You can easily and enjoyably boost your word awareness by 1) selecting a particular cue word as a trigger for mindfulness, or 2) focusing on phrases used in specific settings. Better yet, try both!

By using a particular word as a mindfulness trigger, you can watch how others create poetic representations of same element.

Ready for your secret food awareness word? Here it is: morsel.

Listening for a specific word will develop your ability to make distinctions in way it is used and allow you to watch for subtle variations. Does "morsel" refer to something creamy or chewy? Is it savory or sweet?

To play with poetry and mindfulness at same time, notice phrases used to describe food. Listen to them with an ear for rhythm, and picture them as lines of a poem.

Read menu descriptions, food articles or cookbooks and be aware of adjectives most likely to get your mouth watering. Sensual words like "succulent" and "luscious" elicit physiological responses. Pay attention to those, and listen for phrases you hear that create especially vivid sense experiences.

Linking word pictures with taste helps us anchor our linguistic intelligence with our bodily intelligence, and this makes our mouths very happy indeed!

Delectable words, Delicious poetry. Mmmm-- True taste sensation.

We spent month at weekend practices and kitchen table readings. I was even more amazed than usual with this little girl! She not only was nailing her lines at practice, she was feeding lines to older kids AND adults. When performance rolled around Em was, OF COURSE, magnificent. She didn't blow one line, and in fact covered like a seasoned pro for an adult who had forgotten his line. I've never seen such utter relief on one man's face!

With a very sharp mind (she gets that from her dad), hard-headed determination (also from him) boldness (ditto) and a flair for dramatic (what I brought to gene party), child was, and is, loaded with assetts.

But what left an impression on me was her can-do attitude. Not once did she complain or give voice to any doubts. She knew she had a lot of work in front of her and knew it wouldn't be easy. But she knew something more important. She knew she could do it.

And she did.

When I'm confronted with difficult situations and am tempted to throw in proverbial hat, I think back to look on her face and determination in her voice. I remember a very thick script covered in yellow highlighter, marking countless lines. I remember a tiny girl turning off cartoons and lying on floor with a huge pile of work. I remember looking closely into her big blue eyes and not seeing a trace of doubt or nervousness.

Then again, why would she worry? As she said, "Oh, I can do that."