-
Wherever you go …
“You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.” ~Ernest Hemingway Most of us think of a vacation as an opportunity to “get away from it all.” We might explore a new city or country, or sip margaritas on a beach. The idea of escaping our problems (or boredom) by leaving home has always held tremendous appeal. Travel is a great distraction. Whether we’re wandering the streets of Paris or touring historic sites in Boston, we secretly hope we’ll return to our routines feeling more worldly or sophisticated. While a change of scenery is good for our mental health, we know that our worries, obligations, and…
-
Summer memories: “The Art of Collecting Beach Stones”
“Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” ~Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty Summer is in full swing. Some of you will be heading for the beach or hitting the highway for a road trip. With that in mind, I’ll revisit a previously published post while I take a short break from Life Lines. Here’s a favorite essay I wrote for Michigan Blue magazine on the art of collecting beach stones. To read it online, please click here. Wherever you live, I hope the sun is shining! ~CL
-
It’s OK to be wrong
“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” ~Patti Digh, Creative Is a Verb Do critics and perfectionists test your patience? These are the stubborn control freaks who like to point out the crooked seams on your brand-new shirt, for example, or correct other people’s errors in casual conversation. They won’t consider an opposing viewpoint and they won’t change their opinion — even if it’s as clear as daylight. You know a few of them too? The fear of being wrong, or appearing wrong, is a buzzkill for just about everything. Today’s quote reminds us that creativity involves risk and adventure. All of which can…
-
Is anybody having fun yet?
“We all accept too easily that life has to be hard, and we forget to make sure we have the most fun we can.” ~Amy Schumer Remember when you were a kid and having fun was a top priority? As we mature, we settle down and become responsible. We have to earn a living, take care of our basic needs, plan for the future, and periodically solve problems and put out a few fires. Somewhere along the way, the whole world starts looking darker and more complex, and we lose our joie de vivre. The grown-up definition of play often involves elaborate sports equipment or a costly seat in a…
-
Off the beaten path
“The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” ~Samuel Johnson Are you still following the same old paths and patterns that worked for a while — but aren’t serving you anymore? As creatures of habit, we often allow our routines to dictate how we spend our lives. We buy the same brand of coffee, eat at the same restaurants, follow the usual route with the dog, and wear the same outfits even though we have a closet stuffed with rarely worn clothing. And we wonder why the heck we’re bored with everything. Summer is a great time to shake things…
