• Photo stories,  the challenges of being original

    Never settle for boring

    “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” ~Jim Rohn Even when I was a much younger woman with a fragile ego, I wasn’t impressed by the stuff my peers wanted to wear. In those days, designer logos, status scarves, and “it” handbags were just starting to gain popularity. (Remember The Official Preppy Handbook?) To me, they seemed boring and unoriginal, and rarely worth their extravagant price tags. I still wonder why anyone would want to be an unpaid, walking advertisement for someone else’s product. And why would anybody want to dress like someone else, unless a uniform is mandatory for…

  • Motivation,  Photo stories

    The right tools?

    “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” ~George Herbert Procrastination is so easy to justify. We convince ourselves that we can’t begin (or finish) a project until we’ve acquired the right workspace, a totally clear calendar, or a special set of tools or equipment … Or until the stars align perfectly in our personal universe. That’s when the tools we need the most are motivation, a can-do attitude, and the sheer will to start or finish the project. What have you been…

  • Columns & essays,  Friendship and relationship advice,  Personal growth

    The gift of receiving

    Excerpted from my book of published columns, Writing Home, this essay was first published in Chicken Soup for the Soul (Healthy Living Series) and reprinted in Catholic Digest, April 2007. It was also featured on Sirius Radio. THE GIFT OF RECEIVING A few years ago, when I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both hips, I read everything I could find about coping with chronic pain and illness. I was amazed at how often I’d stumble on a paragraph that advised patients to “look for the gift in your pain.” Pain is a gift? Thanks, but no thanks, I’d mutter to myself. I had just turned 44 and hadn’t planned on slowing…

  • Personal growth,  Photo stories,  the challenges of being original

    Living free

    “To live without comparison is to remove a tremendous burden.” ~ J. Krishnamurti   We’re all exposed to an infinite number of voices and trends on social media. With so many people vying for attention online, we might fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others, or trying too hard to impress them. When that happens, it’s time to step away from our devices and seek our better angels within. If we focus instead on appreciating our own lives, we’ll be less inclined to compete or compare. ~CL     Photo by Cindy La Ferle