About Laurie Buchanan

holistic health practitioner, transformational life coach, speaker, author

Workaround

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

According to the dictionary, the definition of a workaround is:

“A method for overcoming a problem or limitation in a program or system.”

We got to see a workaround in action when we attended the 2019 Garden Valley Fly-In and went into town for breakfast one morning.

In your mind’s eye, picture a turn of the century western town where a wooden sidewalk connects all of the shops on Main Street.

Alas, the place where the sidewalk needed to go had a tree in the way. They felled the tree, leaving the stump, and built the sidewalk around it. Maybe not a “classic” workaround, but a workaround nonetheless.

What is your most recent encounter with a workaround? Click To Tweet

What is your most recent encounter with a workaround?

What Are You Reaching For?

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

Person, place, thing, event, or opportunity—it’s important to know what it is that you’re reaching for.

To aspire is defined as something you actively desire to reach, a goal you’re working toward.

What are you going to do with it once it’s within reach? Will you grab hold, or will you let it slip by?

In my experience, the act of reaching out sets everything in motion. That’s why I plan before I reach out, so when I do catch hold, I know my next steps.

What is it that you're reaching for? Click To Tweet

What are you reaching for?

Establishing Boundaries

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

When I visited the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) temple and gardens in Cardiff by the Sea, CA, I appreciated the fence—boundary—installed between the gardens and the cliff.

Due to erosion, it’s imperative to keep visitors from stepping too far forward, which many people want to do because of the stunning photo opportunity.

When it comes to human beings, there are many types of boundaries: personal, professional, relational, social, ethical, etc.

Boundaries are internal and external lines that we draw. They delineate where our — physical, mental, emotional, spiritual — space ends, and where another’s may begin. Boundaries establish what’s okay and what’s not okay. They help us:

Stand up for ourselves
Keep us from doing things we shouldn’t
Protect and take care of ourselves

Boundaries are not separation, they’re not division. Boundaries are respect for ourselves and others.

As I tell my clients, establishing boundaries is one thing, but it’s not enough. To be effective, they must also be maintained.

Are your boundaries in good condition? Are they effective? Click To Tweet

Are your boundaries in good condition—are they effective?

Airing Laundry

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

One of my favorite posts on Janet Givens blog is when she wrote about clotheslines. In reading that post, I learned that people are passionate about whether outdoor clotheslines should be allowed, or not. In some places, they’re actually outlawed.

When I saw Luna’s adorable cloth diapers drying on a rack in Evan and Kayley’s house, I just knew there was a post in it!

I’m passionate about not airing ones laundry (private matters) publicly. This practice is commonly referred to as airing one’s dirty laundry. In reality, I don’t know anyone who hangs dirty laundry out to dry—most of us hang clean laundry.

Maybe it stems from the way I was raised, or because I don’t have oodles of dirty little secrets. Either way, I don’t talk about private matters publicly.

What’s your take on airing “dirty” laundry?

What your take on airing dirty laundry? Click To Tweet

Around or Through?

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

To make hard tasks easy, mountains molehills, and challenges simple, we can opt for one of two viable paths:

We can be still and wait for guidance (go around).
We can roll up our sleeves and get busy doing what we can, with what we’ve got, from where we are (go through).

Are you more of a go around or go through type of person?

Are you more of a go around or go through type of person? Click To Tweet

Cardiff by the Sea

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

I’m currently in Cardiff by the Sea, CA, on a ten-day hiatus (May 4-13) to work on book two in the Creative Quill suspense/thriller series.

As you can well imagine, I’m enjoying every moment. I wake up early and write until about 3:00pm, then I cool my jets by taking a long walk along the beach. Did I mention that I’m having a blast?

I’ve turned off comments for this post but will be back with a regular to-and-fro post next week.

Joie de Vivre!

Peace Meditation

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

I just returned from St. Paul, MN, where I had the pleasure of speaking with the Board of World Citizen (a nonprofit organization for everyone who values a safe and respectful world) about peace.

With that event fresh in my mind, I thought, “This is a great time to share my peace meditation.”

I use a mala. If you’re not familiar, think of it as a Buddhist rosary. Typically a mala has 108 beads, plus the “Guru” bead (usually a bit larger) to indicate the place to begin and end.

My mantra is:
“Peace within. Peace without. Peace in me. Peace in the world.”

Here’s How It’s Done
Starting at the bead on one side of the “Guru” bead, I hold the mala bead between my thumb and middle finger. While holding that bead I:

Inhale and mentally say — “Peace within.”
Exhale and mentally say — “Peace without.”
Inhale and mentally say — “Peace in me.”
Exhale and mentally — “Peace in the world.”

With this mantra, each bead takes two full breath cycles. After I finish a bead, I move to the next one.

When I make it all the way around and reach the Guru bead, I know that I’ve completed 108 repetitions. If I’m going to continue, I turn the mala around and go back the way I came.

Do you have a peace practice? Click To Tweet

Do you have a peace practice?

Gated Community

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

I’m all about INclusion as opposed to EXclusion.

So while we live in a “baby-gated community,” it’s not to keep others out, it’s to keep our big dog, Willa, from wandering freely as she’s inclined to do at this time of year. And to keep Luna, our granddaughter, from joining her.

I’m about sharing our similarities and celebrating our differences.

I’m about crossing cultural, language, social, and economic barriers to build community cohesion, understanding, acceptance, and peace.

I’m about celebrating our shared humanity.

What are you about?

I’m about celebrating our shared humanity. What are you about? Click To Tweet

Potcakes

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

Last year I hosted a writing retreat on Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. It was my second time there, and I loved it! One of the interesting things about this exotic location is the potcake dogs.

According to Wikipedia, “a potcake dog is a mixed-breed dog type found on several Caribbean islands. Its name comes from the congealed peas and rice mixture that local residents traditionally eat, as the rice that cakes to the bottom of the pot would go to the dogs. Although appearance varies, potcakes generally have smooth coats, cocked ears, and long faces. A group of potcakes is known as a parliament.”

PHOTO

In my experience, the dogs—who generally travel in small groups—are friendly. They’re usually looking for a food handout. If you accommodate them (which I don’t think you’re supposed to, but I did), then you have friends for life!

The same thing happened when I was in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

And the same thing happened when I was on a writing sabbatical in Darby, Montana—only this time, it was with a small herd of deer!

Would you feed a stray animal—even if you’re not supposed to?

Would you feed a stray animal—even if you’re not supposed to? Click To Tweet

College on $1 Day

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

We have a massive jar in the corner of our living room that I put a dollar a day into it. And each time Luna’s parents pick her up from us watching her, they drop paper money into it. At the end of each month, we deposit the money into a college fund account for our granddaughter.

You’d be amazed at how fast it adds up. Let me give you an example:

The entire year before we walked across Scotland as a family, we kept a huge jar by the front door. At the end of each day when we all got home from school or work, we’d empty our pockets and purse of all change—not paper money, just coins.

At the end of the year, we converted the change into paper money. It paid for all of our meals (3 people) for the entire time we were gone (21 days).

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” —Robert Collier

Currently, what small effort are you repeating?

Currently, what small effort are you repeating? Click To Tweet

Tuesdays with Laurie

"Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing." —Laurie Buchanan

Author Archives: Laurie Buchanan