Mary Jaksch

Mary Jaksch is an author, Zen Master, and psychotherapist who likes dancing tango in skimpy dresses. Her blogGoodlife Zen focuses on personal growth for intelligent people. Get her FREE eBook Overcome Anything: Finding Light after Darknessclick here. Mary is also Chief Editor of Leo Babauta’s blog Write to Done

December 10 BY in Featured, Lifestyle

How to Start Running – Without Feeling Like a Failure

2.3K Shares Do you sometimes wish you were fitter? And maybe slimmer? I do. In fact, I’m determined to lose 7 kg in four weeks and get really fit. But how to get fit in a hurry – without spending hours at the gym? One of the fastest ways to get fit is to start running. It can be daunting if you’ve never run before. Especially if you have friends, colleagues or family members who talk casually about how they run 7 miles each morning before breakfast. (Don’t you sometimes want to throttle them?)... More »

September 7 BY in Featured, Lifestyle

How to Recognize Imminent Danger: 7 Essential Safety Rules

50 Shares Danger lurks everywhere. I’m not talking about health risks or economic downturns, I’m talking about human predators. Most people are good human beings, but there are some who are not. They are dangerous and hunt for victims. The good news is that you can keep yourself safe by following seven simple safety rules. I’m a 4th Dan Karate Black Belt and learned these seven safety rules during eighteen years of martial arts training. The safety rules are simple, because as human beings, we have a built-in warning system that alerts us to... More »

April 6 BY in Lifestyle

How to Ditch Meekness and Walk Tall

233 Shares Are you a meek person? If so, your life may be ruled by others, and it’s time to ditch meekness. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But it’s not. Because meekness is a habitual response to the challenges of life. And it takes time and effort to change ingrained habits. The root of meekness is low self-esteem. When our self-esteem is low, we respond to the challenges of life with doubts and fears. And this response is usually established early on. Our parents, caregivers, teachers, and peers leave a lasting legacy that isn’t always... More »

November 13 BY in Lifestyle

Resilience: The Key to Surviving Anything

12 Shares Have you ever seen bamboo shoots in a storm? I have. I remember huddling in a hut in Thailand watching a raging typhoon sweep through the mountains. The clump of bamboo outside the window was completely flattened by the raging winds. The wind was so strong that it lifted the roof right off the hut and I began to fear for my life. Then, suddenly, the winds dropped. I looked out and saw the bamboo shoots rise up again unharmed. That’s resilience. It’s the most important thing we can cultivate in these... More »

October 9 BY in Lifestyle

Are You Sabotaging Your Plan to Exercise More?

14 Shares You know exercise is good for you, right? But regular exercise is like pushing water uphill. You do it for a couple of days – and then try and forget about it, because it’s just too hard. Sounds familiar? People who exercise regularly swear by it. They enjoy it. They can’t stop talking about it. But how did they manage to build a habit that sticks? Wouldn’t you like to know a painless and easy way of getting into the exercise habit? Read on to find out. The reason we often fail... More »

August 22 BY in Communication

Know Your Strength for More Success: Are you a Connector, a Maven, or a Salesman?

173 Shares In his book “The Tipping Point”, Malcolm Gladwell describes three different types of people, Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. Which are you? Connectors are people specialists. . The following questions will help you decide whether you are a Connector: Do you know a lot of people? Do you like people? Do you tend to remember peoples’ names? Do you enjoy going to parties and meeting new people? Do you collect acquaintances? If you answered ‘yes’ to four or five of these questions, you are a Connector. The strength of Connectors is that they... More »

August 11 BY in Lifestyle

How to Use the Art of Positive Realism for Maximum Success

136 Shares Do you want to dream big AND actually achieve your goals? The mindset of positive realism may be the answer. Being positive and being realistic are two ends of the mindset spectrum. I’m sure you’ve experienced that when optimists and realists discuss a project, there is often a clash of perspective. The optimist is a visionary and focuses on the end goal. The realist is skeptical – and sometimes downright negative – because his or her focus is on the steps along theway, not on the end goal. Which are you – an optimist or... More »