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Got Joy? Patience? Mindfulness?
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Dear Friends of Balancing Act,
How would you like to have three questions you can ask yourself each morning to get the day off to a more joyful and meaningful start? You'll find them in a new book, The Three Promises, by positive psychology expert David J. Pollay. If art is a joy-bringer for you, less may be more on your next jaunt to the art museum. Try joining the "slow art" movement and see how you like it. And finally, in case you happen to work in a high-stress workplace environment like a law firm, check out some ways to apply mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques right at your desk. The world may look better when you do. Here's to a happier, more balanced life, |
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Simply Powerful
 Just out this month is a book that provides a simple but powerful plan for enriching life when it's been infected by the blahs.
The Three Promises by positive psychology expert David J. Pollay provides research-based tools to enliven life one day at a time.
Pollay urges us to ask ourselves each day what small things we can do to bring us joy, help us honor what we love, and make a difference in the world.
He offers concrete tools to assess how engaged we are in those things we love and how we are actually spending our energy.
For anyone whose bigger picture has faded in the face of daily to-do lists, The Three Promises is a perspective-broadener.
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Not So Fast....
 Mona Lisa may have a placid presence, but anyone who's visited the Loeuvre knows experiencing her is anything but placid. Large crowds press against the gallery ropes for a glimpse. Overwhelmed by the collection, they often dash from exhibit to exhibit, mentally checking off paintings as they go.
Not the best way to appreciate art, according to James Pawelski, director of the Master of Applied Psychology Program at Penn. Rather, to achieve the well-being that can come from art, it's best to pause and give each piece its due. To appreciate this principle, Pawelski is sending his students to the The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, where they are instructed to seek out a piece that speaks to them and pause for a full 20 minutes in front of it.
He's researching why full exposure to the piece creates a more meditative effect. According to a New York Times piece about the slow art phenomenon, museums around the country are implementing slow art tours.
Short of that, you can create your own by conducting a "more is less" tour.
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Mindful Law Practice: An Oxymoron?
The legal profession is known for its high stress. Emotionally-charged clients, combative counsel, long hours, and fast-moving  deadlines can create the perfect storm. And stats show that the attorneys suffer from a disproportionate amount of of depression, anxiety and substance abuse. For that reason, proponents of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) have begun suggesting mindfulness techniques for the law office. They fit well, too, in other high-stress corporate environments. Australian psychotherapist and MBSR expert Allison Keane, writing recently for the legal magazine Proctor, has urged attorneys to get in touch with their stress and step back and calm down when they feel it coming on. She gives specific advice on sending e-mails. Take at least three deep breaths before sending it. In this time, be aware of your own emotions, thoughts and feelings as well as those the recipient may experience. Copyright 2014 Pat Snyder
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JUST TILE IT!  Do you chronically lose your keys? Your wallet? Your kids? In her Balancing Act column this month, Pat lets you know there's an app for that. All you have to figure out is what's important enough to buy a tile for.
PAT'S FEATURED IN NEW BOOK
Pat's among those featured in the just-released book Unretirement: How Baby Boomers Are Changing The Way We Think About Work, Community and the Good Life by public radio contributing editor Chris Farrell.
Farrell highlights her later-life shift from attorney to coach.
A good read for anyone contemplating what's next.
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LEASH LAW
What happens is not as important as how we react to it.
Life will be more balanced if you leave room for surprises, creativity and the possibility of changing your mind.
When strong winds come, the branch that bends does not break.
This is based on one of the 74 leash laws offered in Pat's book, The Dog Ate My Planner: Tales and Tips from an Overbooked Life.
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