This past Monday, many of us had the day off to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  He’s celebrated with a Federal holiday held on the third Monday of every January in proximity to his birthdate, January 15^th, 1929.  This American Baptist minister and activist was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement and is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. 

He is best remembered for his famous “I Have a Dream” speech:  https://vimeo.com/2158959.

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I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."
Albert Einstein

During this time of year ones’ stress can increase and the balance between work and family turns into a fragile game of tug of war. The following resources can hopefully provide support and guidance in maintaining a healthy work-life balance and help you better enjoy the next few months.

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“For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning."

(Little Gidding)

-T.S. Eliot

With the holiday and New Year’s celebrations behind us, it’s only natural to feel a tinge of regret over abandoning healthy living and eating during this time. Also, starting the New Year may also trigger some self-reflection over what wasn’t accomplished in the past year. The idea of making a few New Year’s Resolutions may come to mind. 

Unfortunately, for all the good intentions, recent statistics report only 8% achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. This statistic isn’t so surprising...

Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word.

-Goran Persson

If this topic speaks to you, I’d like to offer a few things to...

“I don't know what to do!" cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath; and making a perfect Laocoön of himself with his stockings. "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to every-body! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!”

-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right?  While this may be true for many, the holiday season can be a time of increased stress, anxiety and depression for others.  Feelings of depression and anxiety affect many people during the holiday season and not just those with a mental health diagnosis. 

Many factors play a role in the increase in holiday depression. Between stressful end of year deadlines, family dysfunction and loss, poor eating and drinking habits, and increasingly...

I wander forth this chill December dawn:
John Frost and all his elves are out, I see,
As busy as the elfin world can be,
Clothing a world asleep with fleecy lawn.

~Robert Buchanan (1841–1901), "Snow"