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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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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When one door closes …
“When certain people walk away from you, or certain opportunities close their doors on you, there is no need to hold on….Take it as a direct indication that these people, circumstances, or opportunities are not part of the next chapter in your life. It’s a sign that your growth requires someone different or something more, and life is simply making room.” ~Marc & Angel Hack Life I’ve faced a lot of closed doors, having worked in journalism for 40 years. The internet has changed this business in countless ways, closing down (or shrinking) many favorite print publications that regularly published my work. Like so many of my fellow journalists, I’ve…
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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…
