Personal growth
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Luminosity
“Look carefully around you and recognize the luminosity of souls. Sit beside those who draw you to that.” ~Rumi Other people’s moods and opinions are as contagious as the common cold. In fact, there’s a clinical study suggesting that we become like the five people with whom we spend most of our time. According to this theory, if your spouse and peer group are serial pessimists and complainers, you might be one too. It’s also likely that you share the same political views. Psychological studies aside, I’m always drawn to folks who spread their sunshine and draw me out of the shadows when I’m down. In his best-selling book, How…
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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 Not long after college, I had a job in reference book publishing. Every weekday for nearly five years, I took a bus downtown to an office in Detroit. As much as I enjoyed book production and the friends I made at the company, something was missing. I wasn’t writing. So…
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Surf’s up
“While you are riding the wave, just put your best self out there and enjoy it.” ~Frieda Pinto A few people who know me well have told me that I “overthink” things. I suspect this is part of being a writer. Whatever the reason, focusing on what could possibly go wrong can be a tiresome habit in daily life. Even when there’s nothing to worry about, I wait for the other metaphorical shoe to drop. Psychologists call it “anticipatory anxiety.” Today’s quote is a wise reminder for over-thinkers like me. When life is going well, the best thing we can do is to ride the wave, soak up the sun,…
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The hero of your journey
“It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” ~Joseph Campbell Mythologist Joseph Campbell believed that everyone’s life is a “Hero’s Journey.” Along the way, we battle our own metaphorical dragons and monsters. We encounter life-changing challenges and obstacles. And while we rarely realize it until later, our darkest moments contain the most profound lessons. I recall the time I had both hips replaced within five months, in my forties, after a crippling battle with osteoarthritis. (That was back in the day when hip replacement surgery was more complicated than it is now.) My recovery required weeks…
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Take a breather
“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” ~Etty Hillesum Are you the person who needs to be running 24/7 in order to feel valuable or relevant? Are you ever ashamed to admit you need a nap? Is your conversation typically peppered with references to how “busy” you are? Does silence make you uncomfortable? Rest is good for body and soul, and wonderful things happen when we allow ourselves to unwind. Our muscles recover, our stress levels drop. We’re more receptive to fresh ideas when we sit still, breathe deeply, and welcome the silence. When we’re relaxed, we’re also more…
