The Reflective Pen

Simple Wisdom – Because Life Can Be Complicated

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  • Life Challenges

    Five Things to Know About Grief and Loss

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    dog with his chin on the floor feeling grief and loss and question the purpose of living. facing an obstacle with no solution.everyone is dying

    When you lose a spouse there are a series of expected feelings and experiences ahead. Grief, loneliness, pain, laughter, and joy are only five but worth taking a…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Spiritual Growth

    How To Begin Again When You Fail

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    boys jumping with joy begin again,living a full life

    "Always we begin again.” These are grounding words of St Benedict. Words that speak a gentle truth when we find ourselves up against a brick wall of failure. 

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges,  Spiritual Growth

    Five Ways to Stay Calm Without Losing Patience

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    exhausted woman with head in her hands losing patience

    Five ways to not lose your patience - 1. Slow down...2. Breathe...3. Make waiting a spiritual practice...4. Smile...5. go for a walk

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges,  Spiritual Growth

    Learning to Sit Alone With Feelings

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    learning to sit - a chair by the edge of a lake

    Learning to sit is a common Buddhist practice but for this author, the road to sitting was marked by an illness accompanied by cognitive loss that did not…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Dekker,  Spiritual Growth

    Dekker, The Service Dog, Shares His Wisdom

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    Dekker, a service dog, with the author Ardis Mayo

    Many people have asked me how Dekker ‘writes,’ sharing his wisdom every month in this blog. The only words that may seem legitimate from a dog are “Woof,…

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    Ardis Mayo

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