Sue Westwind is the author of The Land Erotic: A Memoir of Acres, Ecstasy & Marriage in Midlife & Beyond and Lunacy Lost: A Memoir of Green Mental Health. She has been a holistic mental-health coach and holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in religious studies from the University of Kansas. She developed workshops on the topics of earth-based spirituality and natural mental health and taught a course called “The Natural Mind” with integrative practitioners.

She writes:

“Hardly a finished product, my mood these days can be summed up with sharing a practice I try to do daily. I make a list of all I’m grateful for, in the moment or for the long haul. Either written, spoken out loud while driving in the car, or just thought silently with heartfelt attention, this practice engages my mind (thinking outside the box), body (endorphins result when you review the feel-goods), and spirit (the wonder of all the Good we tend to overlook can be a pathway to the divine). It’s a small thing but for me essential to staying steady and optimistic.”

Sue can be reached via email here, and she welcomes correspondence from readers.