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Can we be alone without social media?
“Changing social media is not enough. We need to change ourselves. Facebook knows how to keep us glued to our phones; now we need to learn how to be comfortable with solitude. If we can’t find meaning within ourselves, we are more likely to turn to Facebook’s siloed worlds to bolster our fragile sense of self.” ~Sherry Turkle, Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT Earlier this week, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared that age 13 is too young for children to be using social media platforms. “Based on the data I’ve seen, I believe that 13 is too early.…The skewed and often distorted environment of…
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The feeling is mutual
“We really have to understand the people we want to love. If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. If we only think of ourselves, if we know only our own needs and ignore the needs of the other person, we cannot love.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step It’s February — and I’ll be posting lots of good thoughts about love this month. But I like to think of “love” as an all-encompassing word that wraps its meaning around so much more than romantic relationships. Today, Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that real love means honoring the humanity…
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Back in the flow
“It can be tempting to prolong certain agonies. There’s the sympathy vote to start with, and if you haven’t felt well or you’ve been through a difficult period, you certainly can’t be expected to work full days or do your own laundry. But bouncing back as soon as you’re able means getting back into the stream of life. This is where the opportunity is.” ~Victoria Moran We all have different ways of coping. During periods of grief or illness, I tend to nurse my deepest wounds by myself. When I’m really down, I decline activities or events that usually spark joy for me — because I hate to dump my…
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Revisiting Walden
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” ~Henry David Thoreau, Walden Henry David Thoreau’s Walden tops my list of life-changing literature. It didn’t grab me the first time around. But after reading it a second time, I understood everything Thoreau was trying to tell me. I wanted to learn more about this eccentric man who revered nature, wrote for social justice, and treasured solitude. His writings challenged to keep moving “in the direction of my dreams,” even when it wasn’t easy. After visiting Walden Pond in Concord,…
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Your inner artist
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” ~Pablo Picasso Remember the delicious, waxy scent of a brand-new box of Crayola crayons? Remember those neon-bright shades of Play-Doh? Whether your favorite craft-time activity was coloring, finger-painting, or sculpting dinosaurs, you were an artist when you were a kid. It’s never too late to rediscover your artistic talents if you haven’t already. Oil painting, sketching, card-making, quilting, knitting, glass-blowing, calligraphy, photography … There’s a whole world of creative fun out there. Silence your inner critic, make a mess, make mistakes — and enjoy the process. How about a field trip to an…
