Inspirational quotes
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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…
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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 We pay a price when we experience life primarily through screens and devices. If we’re not scrolling our cell phones, we’re watching TV or staring at a laptop. Likewise, the Internet has made it possible for us to read and publish articles, watch videos, find new recipes, and chat with friends anywhere. Ironically, as new research shows, digital dependance is responsible for our…
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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…
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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…
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The joys of reading
“The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours.” ~Alan Bennett, The History Boys I’m a lucky reader with an active book club in my own neighborhood. Once a month, I get to walk down the street or around the corner to a friend’s home to discuss a novel or memoir that I might…
