Health & wellbeing
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A compass for everyday living
“Leave the road, take the trails.” ~Pythagoras When I’m in a hurry to reach a specific destination, I don’t mind driving the expressway. But my favorite vacation memories usually involve exploring country back roads, where greener landscapes or small towns await discovery. Side streets and backstories — even those near our own hometown — are too easy to miss when we’re speeding down the interstate. Today’s quote also serves as a direction for everyday living. Wherever your journey takes you this weekend, why not take the scenic route? ~CL
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Strange places
“Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.” ~Robert Hunter, of the Grateful Dead It’s amazing what a couple of weeks of illness and isolation will do for you. You realize, for starters, how many things you’ve taken for granted for so long. The ability to taste and smell your food. The company of good friends. The freedom to run errands or go anywhere you please. Last month, Doug and I were hit with unrelenting cases of COVID-19. As I write this, I’m on Day 11, still testing positive with mild symptoms. But there are glimmers of hope.…
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Being vulnerable
“I spent a lot of years trying to outrun or outsmart vulnerability by making things certain and definite, black and white, good and bad. My inability to lean into the discomfort of vulnerability limited the fullness of those important experiences that are also wrought with uncertainty: Love, belonging, trust, joy, and creativity to name a few.” ~Brene Brown For a while there, Doug and I were feeling smug (or invincible) because we’d dodged the COVID-19 bullet for so long. We got our vaccines, avoided unnecessary risks, and wore masks when necessary. Our close friends and family members have been careful, too, although many of them caught the damned virus anyway.…
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“What to Remember when Waking”
“To become human is to become visible, while carrying what is hidden as a gift to others. To remember the other world in this world is to live in your true inheritance. You are not a troubled guest on this earth, you are not an accident amidst other accidents, you were invited from another and greater night than the one from which you have just emerged.” ~Devid Whyte, excerpted from “What to Remember when Waking” It’s been a while since I’ve shared poetry on this blog. This month, I’ve been rereading and savoring the work of Anglo-Irish poet David Whyte. He’s one of the contemporary poets I turn to when…
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Strength and temptation
“Strength is the capacity to break a Hershey bar into four pieces with your bare hands — and then eat just one of the pieces.” ~Judith Viorst, author In any endeavor, success depends on discipline — otherwise defined as inner strength, as today’s quote suggests. If you want to build muscle, you must stick with your daily exercise plan. If you want to get published, you have to keep writing and submitting your work. If you want to kick a bad habit, you must be diligent about changing your routine. Personal discipline is hard. Temptation is everywhere. Oh, how easy it is to give up or get lazy — to…
