The Reflective Pen

Simple Wisdom – Because Life Can Be Complicated

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  • 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
  • Life Challenges,  Spiritual Growth

    One Thing to Know if You Want to be Compassionate

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    man seeks compassion

    Until I learn to be comfortable with my fear and pain, I will not hear the fear and pain behind another's defensive statements or responses, let alone respond…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging

    HAS YOUR “BEST IF USED BY” DATE PASSED?

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    strawberry with a 'best if used by' date

    Do you have a "Best if used by" date on your life? What if that date has passed and you find yourself still sitting on the shelf? Here…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Creativity

    WRITER’S PROCRASTINATION AND WHAT TO DO

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    procrastination in writing helped by journaling

    If your ideas have never landed on a page, or maybe you have a half-finished manuscript hiding in a drawer somewhere, don’t despair. You are not alone.

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Dekker

    DEKKER’S WISDOM FOR PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS

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    Dekker the service dog reads a book

    Dekker says that writing this column is hard work and sometimes he falls asleep while working. There is so much to read and understand about human behavior and…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges

    5 WAYS OF SELF-CARE TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

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    stacking blocks one at a time

    Here are five ways to improve your life with daily steps of self-care that become habit when practiced with intention. By beginning with yourself as a priority and…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Spiritual Growth

    WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT FEELING VULNERABLE?

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    man in tears

    Vulnerability helps us open the door to new connections. If only for a moment, we let our guard down and engage with people on another level.

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Spiritual Growth

    WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL WORK OF GRATITUDE?

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    woman lifting arms in gratitude

    Why gratitude is a spiritual practice in which we include both memorable events and things that are painful.

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Dekker

    MORE ADVICE FROM DEKKER

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    Dekker

    Dekker is a British black lab whose gifts for giving advice emerged when he sat around every day with the restrictions of the pandemic. He was born to…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges

    WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BRAIN FOG

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    figure in shadow and mist

    Here is what you need to know about Brain Fog if you are concerned about cooudy thinking, memory loss or difficulty sleeping.

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging

    HOW DO YOU DEFINE GROWING OLD?

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    dictionaary

    The definition of 'aging' depends on a lot more things than one's chronological age and how we define it can influence how we live it.

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Spiritual Growth

    3 WAYS TO FIND JOY IN THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE

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    a child finds joy in the journey

    Here are three ways to find joy when life seems to be crashing around you and you are in danger of losing hope.

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Dekker

    SIMPLE WISDOM FOR PEOPLE IN DISTRESS

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    Dekker

    Dekker has advice for people on a number of issues, including broken New year's resolutions.

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    Ardis Mayo
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Recent posts

  • dekker sleepinigWisdom from Dekker
    Dekker, Life Challenges
  • clasped hands, lonlinessLoneliness and Aging
    Aging, Life Challenges
  • two white haired aging ladies on a bench discussing the meaning and purpose of growing old, memoryThe Body Remembers
    Aging, Life Challenges
  • woman journaling to-do list and goalsJournaling as a Path
    Creativity, Life Challenges
  • Dekker, service dog posing on granite slabWisdom from Dekker in Autumn
    Dekker, Life Challenges

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