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Do it every day
“Submit to a daily practice.Your loyalty to that is a ring on the door.Keep knocking, and the joy inside will eventually open a window,and look out to see who’s there.”~ from “The Essential Rumi” (Translations by Coleman Barks) Is there something you love doing so much that you’re willing to practice it every day? Whether you’re refining a craft or improving your athletic skills, the Sufi poet Rumi reminds you to keep working at it. For instance, all the professional writers I know collected dozens of rejection notices before they started getting their work published. No matter what, they kept on writing. So don’t get discouraged … If you love what…
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When life is not a beach
“When we dwell on the positive, and feed our minds with beauty and goodness, we exude positivity and create favorable situations. It’s as simple as that.” ~Leona Sokolova Sometimes I’m the poster child for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I typically spend hours outdoors in the summer and fall months — working in the garden, sitting in the garden, walking the dog. Not surprisingly, I hibernate indoors and my mood plummets as soon as winter arrives. I understand why so many folks head south for the winter. But those of us who remain here in the north have to make our own sunshine. We have to brighten our own outlook, whether…
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Catch up with me in The Oakland Press
My columns and features appear in The Oakland Press and several other daily newspapers in the MediaNews Group. My columns run online and in print editions, and you’ll also find them in the OP’s Vitality magazine, a monthly supplement to The Oakland Press (available on the second Thursday of every month). You’ll find an archive of my previous Oakland Press columns and feature stories online here. Readers in Oakland County (Michigan) can find free print editions of Vitality at many local libraries and community centers, including the Meininger Community Center (Royal Oak) and the Blair Memorial Library and Hunter Community Center (both in Clawson).
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Book banning
“Ideas are only lethal if you suppress and don’t discuss them. Ignorance is not bliss, it’s stupid. Banning books shows you don’t trust your kids to think and you don’t trust yourself to be able to talk to them.” ~Anna Quindlen Last night, I had the pleasure of working at one of my favorite local libraries. Before my class started, I enjoyed a quiet moment, browsing the shelves and absorbing the ambiance created by so many literary choices. And then I thought about all the recent talk on TV about book banning. As my mother used to say, you can make just about anything twice as attractive or interesting by…
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“Aging with Grace & Courage” discussion and journaling group
“When it comes to aging, women are held to a different standard than men. Some guy recently said to me: ‘Don’t you think you’re too old to sing rock ‘n’ roll?’ I said: ‘You’d better check with Mick Jagger.’ ” ~Cher Last year, I coached a journaling workshop that focused on aging topics such as facing retirement, finding new purpose, rebooting our social lives, maintaining optimism — and so much more. We also discussed the challenges and roadblocks we face in our senior years. (We’re never too old to rock ‘n’ roll, as Cher points out.) The workshop inspired a new spin-off program — an informal aging support group that…
