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Living in the past?
“Nostalgia is also a dangerous form of comparison. Think about how often we compare our lives to a memory that nostalgia has so completely edited that it never really existed.” ~Brene Brown Psychologists believe acute nostalgia is a symptom of growing old — but I’m not so sure that’s true. I’ve been nostalgic since I was a kid. I’ve always preferred old houses and items with a history, and I find comfort in rereading passages from favorite novels with nostalgic themes. But I know there’s real danger in viewing the past through rose-colored lenses. We might long for a return to certain periods in history, assuming that life was somehow…
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Nobody wins the waiting game
“You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” ~A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh Someone I know often complains that she rarely hears from some of her old friends and relatives. They’ve stopped calling to invite her out for lunch and other social activities. She’s sure she hasn’t “done anything” to deserve this neglect. Why have these people gone dark on her? Well, she’s right about the part where she said she hasn’t done anything. When I asked if she ever reaches out to initiate activities or simply keep in touch, she admitted that she rarely does. She…
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The freedom to decide
At first glance, today’s quote got me thinking about democracy and why it’s imperative to vote in our elections. But then I thought about how “our ultimate freedom” extends far beyond politics. Every single day, our ultimate freedom is expressed in the way we use our talents and opinions; what we choose to eat or drink; how we dress or decorate; what we read; how we care for our health; how we treat others and how we allow others to treat us. Just for starters. Every day, we have the freedom to make countless life-enhancing decisions, including how we spend our time and with whom. Those of us who are…
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Unexplained mysteries
“There are no coincidences. Every event we experience and every person we meet has intentionally been put in our path to help raise our level of consciousness.” ~Cheryl Richardson The closer we get to Halloween, the more attuned we are to all things mysterious and magical. Yet every day is full of unexpected events and near-magical “coincidences” that work to our advantage. Out of the blue, for instance, a card arrives in the mail from an old friend you’ve been missing. Or you meet a stranger in a waiting room who gives you a tip that leads to your dream job. Some might call it good luck or a wink…
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Reaching higher
“There are two ways to be happy: improve your reality, or lower your expectations.” ~ Jodi Picoult Lately, I’ve heard too many things that shock or disappoint me. Things that challenge my faith in humanity. Things that make me doubt the judgment and character of the folks around me. Things that make me anxious about the future. You too? Part of the problem boils down to the fact that everyone is accessing more “news” than they can thoughtfully process and fact-check. (Thanks, social media.) And it frightens me — how easy it is for some to fall under the dark spell of misinformation and ludicrous conspiracy theories. So what does…
