I've had a smart phone for less than a year. An iPhone 5.

This morning I wanted to write about some of the mental pitfalls we get trapped in - habits of mind that pull us down and make us crazy. I was thinking about how bad mental hygiene can drain our vitality, well-being, and overall juice for living, when suddenly it hit me:

My mind is kind of like my iPhone.

My well-being/chi/life-force/spirit/hopefulness - otherwise hereafter known as juice - is essential to my functioning, just as my phone's battery is essential to its use. Like my iPhone, my juice is plentiful and renewable - as long as I remember to plug it in from time to time.

Brilliant, right?

Furthermore, my mental processes are like apps. Some of them are extremely useful and well-designed. Some of them are buggy and suck up a lot of juice. And if I leave too many of them open at one time, my juice drains at an alarming rate.

Note: Please resist the urge to get sidetracked into a conversation about actual smart phones. Try to focus on the metaphor, okay? :-)

I have a whole lot of mental apps I want to share with you in the future, but today I'm curious.

What are some of the mental apps you're running?

How are they draining your juice?

Have you ever had a moment when you suddenly knew something about yourself?

I had one a few months ago. I was attending a conference, listening to a person give a lecture on a fascinating topic, and suddenly I thought, "I want to do what she's doing."

This was not a new thought. I've been drawn to teaching ever since I presented my first fake lesson plan in college, preparing to be an elementary school teacher. Since then I've had several moments of calling, some of them kinda spooky in a message-from-God kind of way. My first big speaking event was a weekend in 1993 when I gave a sermon to 6000 people, spread out over 3 services. I was terrified and thrilled at the same time.

In 1999 I gave exactly 52 consecutive sermons, serving as the interim pastor of my church.

I've been out of the sermon-giving business for several years, so I was a bit surprised to feel the old familiar call in a purely secular context.

I love to teach. I love conversation. And I love human behavior, so I decided to combine my loves into a series of talks. Not scholarly lectures, more like interactive conversations.

Through my 25+ years of experience as a counselor, life coach, and spiritual mentor, I’ve been a keen observer of the human condition, my own included! I’m fascinated by what makes people tick, and I’m driven to discover ways that make our lives work. I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Such as:

Rewire Your Brain in 90 Days.

Relational Economics for Codependents.

How to Handle Your Inner Critic.

Practicing Self-compassion

Finding Your Essential Self

Overcoming Crazy Brain

Learning to Show Up

and oh, so many more. If you're in the Denver area on the first Saturday of any month, I'd love to have you join me for a little breakfast and conversation.

Our First Topic: Rewire Your Brain in 90 Days

Don't Waste Your Juice

The Phyllis Mathis School of Life