• Change and challenge,  Health & wellbeing,  Inspirational quotes

    When disappointment knocks

    “Disappointment is a stepping stone to resilience. It toughens you up and prepares you for the challenges that lie ahead.” ~Michelle Obama I like to think of myself as an optimist — yet there are times when I’m deeply disappointed in how things turn out. Sometimes I’m terrified. I want to see the best in my fellow humans, and I try to cling to the hope that we’re all striving for the truth and reaching toward the brightest light. But when things happen to corrupt this point of view, I can’t sugarcoat it or pretend otherwise. And I refuse to keep lowering my expectations. So, yes, my rose-colored glasses are…

  • Civility and manners,  Communication

    Who really said that?

    “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” – Henry Thomas Buckle (1821 – 1862), English historian  Not unlike gossip, many of the popular quotations we can easily pull from the Internet are misattributed or taken out of context. It’s worth doing some research to determine the origin and authenticity of the material. The more we spread misinformation, the harder it is to pinpoint the truth, the real source. Just like gossip. Today’s quote is often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. But apparently scholars can’t find anything close to it in any of Roosevelt’s writings or speeches. According to an in-depth piece in the Quote Investigator, the…

  • Choices and decisions,  Civility and manners,  Friendship and relationship advice

    The art of the apology

    “Apologies require taking full responsibility. No half-truths, no partial admissions, no excuses, no rationalizations, no finger pointing, and no justifications belong in any apology.” ~Cathy Burnham Martin I admire people who know how to apologize. Admitting an error takes courage, and is never a sign of weakness. It might feel easier to preserve your dignity by kicking your mistakes under the rug and acting as if they never happened. Or blaming someone else. Or making excuses. But refusing to admit you screwed up comes across as arrogant or uncaring — and makes you look small. Worse yet, it could also damage a relationship beyond repair. Apologizing requires maturity, class, and…

  • Competition,  Inspirational quotes,  Motivation,  Rumi quotes and poetry

    And the winner is …

    “Take someone who doesn’t keep score,who’s not looking to be richer, or afraid of losing,who has not the slightest interest evenin his own personality: He is free.” ~Rumi  A little competition is a good thing. It can keep us motivated and productive. In the business world, for instance, a competitive spirit gives us an edge. In sports, you can’t have much of a game without competing against another team or contestant. Somebody’s gotta win, right? That said, I’ve always felt uneasy around competitive folks who act as if everything in life is a race or a contest — the folks who always worry that they’re not getting the biggest piece of…

  • Communication,  Friendship and relationship advice,  Self-care

    Undersharing

    “Our stories are not meant for everyone. Hearing them is a privilege, and we should always ask ourselves this before we share: ‘Who has earned the right to hear my story?’ Even if we have just one or two people in our lives who can sit with us and hold space for our stories, and love us for our strengths and struggles, we are incredibly lucky.” ~Brené Brown There are times when I face challenges that I’m not comfortable sharing with many others. As tempting as it can be to seek out other opinions, or even emotional comfort, I first need to get a handle on those issues myself. Back in…