Pete Wiley

Pick up the Pieces
 by Pete Wiley

Pick Up the Pieces—Looking Forward After a Tragedy

I’ve always hated the phrase, “Things happen for a reason.” I much prefer the perspective of opportunity. When people experience a loss, it’s important to process the event as a loss. An event causes pain, and to deny that pain is to deny that part of yourself and inhibit your ability to process the pain. At the same time, a painful event can change the nature of your life. Your existence is based on a certain order of things: your emotional landscape, your connections, your livelihood, and your activities. If one of these is altered or removed, you will move toward a new order of things. This process may be arbitrary, or if you’re intentional, the process can be based on the direction you want to go.

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Too much of a good thing
 by Pete Wiley

Too Much of a Good Thing—Keeping Balance in Your Life

Everyone has elements of their lives that they love. It might be their work, a hobby, or building wealth. But anything you are passionate about can be diminished if you do little else. Balance in life is essential. Key activities, such as health, self-care, or relationships, might be ignored if you become monomaniacal about a single activity. Like any other element of your life, the ones you love must be planned and carried out intentionally. The more you make time for activities that make you more grounded and healthy, the better you’ll be able to engage in what you love.

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Productivity Creativity and Rest
 by Pete Wiley

Productivity, Creativity, and Rest—Finding a Balance

Time is an enigma. We either have too much of it or too little of it. You can go from not finding a spare second to breathe to bemoaning a long, uneventful Sunday afternoon with nothing to do. Too little time can be overwhelming and exhausting, but too much time can be frightening. Busy people dream of a time when they can relax and recoup, but resting all the time quickly becomes tedious and unfulfilling. You might have productivity goals and be intentional about periods of rest, and ideally, these are balanced. On top of these, you might have creative endeavors that add meaning to your life, and these activities must be added to the equation. It seems straightforward, but for many, finding this balance is almost impossible. 

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Path of Irritability
 by Pete Wiley

The Thorny Path of Irritability

It might start with a series of little things, or it might start with a big thing. There are many paths toward irritability, but you only take one. Once you’re down that path, you’re committed. The mood runs its course, and you have to ride it out. But the choice is yours whether to ride it out with eyes wide open or in a state of rage-fueled, self-righteous denial. Either way, irritability can ruin your day, making everything seem heavy and onerous. But even in this state, you have an opportunity to get to know yourself better.

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in Emotions / Mindful 0 comments
Your Vision
 by Pete Wiley

Make Your Vision a Reality

I’ve seen a lot of examples of hypocrisy in recent years—people preaching about ideals then completely failing, in their words and actions, to live up to those ideals. Of course, none of us is perfect. Failing to live up to your vision for yourself and your life is not inherently hypocritical, and it’s good to have aspirational ideals—ideals you hope and plan to live up to. It’s entirely different to espouse an ideal and live your life completely contrary to it because it’s convenient or beneficial. 

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