Change and challenge
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How we grow
“I think the place we grow in terms of self-efficacy and internal power is not when we are always happy, but when we’re doing emotionally painful things with courage and integrity.” ~Martha Beck Someone I know has been struggling with major depression for a while. Though I’d often wondered about her unpredictable moods, I didn’t realize the full extent of her pain until she shared her diagnosis recently. As she talked about moving past her emotional struggles and daily obstacles, I admired her courage and gained a greater understanding of her rocky journey toward wellness. As Martha Beck reminds us today, we do most of our growing when we’re pushing through…
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Stop the insults
“Dismiss whatever insults your own soul.” ~Walt Whitman Today’s advice from Walt Whitman got me thinking about things that “insult my soul” and make me cringe. Topping my list are filthy bathrooms in restaurants — right up there with certain vulgar and obnoxious political candidates. There are dozens of other odious behaviors that some of us cling to, or tolerate, even when they’re long past their expiration dates. Maybe we practice habits that harm our health. Maybe we allow people to disrespect us, or take us for granted — just because that’s the way they always roll. Maybe we keep ruminating on old emotional pain or anger. Maybe we keep…
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Changing with the seasons
“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future. The past is closed and limited; the future is open and free.” ~Deepak Chopra Most of us prefer to stay with what’s comfortable or familiar, even when we know there’s something better out there. Change demands courage — but if we’re fearful, we usually try to avoid it. This applies to everything from trying a different entree on a menu to breaking an unhealthy habit like chronic complaining. We shortchange ourselves when we’re resistant to change, or, as Einstein put it,…
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The keys to discovery
“When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” ~Alexander Graham Bell Have you ever been so stuck on a frustrating problem or project that you overlooked a potential opportunity elsewhere? Sometimes we have to accept the fact that something isn’t working — whether it’s a product that isn’t right for us, a career we’ve outgrown, or a relationship that’s not a good fit. Letting go of something after you’ve given it your best effort doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Great inventors like Alexander Graham Bell knew better…
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Good or bad luck?
“Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.” ~Roald Amundsen Today’s quote is a handy piece of advice from the famed Norwegian polar explorer who led the first expedition to the South Pole in 1911. Amundsen understood that success isn’t a whim of fate or chance. It’s as foolish to rely on “good luck” as it is to blame all our missteps and failures on “bad luck.” If we anticipate the pros and cons, devise a plan, and map out our own course, we’re more…
