Inspirational quotes

  • Grief and loss,  Health & wellbeing,  Inspirational quotes

    When you have to improvise

    “Just because things hadn’t gone as I’d planned didn’t necessarily mean they’d gone wrong.” ~Ann Patchett When I was younger, I cringed at the old adage, “Everything happens for a reason.” It seemed like a sugar-coated excuse for rotten luck or bad choices. But the more I experienced life, the more I noticed that the most challenging/stressful events — like having surgery on both of my hips — turned out to be incredible periods of growth for me. There was something valuable to learn from every episode of pain and loss I’ve endured. Sometimes the recipes you follow in a cookbook don’t turn out well; sometimes you have to improvise.…

  • Domestic arts,  Health & wellbeing,  Inspirational quotes

    Chasing the denim blues

    “Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.” ~Henry Miller Boredom combined with inertia can be a recipe for anxiety. But have you noticed that you worry less when you’re occupied with a project — even a seemingly mundane project? Feeling anxious and out of sorts last week, I spent time sorting through two large drawers stuffed with jeans. The drawers had been so disorganized — for so long — that I could never find what I was looking for. Of course, most of the jeans were out of fashion and most wouldn’t zip when I tried them on. In the process of sorting, I uncovered…

  • Adventure and exploration,  Health & wellbeing,  Inspirational quotes

    How to feel more alive

    “Try to learn to breathe deeply, really taste your food when you eat….Try as much as possible to be wholly alive, with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive.” ~William Saroyan Lately I’ve been seeing more articles with statistics detailing the perils of experiencing life primarily through screens and devices. If we’re not scrolling our cell phones, we’re watching TV or staring at a laptop or a computer monitor (like I’m doing right now). The Internet has made it possible for us to read and publish articles, watch videos, find new recipes, and chat…

  • Change and challenge,  Health & wellbeing,  Inspirational quotes

    When disappointment knocks

    “Disappointment is a stepping stone to resilience. It toughens you up and prepares you for the challenges that lie ahead.” ~Michelle Obama I like to think of myself as an optimist — yet there are times when I’m deeply disappointed in how things turn out. Sometimes I’m terrified. I want to see the best in my fellow humans, and I try to cling to the hope that we’re all striving for the truth and reaching toward the brightest light. But when things happen to corrupt this point of view, I can’t sugarcoat it or pretend otherwise. And I refuse to keep lowering my expectations. So, yes, my rose-colored glasses are…

  • Competition,  Inspirational quotes,  Motivation,  Rumi quotes and poetry

    And the winner is …

    “Take someone who doesn’t keep score,who’s not looking to be richer, or afraid of losing,who has not the slightest interest evenin his own personality: He is free.” ~Rumi  A little competition is a good thing. It can keep us motivated and productive. In the business world, for instance, a competitive spirit gives us an edge. In sports, you can’t have much of a game without competing against another team or contestant. Somebody’s gotta win, right? That said, I’ve always felt uneasy around competitive folks who act as if everything in life is a race or a contest — the folks who always worry that they’re not getting the biggest piece of…