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Small changes
“Few of us will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” ~John F. Kennedy Are you paralyzed by the notion that you’d have to make a huge effort in order to make the changes you’d like to see? Yes, it’s so much easier to snack in front of the TV while we criticize the current state of affairs or complain about everything that’s wrong in the world. But as John F. Kennedy reminded us, each of us has a sphere of…
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A light on self-promotion
“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.” ~Anne Lamott I’ve always been conflicted about self-promotion. As soon as Writing Home was published, I had to set aside any sense of modesty or humility and “sell” my book (and myself) to a wider audience beyond my newspaper readership. It usually felt awkward. Today, I admire younger authors and entrepreneurs who grew up on social media platforms and don’t think twice about putting themselves out there for attention. But like most baby boomers I know, I was raised to think it’s not so cool to toot your own horn. And I still…
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Herd mentality
“Sheep only need a single flock, but people need two: One to belong to and make them feel comfortable, and another to blame all of society’s problems on.” ~James Rozoff When I was a kid, my parents often discussed politics and watched talk shows featuring guests with opposing viewpoints. The following day, we’d enjoy rehashing the issues around the dinner table. I learned a lot about what I valued during those discussions. My parents encouraged me to develop my own political opinions — even when my opinions didn’t mirror or echo theirs. More than anything, they wanted me to think for myself, and I’m grateful for that. Today’s quote got…
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Mistakes
“You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy denying them.” ~Marc Chernoff, Marc & Angel Hack Life We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t make mistakes. At some point, we’ve all messed things up, made spelling errors, burned the dinner, turned the wrong way, blurted something offensive, and hurt someone’s feelings. Nobody leaves this world flawless and error-free. Problem is, some people will do anything to avoid admitting a mistake, hoping it will miraculously disappear if they pretend it didn’t happen. (Translation: Their self-image is more important than your feelings.) Then there are the folks who always manage to screw up a good apology with an…
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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 — which was released in 1974 but happened to be playing on my car radio last week — now repeats itself on an endless loop in my mind while I’m drying my hair in the bathroom each morning. Then it starts all over again, later, while I’m chopping veggies in the kitchen. And it’s not like I’m a huge fan of Cher. 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…
