Motivation
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Back in the flow
“It can be tempting to prolong certain agonies. There’s the sympathy vote to start with, and if you haven’t felt well or you’ve been through a difficult period, you certainly can’t be expected to work full days or do your own laundry. But bouncing back as soon as you’re able means getting back into the stream of life. This is where the opportunity is.” ~Victoria Moran We all have different ways of coping. During periods of grief or illness, I tend to nurse my deepest wounds by myself. When I’m really down, I decline activities or events that usually spark joy for me — because I hate to dump my…
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Time management
“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time’ is like saying ‘I don’t want to do it.'” ~Cheryl Richardson There are many things I don’t do because I don’t have time for them. For instance, I’ve put off scheduling certain medical tests and reading all those epic novels that appear on lists of great books that I “should” read. But when I slow down and get honest with myself, I often realize that it’s not a matter of lacking time. I’m usually avoiding something (or putting it off) out of fear, laziness, or sheer disinterest. Truth is, most of us find the time for what we truly…
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Room for potential
“We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives…not looking for flaws, but for potential.” – Ellen Goodman, American journalist Last week I read an article suggesting that we consider renaming our New Year’s resolutions “intentions” — and to forgive ourselves if we fall short of our goals later on. But I think Ellen Goodman has a better spin on the whole resolution thing. Instead of simply correcting our bad habits or repairing our shortcomings, why not explore…
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Time and change
“Think before you act. You may desire change, but prematurely forcing issues will leave you vulnerable. Bide your time, listen, observe, and calculate the best way to expand your interests.” ~Daily Horoscope for Leo, Dec. 27, in The Oakland Press Once in a while, I find the best maxims in — of all places — the daily horoscope in the newspaper. Last Tuesday’s guidance for those born under the sign of Leo is also great advice for anyone who’s planning to make significant changes in the new year. Change can be scary — even when it’s for the best, and even when we think we’re ready for it. Whether we’re…
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Wild weather
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” ~Benjamin Franklin If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, this is your year. By now you’ve heard about the “monster storm” that’s slamming parts of the country (including our Midwest) and putting the skids on holiday travel. In metro Detroit, we’re not exactly sure how many inches of snow to expect, but we’ve been told to prepare for high winds and possible power outages. Most of us have made a few trips to the grocery to stock up. But seriously, Ben Franklin, what else can we do to prepare for dangerous weather? Whether we’re bracing for hurricanes in the south or…
