Inspirational quotes
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True Nature
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” ~Vincent van Gogh Like many other parts of the country, we were hit with a major snowstorm this weekend. Luckily, our neighborhood didn’t suffer through a power outage, nor did we get quite as much snow as our local meteorologists predicted. Still, after an exceptionally mild winter start, the weekend storm was a big blast of reality. Watching the blizzard outside our windows Friday night, I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of our first snowfall of the season. In the morning, however, after discovering that we’d lost some tree branches, it didn’t look so pretty. Regardless, as today’s quote…
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The power of our thoughts
“We become what we think about.” ~Earl Nightingale (1931-1989) Today’s quote stops me in my tracks every time I read it. The author of this gem, Earl Nightingale, was a popular American radio host and author who focused on character development, motivation, and human behavior. During the early 1950s, he was also the voice of Sky King, the hero of an historic radio adventure series. Nightingale believed that our beliefs can be self-fulfilling prophecies. Just for starters, if we see ourselves as victims, we will remain victims. If we perceive ourselves as fortunate, good fortune will find us. If we see ourselves as capable or attractive, it’s likely that others…
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Happy New Year!
“No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book. That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into the seas; this book is newly opened, has just begun. Look, it is the first page — and it is a beautiful one!” – C. JoyBell C. I love fresh starts, don’t you? Last year, I faced, reconsidered, challenged, or changed some things that I’d been putting off or neglecting for a while — including health issues, relationships, and even my attitude. I still have more work to do, of course, but I’m feeling excited about the possibilities ahead and…
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The gift of free time
“There’s no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.” ~Alexander Woollcott This morning, while waiting for my coffee to brew, I checked the wall calendar in my kitchen. The month of December includes several family birthdays and holiday plans, so most days are scribbled in ink with things to remember or do. The sight of a blank space today — no commitments, no appointments! — immediately gave me a little thrill. It’s not that I don’t look forward to activities with family and friends. But I have to admit that I covert the luxury of an occasional free day to collect my wits or spend any way I…
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Shine on!
“To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are.” ~Roy T. Bennett The neighbors across the street keep adding to their holiday lights display. Rising in the dark each morning, I see a brilliant show of twinkling icicles and glittering tree branches when I sip my first cup of coffee in my home office, which overlooks our neighborhood. Late November in Michigan is notoriously bleak — and these holiday light displays are a lovely way to cheer things up. I’ve often wondered why people remove them so soon after the new year. The holiday season is the perfect time to talk about shining. Remember: You don’t have…
