Health & wellbeing
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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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The nature of suffering
“We suffer more in imagination than in reality” ~Seneca Influenced by the work of Plato and Socrates, the Stoic philosopher Seneca believed that everyone should live in the present without feeling anxious about the future. Many emotional difficulties are self-imposed, Seneca suggested. His quote today reminded me that I often worry needlessly about the future — not to mention a list of other things beyond my control. I’m not alone. Everyone has worries that loom larger in their minds than is necessary. And we’ve all met some folks who’ve practically made a career out of physical or emotional suffering. But imagine instead what would happen if we didn’t dwell on…
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Illuminate the ordinary
“To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.” ~Henry David Thoreau Sometimes we’re so focused on preparing for a vacation — or any special occasion — that we forget to celebrate the “ordinary” day we’re experiencing right now. And then we wonder why we feel such a letdown after an event is over. Life is so much more than a series of special events and high expectations. In today’s quote, Thoreau suggests that we have the power to transform our ordinary days into something more beautiful. We can start by appreciating what’s around us, and then look for opportunities to brighten the day for someone…
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Pain management
“Don’t allow your wounds to transform you into something you are not.” ~Paulo Coehlo It’s easy to let our anger, sadness, or disappointment get the better of us at times. We’re only human. But some folks define themselves by their misfortune. They wear their emotional wounds like a badge of honor and seize every opportunity to throw a pity party. Nobody travels through this life without getting hurt, losing people they love, losing opportunities, and suffering trauma. Sometimes we lose faith in ourselves or others, or we lose our way and have to work harder to find our way back. But we can choose to grow from painful experiences or…
