Optimism
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Three’s a charm
“Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are: Something to do, something to love, and something to hope.” ~Joseph Addison, English poet and essayist There’s something to be said for “The Rule of Three” — a time-honored literary device. We’ve got those three blind mice, three musketeers, three spirits of Christmas, and three wise men, just for starters. And of course, in countless fairy tales, the protagonist is granted three wishes or given three tasks. Yesterday I posted a few thoughts on the benefits of Dr. Andrew Weil’s “Three Good Things” journaling exercise. Today, along these lines, 18th-century essayist Joseph Addison gives us “three grand essentials” for happiness. How…
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“Three Good Things”
“Being a born optimist is not required – this is a habit you can acquire. A simple way to get started is to begin the ‘Three Good Things’ intervention: Each day for at least one week, write down three things that went well that day, and the reasons why.” ~Andrew Weil, MD Are you suffering the post-holiday-letdown blues? Dr. Andrew Weil’s ‘Three Good Things’ prescription has been shown to increase levels of happiness for a full six months. I’ve used this exercise in my journaling workshops, and participants who follow it consistently tell me it’s a life-changing routine. Get yourself a journal or notebook for the purpose, and remind yourself…
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Wilderness survival
“There will be times when standing alone feels too hard, too scary, and we’ll doubt our ability to make our way through the uncertainty. Someone, somewhere, will say, ‘Don’t do it. You don’t have what it takes to survive the wilderness.’ This is when you reach deep into your wild heart and remind yourself, ‘I am the wilderness.’” ~Brene Brown Today’s quote reminds me of the time I quit my office job in reference book publishing to start freelance writing at home. In those days, working from home wasn’t as common, so my decision felt risky (and lonely) at first. It took time to establish a new routine and get…
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How to dress for the day
“If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” ~Roald Dahl When I wake up crabby and the early-morning headlines are depressing, my first impulse is to spend the day shuffling around in my pajamas — or reach for an icky outfit that shouldn’t be seen in public. (This became a habit for most of us during the quarantine weeks of the pandemic.) I’ve always been a clothes horse, but I used to save all my “nice” clothes for special occasions. One morning, I finally woke up to the fact that every new day is worth celebrating. So I started…
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Positive gardening
“I once had a garden filled with flowers that grew only on dark thoughts, but they needed constant attention, and one day I decided I had better things to do.” ~Brian Andreas Photo by Cindy La Ferle
