A few months ago, I was once again feeling annoyed and frustrated with myself for not being consistent with my meditation practice. I have no excuse. I know the power of quieting the mind. I know the incredible benefits of a mediation practice. And yet.… Something different was called for. I decided that what I was craving was a little … structure. A little … novelty. A little … playbook. And so I created my very own meditation ritual, and I call it 4-4-4-4.

Usually, when I hear a GREAT podcast episode I save it to include in my monthly roundup. But this particular episode of this particular podcast is so important, I just can’t sit on it until the end of the month. Drum roll … “How to Lose Half of Your Guilt,” episode 221 of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast. In this episode, Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle discuss and unpack a RADICAL concept from the brilliant Dr. Becky Kennedy. Here’s the concept …

The other morning, I found myself standing still in my kitchen, mesmerized by the milk frother, frothing away on the countertop. Normally, I multitask, I unload the dishwasher, check my iPhone for any blowups. But for whatever reason, that morning I decided to just remain still and watch the frother do its thing. I was amazed by how that tiny little metal mechanism turned my flat, watery almond milk into a frothy fluff that was at least doubled in volume. In fact, it was growing so fluffy I worried it might go full Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on me, so I hit the “cancel” button. Immediately, the fluffy, frothing milk settled down, reducing in size. Relieved to have avoided a kitchen disaster, I suddenly noticed … the quiet.

I was out walking with my dog recently, enjoying a glorious summer morning. I was high as a kite on caffeine, taking in everything along our path with gratitude and wonder. In this heightened emotional state, I came upon a delightful little fairy garden someone had artfully planted in their front lawn. There was a painted rock in the mix, with the inscription: “ENJOY TIME” I stood there wondering, Is this a mistranslation from another language where they’re trying to say “It’s time to enjoy life!”? Or is it an intentional message, an exhortation that we ought to enjoy TIME itself??

Recently, a very wise person reminded me of the power of language, namely, the negative power generated when we complain. Anytime someone tells me to stop complaining, immediately my hackles go up and I mutter how dare you tell me how to talk or feel!!! But this wise person wasn’t necessarily telling me to stop complaining. She was simply pointing out a simple truth: energy flows where our focus goes. Language is a form of energy … the words we use make the people around us feel stuff. And sometimes, we absolutely need to articulate something that is wrong, out loud, so that we can make it right.