Health is Wealth
By Todd Pequeen Oh, how time fascinates me! I remember obsessively counting in seconds the last five minutes of class before the liberating school bell would ring. If I felt energetic I could speed walk home and catch a 3:00 TV program from the start. My earliest time of stress was
Read MoreBy Todd Pequeen Connection n. 1) A link or relationship 2) Influential friends or relatives 3) A train, bus, etc. that connects with another. Often in my daily life I am in awe and excited about the quality of time I just experienced. The situation and stimulus often changes, but
Read MoreBy Todd Pequeen My sister (who is 3 years older than me) and my nephew (who is 15) will be visiting Manuel Antonio in a few weeks. I sit contemplating what side of Manuel Antonio to show my nephew, and what life lessons I’ve learned, that may help him become a
Read MoreBy Todd Pequeen Stress is a mess. It is a jumble of strange sleep patterns, worry, depression, and angst. Many clients tell me that they have had “a lot of stress” and I always ask for more details. It is “in the details” that helps me to uncover how the
Read MoreBy Todd Pequeen Are you part of the herd? Are you original in your own thoughts and actions? I believe inspiration and creativity to be a part of everyone of us. Tapping into the organic nature of these thoughts can be a challenge to many. It is terribly obvious in
Read Moreby Todd Pequeen I have lived out of a camper van for months at a time. I sincerely hope to again have my bed, kitchen, and living area in five meters of space. There is something very liberating about having everything one needs in a small area with the ability to be able to hit the
Read MoreBy Todd Pequeen The world we live in bombards us with stress. Social, economic, political, and religious pressures (to name a few) are in constant rotation in our minds. Because of this, many of us ex-pats find comfort living abroad. I have more choice over certain matters, or I simply
Read MoreBy Todd Pequeen Ebb and flow, rhythm and tempo, it doesn’t matter what you call it. The world works in patterns and is always in balance. Night to day, ying to yang, in good times or bad, everything around us organically transitions back and forth. Why then, as humans aren’t
Read MoreBy Todd Pequeen Is there a game more treacherous than life? Trying to balance our physical, emotional, and spiritual lives with cultural, religious, and family values can become overwhelming. Curses and blessings are often one in the same. Next we intermingle human factors such as desires and mistakes coupled with
Read Moreby Todd Pequeen “Where did Mom go?” I respond like the smart ass I can be at times. “Perhaps she’s having a glass of wine on the porch next door”, knowing full well it is only eleven in the morning and my Mom rarely drinks as it is. The fact
Read MoreI expand my possibilities by cultivating the opposite in myself. When I was young I did not have much choice. As an adult I do, so I use my free will to be the antagonist from within. I understand that no matter how correct I think my decisions are, or how black and white a situation seems, there are always shades of grey or layers of circumstance that I may be unaware of. This requires humility beyond the four decades of lessons I have learned. A set frame of mind can be my own worst enemy. Cultivating the opposite moves my life towards the pursuit of liberation. Freedom from all lesser pursuits (that often revolve around money, food, sex, and power) can be greatly empowering. The value of seeking change and enlightenment enriches my days beyond what I have previously dreamed.
Read MoreWe should all touch ourselves. I often fantasize with my clients on how wonderful it would be to get a massage every day. Imagine having your favorite masseur at your beck and call to get your fix whenever needed…how glorious would that be? Well, we all do have this available, we can utilize ourselves. While sitting on my board surfing, waiting for waves, I massage with both my hands my head and temporal regions. Just a minute of small circular strokes helps to further relax and loosen me up. Every day I massage my own hands and forearms, it has become a routine, it allows me to know where my aches and pains are as well as flushing out stagnate blood revitalizing my tools of the trade. We are all socialized into the language of the senses and in my opinion have become impoverished with hands-on nonverbal forms of communication, relying instead on disengagement and so called sophistication with each other. Sight and hearing (distance senses) rule our days while taste, smell, and touch (proximity senses) are almost a taboo. A shame in my opinion but adopting a philosophy of touching oneself can help bring us into the light.
Read MoreThere is always something to stress about. Even when health and happiness are present we often create stress for a variety of reasons. Living this way, in this space, is a mistake. Time is a delusion the mind is happy to hold hands with. I’m sure the cynics are chuckling right now but let me explain. Inside our heads our minds are looking to identify with something. Most of the people I know dwell on memories from the past or their plans for the future. When is my next vacation turns into I don’t want this vacation to end. There is a compulsion to expel the present for the next job on the list, or to space out on what was so good and how to get it back. Obsession with this occurs simply because we can firmly identify with the past, as we have already lived it, and the perfect future is a dream, perhaps even a promise we made ourselves which will be the end all, be all. Whichever we choose, they are both illusions.
Read MoreCourage is a relative word by nature. It cannot stand alone, by definition it is simply a response. An ability to welcome something new, difficult, or challenging. This process is positive and fun for some, negative and stressful for others. I propose that we all look at ways to welcome courageous acts into our lives. Day to day living normally isn’t seen as a courageous thing to do. It can be however, to a great advantage. Our daily routines and responsibilities can feel like new if we simply add awareness to the people and events of the world going on around us. By having the courage to do more, be more, care more, and spread more love our daily lives will feel more vibrant and satisfying. I have always been delighted by people who “put themselves out there,” only risking playing the fool. It is no easy task to go outside of our own boundaries, but if we do we can reap the benefits of evolving and becoming wiser.
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