Personal growth
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How we see things
“We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.”~Anais Nin It’s easy to be blinded by our own perceptions or preferences, as French memoirist Anais Nin reminds us in today’s thought. Whenever I find myself offended, annoyed, or angered, I’m tempted to adopt the stance of self-righteousness. It’s my way or the highway, right? That’s when I absolutely need to stop and consider the reasons behind another person’s actions or opinions. And that’s when a little empathy comes in handy. Have I taken time to understand what that person might be going through at the time? Am I holding him or her to a standard that…
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Whose life?
“Whose life are you living, yours or the one somebody prefers for you?” ~Vanita Oelschlager, Write with Me By the time we reach middle age, we’ve established our own patterns, preferences, routines, and habits. We’ve made some difficult choices; traveled a few paths; tried many different things. We like to believe we’ve designed our own way of living — even our own style. In reality, each of us is a unique combination of influences — parents, siblings, partners, relatives, teachers, peers, and popular culture, just for starters. Who are your strongest influences? Which ones suggested, or even dictated, the life you’re living now? Are there any changes you’d make if…
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Embracing the unknown
“The unknown is where all outcomes are possible; enter it with grace.” ~Message on a Yogi teabag I’ve always struggled with the unknown. The unknown is the gray area; a state of uncertainly; a question mark dangling over the future. The unknown leaves us hanging. The unknown leaves us alone with an overactive imagination. If I’m waiting for the results of a medical test, for instance, I envision all sorts of worst-case scenarios. If someone doesn’t answer my email or a text message, I tend to assume something is wrong. Of course, life is jam-packed with uncertainties, large and small. So when I read the above message on my teabag…
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Hit the reset button
“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 following patterns or routines that worked for a while, but aren’t serving you anymore? As creatures of habit, we tend to stay on the same beaten path, rarely stepping away from our comfort zone. We might keep buying the same brand of coffee, hanging out with the same people, walking the same route with the dog … or continually putting up with the same negative or disrespectful treatment from others. So maybe it’s time to shake things up. Time to…
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Your grass is green enough
“Get busy taking care of your own grass, and you won’t notice whether it’s greener elsewhere.” ~Karon Waddell Whenever I’m fully engaged in my own life, I’m practically oblivious to what’s going on around me. Some psychologists refer to this state as being in the flow. Whatever it’s called, I’m happiest when I’m focusing on my own stuff — and free of competitive impulses. Jealousy and envy tend to sprout when we’ve lost confidence in our own abilities and gifts. That’s when we look over our shoulders to see what others have. That’s when we start comparing ourselves and feeling “less than” — even when we shouldn’t. The remedy? Be too…
