Health & wellbeing
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No comparison
“Envy is ever joined with the comparing of a person’s self. Where there is no comparison, there is no envy.” ~Francis Bacon By now, everyone is familiar with the research on how social media can impact our mental health. While connecting with others online will temporarily ease feelings of isolation and loneliness, the danger of comparing ourselves to others is ever present. When others are posting photos of their outstanding accomplishments, remodeling projects, social lives, or exotic vacations in a Facebook post, for instance, you might struggle with feelings of envy. On the positive side, envy inspires us to achieve goals or become better versions of ourselves. But if we’re…
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The future of incivility
“If you do not have control over your mouth, you will not have control over your future.” ~Germany Kent Some folks feel entitled to speak their minds without regard for the feelings of others. When they hurt or offend someone, they’re more likely to defend themselves rather than apologize. Or they might accuse others of being too sensitive. In any event, words have consequences. For starters, rude or callous remarks reflect badly on the speaker’s character. As today’s quote suggests, it’s best to think before you speak. Insensitive comments, personal or political, will come back to haunt you later. ~CL
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Three’s a charm
“Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are: Something to do, something to love, and something to hope.” ~Joseph Addison, English poet and essayist There’s something magical about “The Rule of Three” — a time-honored literary device. Just for starters, there are three blind mice, three musketeers, three little pigs, three spirits of Christmas, three wise men, and the three fates. And of course, in countless myths and fairy tales, the hero on the journey is typically granted three wishes or given three tasks. I’m also a fan of Dr. Andrew Weil’s “Three Good Things” journaling exercise, which suggests making a list of three good things that happened each…
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So, the dog ate your homework?
“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” ~Dr. Robert Anthony, Beyond Positive Thinking Excuses, excuses. It wasn’t my fault …. It was the wine talking …. I came from a dysfunctional family …. Someone gave me bad advice …. The dog ate my homework. When we make a mess of things or miss the mark, it’s tempting to reach for an easy excuse. We might try to save face by placing the blame on someone or something else — even when we know that we’re responsible for our own mistakes. In today’s quote, psychologist Robert Anthony shines a light on the blame game. He reminds us…
- Friendship and relationship advice, Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Musuem, Health & wellbeing, Spirituality
It’s all so complicated …
“Life is actually quite simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” ~Confucius Human beings have a knack for crafting lives of infinite complexity. For starters, we shame ourselves if we’re not always busy or productive, yet we expect everyone else to be available on demand. We overburden our schedules with more commitments than we can easily manage. Then we spend hours chatting on the phone or responding to followers on social media — and wonder why we don’t have a spare moment to meet real friends for coffee. This summer, why not aim for simplicity in every aspect of our lives, from household chores to social connections? Isn’t it…
