Curious and Creative

Embrace Intention

Paula R. Baines

  • Our Brains Are Wired for Social Connection

    12/21/2025 Over the last four weeks, I have focused on the topic of loneliness and its impact on our overall health, not just mental health. Isolation increases risks for mental and physical health issues including heart disease. As I noted, the type of connection is important. I have been in a crowded room with tons… Read more

  • I Crave Being Alone and I love being a “homebody.”

    12/12/2025 I crave being alone.   Please understand that, for me, being alone at home does not mean I feel lonely. I am connected to my surroundings and treasure the solitude. It is an opportunity for me to recharge, and the quietness gives me time to write. The difference between being alone and loneliness is connection.… Read more

  • Hope Matters. Hope is Essential

    12/6/2025 Are you a believer in hope, or are you cynic masquerading as a “realist?” I admit lately I spend more time in the second category than the first. My anxiety plays a big part in my view of life. My husband has asked me, “Why live in fear and be cynical?” I cannot always… Read more

  • Loneliness Is Not One-Size-Fits-All

    11/26/2025 Years ago, I attended several after-hour social events hosted by the local chamber of commerce when my husband and I were members. Walking into a social situation brought me back to my high school “wall flower” era.  I was feeling so alone and awkward in a room full of people.  I attempting to connect… Read more

  • Do You Feel Lonely?

    November 19, 2025 Have you ever felt lonely and lost in a room full of people? You do not have to be alone to feel lonely. Our modern life is designed for isolation. Yet, loneliness harms our bodies not just our minds according to the U.S. Surgeon General. The effect and mortality impact of being… Read more

  • Do You Yearn to Reconnect?

    November 2, 2025 Whether it is intention or inattention, when we neglect the people who matter to us, we can feel deep regret. If you are left with the feeling, “if only I had reached out…,” you are one of thousands of people worldwide who have relationship or connection regrets. According to author Daniel H.… Read more

  • What Do Your Regret Most?

    October 9, 2025 Do you look back at your life and ask if there was something that you could have done differently? Do you carry that guilt with you? This week’s post focuses on moral regret, which is the third of the four core regrets that Daniel H. Pink defined in his book, Power of… Read more

  • Dare to Be Bold, Don’t Hold Back

    9/22/2025 How often do you look back in your life and ask “if only” I had taken a chance? I have. I lacked confidence as a young person; I doubted my writing and speaking abilities. I feared rejection. Instead of testing myself, I held back. I played it safely. After I married and had my… Read more

  • Don’t Let Your Regret Hold You Back

    9/10/2025 Wednesday If you think back on your life, what regret hits hardest? I believe most of us have felt that sting of regret. It is universal, yet very personal. Muhammad Tuhin wrote that in the quiet hours of the night, a familiar shadow often creeps in, not a ghost in the room, but a… Read more

  • Regret Can Steer Us in a New Direction

    9/3/2025 “No regrets.” This is a philosophy that many people claim for life. Some even have it tattooed onto their bodies.  Yet, author Daniel H.  Pink says that regret is a fundamental part of being human. Regret hurts but also instructs. We cannot have one without the other. Muhammad Tuhin wrote that it is crucial… Read more