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Posts Tagged: reflection

Step 1 in Designing a Meaningful Life: Start Where You Are

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

tree of life

Whether constructing a sunken garden or building a house, we begin by evaluating what we have to work with.

What do I have and what do I need?

I was involved in building three homes. Each required not only construction plans for the house, but also an adequate plot of land, lot preparation and, after construction, landscaping. When it all comes together it forms a unique beauty all its own.

When examining the steps involved in building a new home, there are many commonalities we can apply. It takes a desire and then a vision, an architect to help in the design, a cost analysis in time, money and materials, a plan of action, motivation, and commitment.

6 Tips for Making Successful Transitions

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

bridge over stream

We leave something of ourselves behind in our endings as we reach forward to a new beginning.

When endings are not adequately completed, it will be difficult to make a successful new beginning. We no longer feel pleasure or satisfaction in the things we used to do, and we get discouraged and disheartened with this uncertainty. We wonder, Can I have a meaningful life again?

When leaving one world to move towards another, we go through a transitional period. In this article and podcast episode, I’ll show you six ways to effectively use reflection during a transition.

A New Year – A New Beginning (How to Reflect on What You Learned)

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

A New Year – A New Beginning

As we end this year and begin another, take some time to reflect on the instructive things you have learned or gained throughout the year.

We often remain focused on regretful things and fail to remember the good things we have achieved and the obstacles we have overcome. We minimize the good things, not considering them to be that important. But they are important, as they become learning tools to take with us into the new year.

Read on for some things to consider during your reflection.

Endings Leave A Bit of Ourselves Behind

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Endings Leave A Bit of Ourselves Behind | FocusWithMarlene.com

ceremonies or rites of passage symbolize leaving childhood to enter adulthood. Sometimes the rituals are physically demanding – others are simply a public recognition and celebration after instruction. Religions also have symbolic ceremonies to represent a major transition such as Jewish Bar Mitzvahs and Confirmation in the Lutheran and Roman Catholic Churches.

We leave something of ourselves behind in our endings as we move into the next stage of life. Even if we are enthusiastic about a new beginning, the ending can be bitter-sweet. We wait with anticipation for that first child, only to discover in becoming a parent, that we are not free to come and go as we please. Life has been altered forever. We may finally have reached that long-awaited retirement, only to experience restlessness and lack of purpose. It is necessary to redefine who we are at each stage of life.