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Mistakes and butt-covering
“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 all mess up. Humans make spelling errors, burn the dinner, neglect to return phone calls, forget birthdays, and turn the wrong way on one-way streets. We miss deadlines and show up late for meetings. Sometimes we say or do something that hurts another person’s feelings. Nobody leaves this world flawless and error-free. Yet we all know a few folks who refuse to admit that they ever make mistakes. And then there are the ones who manage to screw up a good apology with a bold-faced…
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Within our reach
“Happiness, not in another place but this place. Not for another hour, but this hour.” ~Walt Whitman How are things going? If you’re working on “resolutions” for the new year, it’s easy to lose sight of the good things within your reach right now. Worthy goals inspire motivation, but they also keep us hyper-focused on the future. For instance, we might convince ourselves that we won’t be happy until we drop another 10 pounds, write a novel, find the perfect job, clean the basement, or finally remodel the kitchen. Walt Whitman believed that happiness is attainable in the present moment. Right here, right now. What have you enjoyed so far…
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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
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The philosopher’s guide to managing stress
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself. It is due to your estimate of it, and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” – Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius was the last emperor of the Pax Romana, an age remembered for peace and stability that lasted from 27 BC to 180 AD. Today, Marcus Aurelius is best known for his Meditations, a collection of writings on Stoic philosophy. His timeless wisdom has inspired monarchs, politicians, entrepreneurs, and ordinary people like me. Today’s quote from Meditations gives us a tool for handling stress. When a distressing event occurs,…
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A little encouragement
“Be an encourager. The world has plenty of critics already.” ~Dave Willis The hilarious mug in today’s photo is a birthday gift that I’ve been enjoying ever since I unwrapped it. I never thought of myself as a “badass,” but I break into a smile each time I fill it with morning coffee. It’s a small reminder of how good it feels to be encouraged, especially on gloomy days like this one. Note to self: Find ways to encourage others who might need an extra boost too. After all, everybody’s muddling through the start of an unpredictable year. All of us carry a load of worries and problems along with our…
