Motivation
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Blooming
“One day you will look back and see that all along you were blooming.” ~ Morgan Harper Nichols, author and artist I found today’s quote while preparing for an “aging” workshop I’m leading at a local library tonight. An issue that appeared often in my research is the nagging belief that we “haven’t done enough” with our lives. No matter how accomplished we are in any arena, most of us undervalue our achievements and overlook our daily victories. But if you take inventory of all that you’ve done with your life, you’ll realize that you deserve more credit than you’ve been giving yourself. When you list your own moments of “blooming,”…
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Creative cycles
“For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks. Its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.” ~Cynthia Occelli Nature often reminds us that growth and creativity are preceded by change — or “complete destruction” — especially in the fall. Here in the Midwest, some of our trees are just starting to drop their leaves and seeds, and soon will stage a brilliant color show before shedding completely. Likewise, the best way through a creative road block is to remove something that’s getting in the way. Sometimes I have to “undo” a…
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Notes to yourself
“Sit back and reflect, and you’ll see things differently. Don’t buy into someone’s dream when you have your own dreams to bring to fruition. Love who you are and what you can do.” ~Horoscope for Leo (21st Century Media), August 16 Are you following your own script … or someone else’s? Do you design your life around your own vision, or what the culture expects of you? I don’t usually quote daily horoscopes from the newspaper, but this one was worth revisiting. Sometimes the best plan of action is to “sit back and reflect” on what you’re trying to accomplish. Jot down a few notes while you’re at it. This…
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Baby steps and small bites
“The smaller the steps we take, the more likely we are to achieve our goals.” ~Martha Beck Starting anything new can be overwhelming, whether you’re trying to lose weight, build a business, or write the story of your life. You might get discouraged early on — if you don’t break your goal into manageable parts. As Martha Beck reminds us, small steps are better than big leaps toward progress. If you’re cleaning up your eating habits, for instance, start with just a few healthy changes you can stick with. If you’re writing a memoir, work on one short chapter at a time. In the long run, you’ll find success. ~CL…
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Ruts and routines
“I need to take an emotional breath, step back, and remind myself who’s actually in charge of my life.” ~Judith M. Knowlton How many times have you suddenly realized you’re still following patterns or routines that worked for a while, but aren’t serving you anymore? Being creatures of habit, we all tend to stay on the same beaten path, rarely stepping away from our comfort zone. We keep buying the same brand of coffee, hanging out with the same friends, walking the same route with the dog … and wondering why we’re bored with everything. Sometimes, it’s a good idea to shake things up. As today’s quote suggests, we need…
