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Rethinking my resolutions
“Beginnings are notation for the symphony of the possible in us. They ask us to break the pattern of our lives and reconfigure it afresh — something that can only be done with great courage and great tenderness, for no territory of life exposes both our power and our vulnerability more brightly than a beginning.” ~Maria Popova, The Marginalian Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet? You might loosely define a “resolution” as a self-improvement goal — such as eating healthier meals or exercising more often. Then again, a New Year’s resolution could serve as motivation to achieve or acquire something specific — a clutter-free storage room, for instance,…
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Merry Christmas
“We expect too much at Christmas. It’s got to be magical. It’s got to go right. Feasting. Fun. The perfect present. All that anticipation. Let’s take it easy. Love’s the thing. The rest is tinsel.” —Pam Brown If we’re truly honoring Christmas, let’s act on its core message throughout the new year. We can start by living each day with more kindness, less confrontation. More compassion, less arrogance. More civility, less hostility. More humility, less egotism. More honesty, less deception. More empathy, less criticism. More love, less hate. We could lead by example — and imagine what a gift it would be if everyone conspired to do the same. On another…
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Peace, comfort, and contagion
“Rest feels like every cell is thanking you for taking care of you. It’s calm, not full of checklists and chores.” ~Jennifer Williamson I can’t think of anything more demoralizing than being sick during the holidays. Thanks to the rampant and highly contagious Influenza A, I’ve spent the past couple of days in bed, hooked on Mucinex, Tylenol, and chicken soup. Sadly, I’ve had to cancel some plans. This mutant flu bug hit me so hard on the weekend that I wondered, at one point, if I should be hospitalized. Thankfully, we finished our Christmas wrapping and shopping last week. So, I wish I could tell you that I’m resting…
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The gift of your attention
“Nothing you can give will ever be more appreciated than your sincere, focused attention—your full presence. Truly being with someone, and listening without anticipation of the next event or what you’ll say next, is the ultimate compliment.” ~Marc Chernoff, Marc & Angel Hack Life As Christmas draws closer, I’m usually overwhelmed by holiday stress. Every morning, I wake up with a chorus of elves reciting a “to-do” list in my head: When are you going to finish your Christmas cards? What will you bring to the Christmas Eve party? What else do you need for the Christmas morning brunch you’re hosting? Have you overlooked anyone on your gift list? That’s…
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Abundance
“Love is something that if you give it away, you end up having more.” ~Malvina Reynolds For years I’ve been fascinated by the “law of abundance,” and I think there’s something to it. In a nutshell, the theory suggests that if you act on the belief that there’s always plenty to share, you’ll attract more good things in your life. In other words, the more you give — whether it’s love, time, money, attention, or produce from your garden — the more you get back. Conversely, if you’re miserly or overly protective of your own resources, you’re less likely to attract an abundance of anything. And if you keep taking…
