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Who are you, really?
“You are what you are when nobody is looking.” ~Abigail Van Buren Today’s quote is all about authenticity — a common theme in many “Dear Abby” columns. It’s human nature to present our best image in public, but being truly authentic requires honest self-reflection and courage. That’s not so easy, especially today. Just for starters, consider all the edited selfies and photos of stage-managed lifestyles that constantly bombard us on social media platforms. Once in a while, it’s worth doing a reality check. Who are we when nobody’s looking? ~CL For more like this: Check out additional posts and new content on the Life Lines home page. Photo: Frederik Meijer…
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Wilderness survival
“There will be times when standing alone feels too hard, too scary, and we’ll doubt our ability to make our way through the uncertainty. Someone, somewhere, will say, ‘Don’t do it. You don’t have what it takes to survive the wilderness.’ This is when you reach deep into your wild heart and remind yourself, ‘I am the wilderness.’” ~Brene Brown Today’s quote reminds me of the time I quit my office job in reference book publishing to start freelance writing at home. In those days, working from home wasn’t as common, so my decision felt risky (and lonely) at first. It took time to establish a new routine and get…
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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, it strikes me that many of the same basic themes and subjects have been rendered throughout the centuries. Mothers and children. Landscapes and seascapes. Fruit and flowers on tables. Yet each painting is completely different in style and mood, 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 garden, a photograph, or a recipe. How do you express your own vision or viewpoint? ~CL For more like this: Check out additional posts and…
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Savoring the last of summer
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” ~John Lubbock My birthday is always a bittersweet day for me. By the time August rolls around, it feels as if summer is nearly over — and I’m reminded of how quickly our seasons change. Garden blooms are starting to fade. Back-to-school promotions and Halloween displays are haunting the stores again. And I’m already booked for fall writing workshops. (Watch for announcements here soon.) But not so fast, please. Let’s…
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Attitude
“The last of the human freedoms is to choose one’s attitudes.” – Viktor E. Frankl In Man’s Search for Meaning, Austrian neurologist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl chronicled his experiences as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. The book — one of the ten best-selling books of all time in the U.S. — describes Frankl’s psychotherapeutic method of identifying a positive purpose or reason to go on living. In short, he concluded that attitude is everything. The meaning of life glimmers in every moment we’re alive. As Frankl reminds us, when we are unable to change our situation, we have the freedom to change ourselves. We choose how to…
