'Learn to Live in Wellness' for VIE March 2022

“Now that people are beginning to invite others inside again, our wellness centers can make them feel cared for, but it starts with ourselves. We do this by letting our true spirits reign. Design is as vital the health of a house as food and drink. People choose paintings for their walls, pieces of music that lift them during their day-to-day activities, or soft lighting and candlelight to change moods.

“How you arrange your personal habitat is a window into why you truly are. Your passions, hobbies, and idiosyncrasies become apparent. The private you becomes known. Houses done by an interior designer and left exactly that way may have less of your spirit roaming around. People fall in love with individuals, not a perfectly done look that is so in style now. People fall in love with quirky individualism and personal expression. When you are reflected in your house, it’s the beginning of finding wellness through the freedom of expressing your authentic self.”

Read more in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

"Our Many Selves" for VIE December

Photography by Mark Staff.

“The portrait is an exchange between photographer and subject; for a multiplicity portrait, it’s also a dialogue with the subject and herself. Mark captured my domestic life. For twenty years, my business was caring for and feeding a family. The kitchen served as the engine of our house, creating a firm foundation for those connected to me (and even cha-ching-ing change while I briefly ran an illegal bakery). These pursuits allowed me to rule the roost with calm instead of chaos, to squeeze all the potential out of one room. Cooking was my way to mother and mentor, instill manners, awaken culture, and learn history, music, and cuisine. Providing proper nourishment ensured that each child might reach their potential one day because they were fully fed and loved as they grew up. The room gave its all, and so did I!”

Read more about seeing your selves in a new light via a great portrait, in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

'Be Well' for February VIE

“Self Care is ‘the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.’ But this requires us to develop a specific intelligence.

It means listening to your body and letting it guide you, going granular on how you view your emotions, paying careful attention to how you are feeling, asking if you need to take care of yourself, and knowing what that means at that moment. As scientists learn more about the balance between the body and the brain, they have discovered that the mind often acts like an unruly toddler and does not listen. The brain responds to signals from the body, but who among us is trained to pay attention to those signals? Only professional athletes, and even they usually have a team of care specialists working behind the scenes. The brain can easily misinterpret or overrule what the body is saying.

When you realize new patterns have come to life, listening means using this information. Do not ignore what your gut is telling you. When you follow your body’s signals, you develop fluid intelligence. Listen to your body, and then instruct your brain: ‘Hey, it’s OK. We’ve got this! You don’t need to worry; we are safe — so chill out.’”

Learn more about the true meaning of Wellness, and how to implement it, in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE…

Self Love Series: Psychic Home

There could be a yard sale in your future…

Getting rid of stuff liberates you. You are left feeling fresh and more in tune with your psychic home.

There are myriad reasons to release items that have no more use in your life, possessions that others can use, objects that just take up space. The most important is you must own your personal style and relinquish anything that doesn’t represent YOU. We want to see people expressing themselves fully...

An empty shelf, a bare wall, a pared down interior feels good! A refreshing breeze rushes into your soul, bringing with it a brand new energy. You become lighter. For those of us who favor minimalism, empty space is essential. For others, letting go is a good exercise. You can always fill in an empty space but it is a fact that everyone owns too much stuff. Who needs dozens of black pants, ten computer plugs, 50,000 jars of cosmetics, 150 cowboy boots?

Unless you are a collector — that’s a different story entirely, a discussion for another day. (Stay tuned for our next post if you are into collecting wine!) Collections are interesting, meaningful, even educational. They bring us beauty and infinite rewards.

Hoarding, however, does not. Even if you are not a hoarder, hanging on to things takes energy. It drains you of your power to access your innermost self. Keeping stuff just in case you may need it one day has no meaning for today. Take the plunge and purge.

Self Love Series: Start with Someone Else

Photographer: Hugh Mangum, circa early 1900s

We all want to know: Who will be there for me?  But sometimes you must get out of your own head. Be there for others (not in a phony way) and they will be there for you.

As we look around at all our friends and loved ones, we might notice that everyone seems a bit low in the water. There is only one remedy to correct this state of mind, and it begins with you. Figure out which problems in your life are actionable and which ones there is nothing you can do to solve. When the in-actionable problems take over your brain, it’s time to start thinking of things other than yourself. Be there for someone else.

Charity doesn’t have to change the world. It’s enough if you can change a few moments for another. Little changes bring about big shifts over time. Here is a running list of Little Actions:

• Bring dinner. Flu is rampant. Sick people need to eat but cannot get to the store or stand in front of the stove. You could do it for them, delivering a dinner of chicken noodle soup already in zip lock freeze bags so they can have two or three dinners.

• Be an active listener. Try not saying the word “I” for twenty minutes in your next conversation with an acquaintance. Your friendship will dive deeper as a result.

• Spread joy. No matter how terrible you feel, pretend you feel joy, if only for a few minutes. Call a friend in need and ask how they are. Do not discuss any of your problems on the call. 

• Give someone a happy surprise. Pay for someone’s small purchase but don’t tell them. At One Broad in December, a young man I hardly know asked the cashier to put my cookie and tea on his card. When my turn came to pay I was flabbergasted! When I needed a lift, there it was. And for the last eight weeks, I haven’t forgotten this generous gesture, nor will I forget.

• Share your expertise. One of my closest friends who died recently always had words of encouragement, wisdom, business advice, empathy — never wanting anything in return except friendship. As I mourn his loss and importance in my life, it is my turn to take my wisdom and empathy to another. We all hold each other up one moment at a time.