Cheryl Richardson's Blog, page 45

Week 32 – Here’s an Instant Mood Boost

Ready for an instant mood boost? A while back I posted a picture on my Facebook Page with a note that read:

Taking photographs of the things I love is such nourishing self care. My cat, Poupon, a favorite antique table and flowers, all make me smile. Let’s see yours.

Here’s the photo that went along with the note:

What happened next was magic. Members of my Facebook community instantly began posting their own images.

People posted pictures of their favorite places. Susanne Wieland, for insta...

Week 31 – My Disaster Recovery Plan

Okay, maybe it wasn’t a disaster, but it sure felt like one. Our master bath, located upstairs in the center of the house, was being demolished to repair a leak, while men on lifts were ripping pieces of stone off of the front of our house looking for water damage.

Dust flying everywhere.
Saws screaming.
Hammers pounding.
Nowhere to hide.

For the next two weeks… at least.

Michael, a night owl, was trying his best to get some sleep in a guest room upstairs, while poor Poupon meowed like crazy...

Week 30 – Pulling back the curtain.

I was standing next to a stranger waiting for a table in a restaurant when a commercial for the PGA Golf Tournament came on a nearby TV. Tears sprang to my eyes as I thought about my dad and how much he loved golf.

My friend Annie would often get him tickets to this annual Labor Day event in Massachusetts and my dad really enjoyed watching the pros play.

As I sat down to have lunch, a wave of sadness washed over me and I looked around the restaurant at the customers eating their meals. How ma...

Week 29 – These are the friends that can change your life

During last week’s Facebook Live session, I was asked to share some of the books I’ve read over the years that have supported my personal and professional development.

I promised to compile an updated list and send it out in this week’s newsletter. Books have been such an important part of my life for more than forty years and there are some I’ve read multiple times. Here are a few examples:

~*~ Two of the books that started my personal growth journey:

Living in the Light by Shakti Gawain
A R...

Week 28 – Messages and Miracles

This week’s blog is one I wrote several years ago after Michael and I rescued a little gray cat from a local no-kill shelter.

Actually, he rescued us, and you’ll hear about that story in my next book.

Here’s a picture of our little guy when we first brought him home:

He was a fluff ball of scraggly fur!

From the day we brought him home, Poupon made it known he was a teacher in cat’s clothing. He often shows up “urting” at just the moment when one of us needs a good laugh. Or, when I’ve been...

Week 27 – How to radically change your life in ten minutes.

Last week I had lunch with a friend and we talked about how over-stimulating life is these days. I mentioned that I’d been meditating more often and it’s really made a huge difference. “It’s just not easy for me to sit still,” my friend admitted. “I hate fighting with my busy mind.”

I totally get it. It’s taken me a year to finally be able to stop in the middle of craziness and quiet the talk box in my head. When I do, I feel centered, more resourceful, calmer, and better able to act with wis...

Week 26 – One decision that can change your life.

At the beginning of the year, in a moment of insanity, I decided to join a Crossfit gym. Crossfit is a workout program that combines a variety of functional movements that include lifting weights, gymnastics, and cardiovascular training performed at high intensity.

I joined because I wanted to up my fitness level. I wanted to challenge myself to go way beyond what I thought I could do at my age. And I wanted to work out with a group of committed fitness folks to avoid the isolation I often fe...

Week 25 – Taking a Leap of Faith

In August of 2013 I wrote a blog called: Why taking a leap of faith might be the safest thing you can do. In it, I talked about a little voice inside that was telling me to bring more vulnerability to my writing, and to allow my health, my love of nature and animals, and my desire for new creative expression to take a more prominent place in my life.

I also wanted to learn to communicate in some way with the birds and animals that visit our land. Fascinated by the work of Anna Breytenbach, an...

Week 24 – A Year of Firsts

Yesterday I walked into a Hallmark store to get a birthday card for Michael and came face-to-face with a big display of Father’s Day gifts.

I stared at the “Best Dad Ever” coffee mugs, picture frames filled with photos of fathers and daughters, and various golf gadgets scattered about the table.

Golf. My dad loved golf. I mean really loved golf. He played for years and always talked about getting back on the course for one more game before he died.

How many times in my life have I shopped for...

Week 23 – Finding Grace on the Streets of London

My heart goes out to the people of London this morning, a city I love very much and one where I feel a strong kindred connection with so many.

I’d already written a blog for today about being courageous enough to shut the door on a dream, when news arrived of the terrorist attacks. I instantly thought about an experience I had during one of my visits to London and decided to share it again here with you.

It’s about a powerful exercise that will not only make you feel better, but will send muc...