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What we don’t know …
“Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.” ~Robert J. Sawyer Years ago, an old friend had a humorous expression he’d repeat at exactly the right moments: “What you don’t know, you don’t need to know.” These days I find myself remembering that phrase more often. In a recent class, for instance, we discussed how some social media users reveal unattractive aspects of themselves in their posts — usually without realizing how silly, self-absorbed, or unhinged they might appear. Before social media, we had fewer opportunities to witness this type of behavior so immediately in our relationships. Today, oversharing is the norm. It’s one of…
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Knock, knock …. Who’s there?
“Not every person or opportunity that knocks on the door of your life should be let in.” ~Meggan Roxanne, Kushandwizdom.com In my early days of freelancing, new writers were advised to accept nearly any project that came our way. We had to build a portfolio and create a brand. Sometimes that meant writing free articles or giving free talks at local events. Occasionally, it advanced my career. But most of the time it only benefited the editors, publishers, and organizations with small budgets. Later, when I became a regular newspaper columnist, I was encouraged to answer all the mail I received from readers, which I did to please my editors.…
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What’s your trademark?
“We are all weird in some way….Most of the time it’s what makes us so incredible. So where’s your will to be weird? Where’s your resolution to be real? Celebrate your individuality and don’t be embarrassed by it. If you’re lucky enough to have something that makes you different from everybody else, don’t be ashamed and don’t hide it. Own it!” ~Marc Chernoff, Marc & Angel Hack Life Most people cringe at the thought of appearing “weird,” so I struggled to express my thoughts on today’s quote. But then I remembered the idea of having a “trademark” — which was a recent topic in a daybook we’re reading in my…
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What is real … and what isn’t?
“As you follow your own way of integrity, the effect on everyone and everything around you may be greater than you imagine.” ~Martha Beck, The Way of Integrity What’s the difference between fact and fiction? Does anyone care anymore? Today’s photo is a still life showing real fruit mixed with ceramic fruit. If you viewed it quickly on your cell phone, maybe you didn’t notice the difference between the fake and the real — unless you looked carefully. Along these lines, I’ve been following a couple of news stories having to do with the concept of fake news versus facts. The problem — even when you take the politics out of…
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Selfish motives
“Almost every offensive action ever committed can be traced back to a selfish motive. It is a trait we hate in other people but justify in ourselves.” ~Stephen Kendrick, The Love Dare Sometimes I catch myself doing things that would annoy me if someone else did the same. Talking too much and forgetting to return borrowed books are just a couple of quick examples. (I’m sure my family and close friends would offer a much longer list of aggravating things I do. Just ask.) So, today’s quote got me thinking about why we’re slow to correct our own bad behaviors — but quick to notice offending behaviors in others. On…
