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Who’s really in control?
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free Control freaks always top my list of annoyances. You probably know a few of them. They’re the ones who expect everything to go according to their plans, not yours. They always have a better idea, or so they’ll tell you. Their opinions are always right and yours are always wrong. This is partly why control freaks are such terrible listeners; there’s no room for other ideas inside their heads. At their worst, control freaks…
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Your life is your art
“An artist’s real contribution isn’t what he paints, but the way he sees.” ~Martha Beck Whenever I visit an art museum, I notice that the same universal themes and subjects have been rendered throughout the centuries. Mothers and children. Landscapes and seascapes. Fruit and flowers on tables. Pastoral scenes. Yet each painting is completely different in style and technique, reflecting the individuality and vision of the artist. So it is with everything we create — whether it’s a painting, a piece of writing, a wardrobe, a garden, a photograph, or a recipe. How do you express your own vision or viewpoint? ~CL For more like this: Check out additional posts…
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A beautiful day in your neighborhood
“Building a community means fostering friendships that light up the neighborhood.” – Amy Williams As reported in a new Pew Research poll, only about a quarter of American adults know all or even most of their neighbors. Thanks to social media, we have scores of online friends around the country — but we can’t recall the names of the folks who live across the street. At most, we might wave at our neighbors from the car as we’re leaving the house. It takes time and shared experience to build solid relationships. Likewise, forging a friendly neighborhood requires care and effort. But work, family, and outside social commitments leave us little extra time…
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Only a few spaces left for our “Let Them” book club discussion
“The Let Them Theory is not about superiority at all. It’s about balance. It’s about making room for both you and someone else. It’s about giving other people the space and the grace to live their lives—and then giving yourself the same.” ~Mel Robbins, The Let Them Theory No doubt about it — The Let Them Theory is a wildly popular bestseller. All 12 spaces are already filled for this October book club discussion at the Blair Memorial Library in Clawson. Good news: Library Director Jennifer Gannod has agreed to add a few more seats (and a waiting list) for additional attendees. So don’t wait to reserve your space. Praised…
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The zen of lower expectations
“There are two ways to be happy: Improve your reality or lower your expectations.” ~Jodi Picoult How often have you ordered a product online that disappointed you when it arrived? Have you ever traveled to a place that was less amazing than the promotional brochures described? Have you ever expected more than someone else was able to give? As Anne Lamott wrote, “Expectations are resentments waiting to happen.” If we’re often disappointed, it might be time to examine our expectations. Truth is, we can’t always bend reality to meet all of our wants and needs. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep reaching for the best or trying harder. But sometimes we need to…
