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Out of balance
“Any sort of relationship where you don’t express yourself, simply to keep the peace, is a relationship ruled by one person. It will never be balanced or healthy.” ~Bronnie Ware, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying Reciprocity is a major part of healthy, balanced relationships. And in this case, we’re not talking about exchanging gifts or returning social invitations. Reciprocity is also a willingness to learn from others. Do you feel out of place or uncomfortable when you express your feelings or opinions around certain people? How often do you often find yourself “keeping the peace” at your own expense? ~CL
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Compass of the heart
“It is the wilderness in the mind, the desert wastes in the heart, through which one wanders lost and a stranger. When one is a stranger to oneself, then one is estranged from others, too. If one is out of touch with oneself, then one cannot touch others.” ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea Anne Morrow Lindbergh earned her reputation as a fearless aviator and explorer. At the same time, the diaries and books she wrote were maps of her emotional journey. In her nonfiction classic, Gift from the Sea, Lindbergh charted new ways to navigate the challenging terrain of marriage, work, and motherhood. Written and published in the 1950s,…
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Irish DNA
“We Irish prefer embroideries to plain cloth. To the Irish, memory is a canvas—stretched, primed, and ready for painting on. We love the “story” part of the word “history,” and we love it trimmed out with color and drama, ribbons and bows. Listen to our tunes, observe a Celtic scroll; we always decorate our essence.” ~Frank Delaney I’ve always been a storyteller. And every year on St. Patrick’s Day, I can recall the lyrics to half a dozen old Irish folk tunes. Strangers in shops and restaurants often ask if I’m Irish. In fact, my mother told me that I have “a bit of Irish” in me — but I…
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Funny Friday: True stories
“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” ~Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
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How to fix things
“Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.” ~Maya Angelou Self-improvement involves effort as well as introspection. But when something is broken beyond repair, or a bad situation seems totally out of control, the best thing I can do is adjust my attitude. I can change how many calories I consume in a day, for instance, but I can’t change the weather report. Likewise, I can’t change the rude behavior of strangers, but I can make a bigger effort to practice courtesy and kindness wherever I go. I’ve wasted a…