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How we see things
“We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.”~Anais Nin, memoirist We humans view everything through the lens of our personal experience, which includes our upbringing and education, where we’ve lived, and the people who form our tribe. Things get tricky when we encounter others who see things differently than we do. Whenever I’m offended or angered, I adopt a self-righteousness attitude. But that’s exactly the moment I need to pause and reconsider the reasons behind another person’s behavior, according to author David Brooks in How to Know a Person. Have I taken time to understand what the other person might be going through? What backstory…
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A matter of trust
“The most precious thing in this world is trust. It can take years to earn and only a matter of seconds to lose. It’s important to keep trust at the forefront of everything you do.” ~Lolly Daskal, for Inc. Last week, I heard Billy Joel’s “A Matter of Trust” on my car radio. As coincidence would have it, I’d been thinking about “trust” and why it’s the foundation for all our relationships — whether we’re talking about romance, marriage, business, friendship, family ties or political leadership. As today’s quote reminds us, trust is difficult (if not impossible) to repair when it’s betrayed or broken. Trustworthy people respect our stories and keep…
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New doors, new things
NEW UPDATE 3/1: I’m taking a break from “Life Lines” — so this is the last post you’ll see here for a while. I’m currently at work on a new magazine piece and scheduling a series of writing workshops to be announced this spring. You’ll receive updates about my new projects and workshops in future subscriber posts. Wishing you all a spring filled with fresh and wonderful beginnings! “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” ~Walt Disney
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Blooming
“One day you will look back and see that all along you were blooming.” ~ Morgan Harper Nichols, author and artist Do you ever fight the nagging belief that you haven’t done enough with your life? No matter how accomplished we are, many of us undervalue our achievements and overlook our daily victories. Or we focus too intently on our mistakes or missed opportunities. Try this instead: Take inventory of all that you’ve done — and give yourself the credit you deserve. Count every achievement, small or large, whether it’s raising a family, rescuing a shelter pet, renovating a house, learning to cook, earning a degree, volunteering at a shelter, climbing…
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The freedom to decide
At first glance, today’s quote got me thinking about democracy and our duty 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; 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 make life-enhancing decisions, including how we spend our time and with whom. We often take this “ultimate freedom” for granted. Sometimes we settle for what’s…
