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Novel escapes
“Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.” ~Mary Schmich, journalist Next week, my neighborhood book club will meet to nominate and vote on our reading selections for the year. We’ll choose from a variety of novels, classics, and nonfiction titles suggested by members of the group. So I’ve spent the past couple of weeks taking a deep dive into several books, then narrowing down the best ones to nominate. Reading has been a wonderful escape on these chilly winter afternoons. As today’s quote reminds me, reading opens a door to new worlds and ideas — just as touring a foreign country introduces the tourist to different scenery and culture. Likewise,…
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Seek the life force
“There is a force within that gives you life. Seek that. Ignore those who make you fearful and sad.” ~Rumi Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re hyper-aware of the chaos in our country and the rest of the world. Even if you don’t follow at least one (reputable) news source, your social media accounts are probably keeping you on edge and fueling your anger or anxiety. While I’d love to start the new year with renewed optimism, it’s hard not to feel uneasy, exhausted, and worried about the future. But we can’t rebuild what’s broken or recover from a national crisis without believing that something better is entirely possible. It helps…
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The magic of “Three Good Things”
“Being a born optimist is not required – this is a habit you can acquire. A simple way to get started is to begin the ‘Three Good Things’ intervention: Each day for at least one week, write down three things that went well that day, and the reasons why.” ~Andrew Weil, MD Are you suffering from the post-holiday-letdown blues? Is the 24-hour news cycle spiking your blood pressure or eroding your sense of optimism? Are you nervous about what’s ahead in the new year? This week is the perfect time to revisit Dr. Andrew Weil’s “Three Good Things” prescription, which promises to increase our levels of happiness for a full…
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Rethinking my resolutions
“Beginnings are notation for the symphony of the possible in us. They ask us to break the pattern of our lives and reconfigure it afresh — something that can only be done with great courage and great tenderness, for no territory of life exposes both our power and our vulnerability more brightly than a beginning.” ~Maria Popova, The Marginalian Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet? You might loosely define a “resolution” as a self-improvement goal — such as eating healthier meals or exercising more often. Then again, a New Year’s resolution could serve as motivation to achieve or acquire something specific — a clutter-free storage room, for instance,…
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Merry Christmas
“We expect too much at Christmas. It’s got to be magical. It’s got to go right. Feasting. Fun. The perfect present. All that anticipation. Let’s take it easy. Love’s the thing. The rest is tinsel.” —Pam Brown If we’re truly honoring Christmas, let’s act on its core message throughout the new year. We can start by living each day with more kindness, less confrontation. More compassion, less arrogance. More civility, less hostility. More humility, less egotism. More honesty, less deception. More empathy, less criticism. More love, less hate. We could lead by example — and imagine what a gift it would be if everyone conspired to do the same. On another…
