Friendship and relationship advice
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Does character matter?
“We live in a culture that teaches us to promote and advertise ourselves and to master the skills required for success, but that gives little encouragement to humility, sympathy, and honest self-confrontation, which are necessary for building character.” ~ David Brooks, The Road to Character In yesterday’s post, I talked about how I struggled with promoting my work, early in my career. Today’s quote pushes beyond self-promotion and digs much deeper. David Brooks writes a lot about the importance of character. And I can’t help but wonder, given our country’s dubious political climate, if character matters as much to people now. Character matters to me — and it matters a lot.…
- Creativity and discovery, Dr. Seuss, Friendship and relationship advice, Personal growth, Photo stories
You can’t know it all
“It’s high time you were shown that you don’t really know all there is to be known.” ~Dr. Seuss Like most four-year-olds, our young grandson is an expert on a wide range of topics. Whenever we think we’re sharing something new with him, his typical response is, “I already knew that.” It cracks me up every time. I’m also very familiar with the adult know-it-all. You know the type: When you try to share fresh information or introduce an interesting topic, the know-it-all has already been there, seen it, or done that. You can’t possibly show or tell them anything new. And they’re always on the lookout for opportunities to…
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There’s a word for it
“When we love someone, we share things with words. We share poems. We share songs. We share our favorite books. Because if we can make enough language bridges between the two of us, our hearts and minds will begin to know each other better.” ~Martha Beck Cleaning out my desk recently, I ran across several folders stuffed with old greeting cards, notes, and letters from friends and family. There were Mother’s Day tributes from my son; letters of comfort sent after my mother died; anniversary cards and valentines from my husband; thank-you notes from old and new friends. Another file contained encouraging letters from readers of my early newspaper columns.…
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Receiving
“Until we can receive with an open heart, we’re never really giving with an open heart.” ~Brene Brown A lot has been written about “the law of abundance,” which suggests that everything you give comes back to you somehow. In short, givers get more than takers. Frugality has its merits, but a generous spirit is rewarded with an abundant slice of life. Yet we don’t talk as much about receiving. This is where things can get tricky. For example, you might feel embarrassed if someone buys you an unexpected gift or does a great favor. You might stress over how to reciprocate. Or, worse yet, you might even take the…
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Competition
“Inside the Great Mystery that is, we don’t really own anything. So, what is this competition we feel then, before we walk, one at a time, through the same gate?” ~Rumi Lately I’ve been thinking about competition. Is competition rooted in sibling rivalry or is it simply human nature? Do we compete because we lack something, feel inferior, or need validation? Is competition necessary for our survival? Do trophies and awards really matter? Are we all driven to win or outshine others? Growing up an only child, I learned that many folks — often those from larger families — expected me to be “spoiled” and stingy and attention-seeking. And so,…
