Creativity and discovery
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In the flow
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” ~Rumi Have you ever felt so absorbed in an activity that you lost track of time and felt completely immersed in the moment? Psychologists call this mental state “flow,” and it happens whenever you’re doing something you love — whether you’re painting a picture, planting a garden, hiking in nature, preparing a meal, playing a sport, or writing an article. When you’re in this state, your creativity pushes your worries to the background. As the poet Rumi suggests in today’s quote, you might even feel a current of joy moving through you. Think about…
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“Make music of what you can”
When I was a kid, I’d sit under the crab apple tree in my backyard and scribble stories in a notebook. In college I majored in English and journalism, but it took a few more years to find the courage I needed to begin a real writing career. The zig-zag path that led me here was marked with detours. After graduation, I worked at other jobs where I learned a few valuable lessons — including what I didn’t want to do for the rest of my life. “Against Hesitation” is the wake-up call I needed more than 35 years ago — but Charles Rafferty hadn’t written it yet. What dreams would…
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Kindred spirits
“If it is true for you, it is true for someone else, and you are no longer alone.” ~Colson Whitehead If you enjoy watching sports, one of the thrills of cheering for a team is the sense of community you create with your fellow fans. For me, reading books, magazines, and newspaper articles is another way to feel connected to humanity. Whenever a piece of writing lifts my heart or gets me thinking, I believe the author and I are kindred spirits — and I feel validated. Likewise, being in touch with so many readers is the greatest reward I’ve received from writing my own newspaper columns and blog posts.…
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All your loves
“I am all the things I have ever loved.” ~Toni Morrison Each of us is a living collage of our passions, interests, and affections. The books we read, the films we favor, the clothing we choose, the art we make, the hobbies we enjoy, and the people we love — all of these tell the story of who we are. Take a moment to remember all the people and things you’ve ever loved, and how they’ve made you who you are today. ~CL
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Novel escapes
“Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.” ~Mary Schmich, journalist Next week, my neighborhood book club will meet to nominate and vote on our reading selections for the year. We’ll choose from a variety of novels, classics, and nonfiction titles suggested by members of the group. So I’ve spent the past couple of weeks taking a deep dive into several books, then narrowing down the best ones to nominate. Reading has been a wonderful escape on these chilly winter afternoons. As today’s quote reminds me, reading opens a door to new worlds and ideas — just as touring a foreign country introduces the tourist to different scenery and culture. Likewise,…
