. I wanted to discuss the attitude of not being hard on yourself and I was using a terrible word like failure!

So I stepped back for a bit in order to practice what I preach.

The pursuit of slow crafting

- stephanie

The idea of doing anything slowly seems like a joke in our constantly connected world.

Even with my own focus on mindfulness and patience, I sometimes find myself getting restless while I’m waiting on an email or text response. I think it’s just ingrained in us these days.

Productivity means getting lots of things done quickly and efficiently, right? Quick means easy… right?? Read more

Fall in love with your problems…

- stephanie

…but don’t live your life in a country song

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. – Viktor E. Frankl

What do you find challenging in your life? If I asked you to make a list right now, what would be your list of “problems?”

If you had asked me those questions ten years ago, I could have made a list a mile long. I was miserable and I felt obligated to share that misery with anyone who would listen. Read more

What stillness is really about

- stephanie

I get Brené Brown’s weekly Courage Works email and it never fails to inspire me. But one of her recent messages really hit home for me and I wanted to share it.

I looked for it online so I could just link to it, but these must be reserved just for her subscribers. So I took a screenshot to share here. Full disclosure: these are Brené Brown’s words and the photo is by Andrea Corrona Jenkins.

The idea that stillness is not nothingness, but space for dreams and all kinds of other good stuff, is integral to my own meditation and mindfulness practice.

I have to say, this Course Works snippet really made me smile.

Want to get this kind of good stuff from Brené & team delivered to your own in-box every week? Subscribe to Courage Works – it’s free! (scroll down to the bottom of the main page to enter your email) I have been getting selective about my email subscriptions but this is a really good one!

The comfort of day-tight compartments

- stephanie

Dale Carnegie on happiness - from the Creative + Mindful blog - The Comfort of Day-Tight Compartments I know I have a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People somewhere (I have more books
than a public library. And that’s more than any one person should have… thank goodness for ebooks: they allow me to hide the evidence better. But I digress). And I know Dale Carnegie remains a gold standard in self-improvement. But I have to admit, I haven’t studied much of his writing up to this point.
Read more

The Mindfulness Summit

- stephanie

Minding the mindfulness

- stephanie

Scales of justice As I’ve been planning to unveil the Creative + Mindful website, I’ve been stockpiling a bunch of resources about mindfulness and meditation.

I think of myself as fairly down-to-earth and pretty darn logical. But I do also feel like I’m a solid example of how engaging in the practice of mindfulness can change a life. Which is why I was surprised to find a number of articles slamming mindfulness.

Focused Silence: Meditation Retreat FAQs

- stephanie

(this was originally posted Nov. 26, 2014 on the Forest of Healing website.)

In October 2014 I attended a weeklong silent meditation retreat. I got A LOT of questions before I went and after I returned, so I decided to create an Frequently Asked Questions post. If you have any questions that I didn’t address here, please don’t hesitate to hop over to my Contact page and give me a shout. I’d love to hear from you!

How 168 hours of silence changed me forever

- stephanie

(this post originally appeared Nov, 26, 2014 on the Forest of Healing website.)

meditation retreat The reaction most people gave me was one of surprise: “You’re doing what?!” And then most of them followed up with: “Wow. I don’t think I’d be able to do that, myself!”

This was in response to my disclosure that I was preparing to attend a meditation retreat. A Buddhist retreat offered in the Vipassana tradition. For seven days. And conducted in SILENCE.