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Self-care and the art of perseverance
“One must go on working silently, trusting the result to the future.” ~Vincent van Gogh After a long battle with RSV, three years ago, it took a while to rebuild my weakened immune system. At the time, my internist said something that reminded me of today’s quote from Vincent van Gogh. As she put it, there are no “quick fixes” when it comes to healing — so it’s wise to practice patience as we work toward our long-range goals. I think that’s a wise prescription for any worthy endeavor you can name, whether you’re trying to improve your health or other aspects of your life. ~CL ~ Did you know…
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Sticky songs
“We become what we repeatedly do.” ~Stephen R. Covey Cher won’t stop singing “Dark Lady” inside my head. The pop tune was released in 1974 but happened to be playing on my car radio last week. Now it repeats itself on an endless loop in my mind while I’m brushing my teeth each morning. Then it starts all over again, later, while I’m making dinner in the kitchen. What is it with sticky songs? According to my online research, sticky songs (otherwise known as “earworms”) have a scientific label: Involuntary Musical Imagery, or INMI. “According to the first large-scale study of earworms, such songs usually have a faster tempo, a…
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The smallest victories
“Letting go of big expectations allowed me to celebrate even the smallest victories, to be utterly in the winning moment and thankful for my current state.” ~Hillary Allen, endurance athlete A workshop student told me she experienced an epiphany after starting a daily gratitude journal. When she first began the practice, she struggled to find more than one thing “worth listing” at the end of each day. Then she remembered that simple pleasures and “small victories” deserved her appreciation. After she started writing them down, she noticed that her days were filled with them. An uninterrupted hour of reading with a mug of tea … An unexpected card in the…
- Creativity and discovery, Dr. Seuss, Friendship and relationship advice, Personal growth, Photo stories
The know-it-all trap
“It’s high time you were shown that you don’t really know all there is to be known.” ~Dr. Seuss When our grandson was four, he was an expert on a wide range of topics. Whenever we tried to share something new or teach a small lesson, his typical response was, “I already knew that.” It cracked me up every time. But the adult know-it-all isn’t as cute. You know the type: Every time you try to share fresh information, the know-it-all has already been there, seen it, or done it before. You can’t show or tell them anything new. They’re always on the lookout for opportunities to inform or one-up…
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Happy Halloween!
“There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch.” ~Robert Brault The practice of trick-or-treating began a few hundred years ago in Europe as an All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2) tradition. The less fortunate visited the homes of wealthier families and received pastries known as “soul cakes.” This was done in exchange for a promise to pray for the souls of the homeowners’ deceased relatives. In Scotland and Ireland — where many of today’s Halloween traditions began — children and young adults disguised themselves in costumes and asked for small gifts from neighboring households. Wearing costumes was referred to as…
