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Dear Friends of Balancing Act, 
Welcome to the lazy days of summer. True to my tenet that procrastination can be a good thing, I've chosen June 30 as the perfect day to send out a June newsletter.
I'm so glad I waited! By now you've left behind the crazed schedules that characterized much of June. "National Train Wreck Day" is the name I gave to the worst of those days in my last column. And by now, I've also had the perfect experience to share.
Happily at the Chautauqua Institution this week, I was privileged to attend the dedication of a labyrinth. To the music of a flutist, we walked the path, outlined with farm field stones, that represents the sacred journey into ourselves and back out into the world. Just as I was wishing I could duplicate the experience every day, a young woman handed me a sheet of paper explaining the "Finger Labyrinth." Stay with me and learn how to walk the labyrinth right at your desk.
I've also bumped into two other marvelous resources: one for taming your Internet distraction and another for - guess what - figuring out how happy or grateful or wise you really are.
I hope you'll try them out. Summer's the perfect time to give yourself permission to come out and play.
Pat
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Let Your Fingers Do The Walking
 Unlike the maze, with which it's often confused, a labyrinth is not a puzzle which must be solved in order to escape. Symbolic of a sacred journey, it's simply a twisting path we can trust to lead us to the center of a circle and out again. With a maze, our left brains work hard. With a labyrinth, we rely on our right.
Conveniently, this right brain work can occur at our desks by tracing the ancient labyrinth path with our finger or even a computer mouse. Stuck in left brain "analysis paralysis"? Try a labyrinth break.
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Especially if you happen to be over 50, sticking with familiar Internet sites is better than info-maniac cruising, according to an article in the current issue of AARP Magazine.
The decline in working memory, natural in aging, can cause us to shift from chore to chore, or shift from site to site, without finishing any of them. As we do that, we neglect those muscles of the brain that are necessary for focusing.
Some tips to develop Internet focus: - Define your purpose before you surf and stick to it;
- Make a note of tempting "side trips" so you can return to them another time; and
- Take a break away from the screen. Walking the dog could save you from mindless surfing.
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Are You Happy? Grateful? Wise?
 The University of Pennsylvania, through its Authentic Happiness website, is offering free online surveys to help you inventory your own levels of positive emotion, such as happiness and gratitude. It can be enlightening to take these brief tests that let you compare your own happiness levels with others of the same gender, age, occupation , educational level and geographic area.
You can even participate in online research projects, such as a new study on well-being and flourishing. If you do, you'll be participating in groundbreaking work. U Penn has launched the world's first master's level program in applied positive psychology, a new field that studies positive emotions, the strengths that form our character, and qualities that make institutions healthy. |
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Leash Law No. 18: Simple Meals
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Even if your oven's working, you can pretend you don't have one. Call it being environmentally responsible. If you rely exclusively on the toaster oven and microwave, you'll save lots of energy and simplicity is almost guaranteed. A baked potato, frozen entree and a salad. How much time can that take? Ths is one of 74 leash laws offered in "The Dog Ate My Planner: Tales and Tips from an Overbooked Life."
Copyright 2010 Pat Snyder |
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PAT'S ON
"ALL SIDES"
JULY 19
Pat with Ann Fisher (right)
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Got some funny stories to tell about summer camp or the vacation from hell?
Whether it's an experience with an airline, a tent or a hotel, Pat will look forward to laughing about it with you when she returns to "All Sides With Ann Fisher on WOSU 820 AM, the NPR station in Columbus, Ohio, from 10-11 a.m. Monday, July 19.
The topic will be "Summer Dogs That Eat Your Planner" and how laughter can help keep summer stressors in perspective.
You can listen streaming on the web and call in a 614-292-8513 or e-mail your comments and questions during the show.
BUY DOGS IN PACKS!
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| Does your business serve an "overbooked" clientele that needs some help laughing away the chaos in their lives?
If your clients are overbooked but don't own a Dog, they are actually under-booked.
The Dog Ate My Planner: Tales and Tips from an Overbooked Life is now available at bulk rates in quantities of 25 or more as a corporate gift or premium product.
Contact us for details.
**************************** LAUGHTER GOES CORPORATE...
Pat offered customized laughter exercises to the corporate world at the Combined Chamber Business Expo this month at Bridgewater Conference Center in Powell. Click here for details.
BOOKING NOW FOR FALL
Pat's taking bookings now for life balance speeches and workshops, writing workshops, and laughter programs, all described on her website.
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