Photo stories
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The road ahead
“People ask me to predict the future, when all I want to do is prevent it. Better yet, build it. Predicting the future is much too easy, anyway. You look at the people around you, the street you stand on, the visible air you breathe, and predict more of the same. To hell with more. I want better.” ~Ray Bradbury, Beyond 1984: The People Machines As we age, we map out the course of our own future. We plan for retirement, organize our personal finances, and reevaluate our healthcare plan. At the same time, we consider the bigger picture. What will be your legacy? What will you leave behind for your…
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How will you spend today?
“Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you’re going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over other people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it, and find out the truth about who you are.” ~Anne Lamott Statistics show that social media abuse inhibits our creativity, triggers periods of depression, stirs feelings of inadequacy, and can fuel aggression — just for starters. We make some dubious trade-offs when our time is consumed by social media use. Not that we shouldn’t enjoy a few of…
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Compass of the heart
“It is the wilderness in the mind, the desert wastes in the heart, through which one wanders lost and a stranger. When one is a stranger to oneself, then one is estranged from others, too. If one is out of touch with oneself, then one cannot touch others.” ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea Anne Morrow Lindbergh earned her reputation as a fearless aviator and explorer. At the same time, the diaries and books she wrote were maps of her emotional journey. In her nonfiction classic, Gift from the Sea, Lindbergh charted new ways to navigate the challenging terrain of marriage, work, and motherhood. Written and published in the 1950s,…
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Funny Friday: True stories
“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” ~Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
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The door inside you
“Remember: The entrance door to the sanctuary is always inside you.” ~Rumi Whenever I’m stressed or in a bad mood, I usually reach for an easy distraction — reading a novel, surfing the web, or watching X-Files reruns on TV. These diversions provide temporary relief, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But as the poet Rumi says, there is a key to lasting serenity. We won’t find it in the refrigerator or on television, or anywhere outside ourselves. The challenge is learning how to unlock the door to our own place of peace and comfort. ~CL