Personal growth
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What we don’t know …
“Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.” ~Robert J. Sawyer Years ago, an old friend had a humorous expression he’d repeat at exactly the right moments: “What you don’t know, you don’t need to know.” These days I find myself remembering that phrase more often. In a recent class, for instance, we discussed how some social media users reveal unattractive aspects of themselves in their posts — usually without realizing how silly, self-absorbed, or unhinged they might appear. Before social media, we had fewer opportunities to witness this type of behavior so immediately in our relationships. Today, oversharing is the norm. It’s one of…
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Keep calm and carry on
“Don’t Panic.” ~ Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Yesterday was one of those days. I spent four hours working on a new 800-word column, only to watch it completely disappear from my computer monitor when I accidentally hit the wrong key. Gone. Totally gone. All my attempts to retrieve the piece failed; I couldn’t “undo” whatever I did to zap it. It didn’t help that I’d been rushing because I was scheduled to visit my cardiologist for a follow-up EKG later that afternoon. (I was sure everything would be off the charts, thanks to the morning’s calamity.) But I took a deep breath. I thought of the British meme,…
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Reflecting on art
“When we look at art, we are looking for ourselves.” ~Leslie Riley I wasn’t entirely on board with today’s quote until I remembered a woman I knew who didn’t like to read novels or see films unless the plots revolved around people like her. She could only relate to characters in settings and situations similar to her own. I’ve always enjoyed paintings, films, and books that surprise and entertain me. And while I often find aspects of myself in some characters, I don’t necessarily hope to see myself reflected in what I’m viewing or reading. How about you? Do you want art and literature to mirror your own life and…
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Mistakes
“You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy denying them.” ~Marc Chernoff, Marc & Angel Hack Life At some point, we’ve all messed up, made spelling errors, burned the dinner, turned the wrong way on a one-way street, said something offensive, and hurt people’s feelings. Nobody leaves this world flawless and error-free. But we all know a few folks who will do anything to avoid admitting a mistake, hoping it will miraculously disappear if they pretend it didn’t happen. In other words: Their self-image is more important than the feelings or wellbeing of others. Then there are the ones who manage to screw up a good…
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How big is your world?
“The world only exists in your eyes. You can make it as big or as small as you want.” ~F. Scott Fitzgerald I’ve been staying close to home for the past week while recovering from a virus — and I’m reminded of how my world started shrinking during the pandemic. Oddly, after the first few weeks in lockdown, I didn’t feel as caged as I thought I would. I found countless ways to amuse myself around the house, spending the extra time reading, puttering, organizing, and exploring my inner world. At the same time, however, I also lost my sense of adventure. It was too easy to settle in, waiting…
