Health & wellbeing
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No comparison
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”~Lao Tzu Ours is a culture of competition. We have televised sports 24/7 — not to mention those countless game shows, dancing and singing competitions, and cooking contests. No matter what the endeavor, there’s a contest for it. There’s always another trophy to win; another team to conquer; another score to beat. The not-so-subtle message: To be your best, you gotta top somebody else. It’s all fun and games, for the most part — unless we take it too seriously. Comparing and competing can be dangerous to our wellbeing if we’re not careful. If…
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Small steps vs big leaps
“The smaller the steps we take, the more likely we are to achieve our goals.” ~Martha Beck Starting anything new can be overwhelming, whether you’re trying to lose weight, start a new business, or write the story of your life. You might get discouraged early on — if you don’t break your goal into manageable parts. As Martha Beck reminds us, small steps are better than big leaps toward progress. If you’re cleaning up your eating habits, for instance, start with just a few healthy changes you can stick with. If you’re learning a new language, master a few words or phrases at a time. If you’re writing a memoir,…
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Shining
“Never dull your shine for somebody else.” ~Tyra Banks “I don’t want to look as if I’m trying too hard,” a friend would say every time she chose an outfit for a special event. I believe she meant that she wanted her appearance to seem natural, not over the top. But she took the idea a little too seriously, and wouldn’t even wear a full costume to a Halloween party. I’ve always cringed at the thought of calculated nonchalance, or pretending that you didn’t “try too hard” — for anything. Where’s the shame in shining your brightest light and giving others permission to do the same? Furthermore, what message are…
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When things get crazy
“The world is a puzzle. There’s no need to make sense out of it.” ~Socrates Sometimes it feels as if the whole world is falling apart. If old Socrates thought his life was a puzzle, I wonder what he’d think of our lives today? The best we can do, at times, is throw our hands in the air and surrender to the chaos — without adding any more to it. Sometimes we can’t save the world or even clean out the whole garage. As any good philosopher will tell you, there are situations beyond our immediate control. But we can always take care of our own little corner of the…
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Things are looking up
Everyone I know has at least one ongoing problem or nagging issue that defies resolution, whether it’s chronic physical pain, a career crisis, or a social conflict that’s a chronic pain in the ass. It’s hard to make peace with something that you can’t make peace with, no matter how hard you try. Today’s quote is a perfect reminder to step back and enjoy the weekend without giving a thought to the annoyances and grievances that will be there on Monday. ~CL
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