Personal growth
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Put yourself out there
“Imagine living life so carefully that there are no signs you lived at all.” ~Raven Leilani I once met a woman who arranged her life to avoid appearing “wrong.” She never displayed artwork or family photos on the white walls of her immaculate home. She dressed appropriately in a style that never made a statement. Polite and reserved, she rarely revealed an opinion or a passion. I was always on my guard around her. Life can be so much richer — and a lot more fun — when we are willing to take creative chances, make mistakes, and put ourselves out there. So, go ahead: write, paint, dance, sew, decorate,…
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Daybooks
“You are exactly where you need to be. This is the perfect day to start your life again.” ~Brianna Wiest, The Pivot Year This month, I revisited the old-fashioned ritual of reading a daybook entry every morning. It’s a wonderful way to start a new year — and it helps keep me grounded, positive, and motivated. Not to be confused with journals or diaries, daybooks originated in the late 1500s as books for recording daily events or accounting transactions. Over time, daybooks evolved into curated collections of short spiritual musings, magazine clippings, inspirational quotes, and other bits of wisdom. In recent years, daybooks such as Sarah Ban Breathnach’s Simple Abundance and…
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Pausing for the present
“The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.” ~C.S. Lewis If you’re a worrier like me, living in the present moment is easier said than done. When anxiety has you in its icy grip, your mind reels with the “what ifs” of an uncertain future. Put it on pause if you can. Once you commit to living in the present, you open yourself to the possibility of inner peace. Begin by paying close attention to your own environment. Redirect your energy to a small project you’ve been putting off, or take a walk outdoors. One breath, one moment at a time.…
- Creativity and discovery, Dr. Seuss, Friendship and relationship advice, Personal growth, Photo stories
The know-it-all trap
“It’s high time you were shown that you don’t really know all there is to be known.” ~Dr. Seuss When our grandson was four, he was an expert on a wide range of topics. Whenever we tried to share something new or teach a small lesson, his typical response was, “I already knew that.” It cracked me up every time. But the adult know-it-all isn’t as cute. You know the type: Every time you try to share fresh information, the know-it-all has already been there, seen it, or done it before. You can’t show or tell them anything new. They’re always on the lookout for opportunities to inform or one-up…
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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.” It’s a dynamic, powerful process — especially in the fall. Here in the Midwest, our trees drop their seeds, then stage a brilliant color show before completely shedding their leaves. Likewise, the best way through a creative block — or any sort of problem — is to scale back or remove what’s getting in the way. Sometimes we…
