Personal growth
-
Expectations
It’s never a bad idea to hold ourselves and others to higher standards. Striving for “the best” is a worthy goal. But extremely high (or unrealistic) expectations are sometimes followed by disappointment. One small example: How many times have you dined at a trendy new restaurant, only to end up disappointed when your meals fell short of the rave reviews you’d read? At the same time, if you expect more from other folks than they’re able to give, you’re bound to feel letdown at some point. Or, as Anne Lamott put it, “Expectations are resentments waiting to happen.” Sometimes what we want isn’t directly in line with what is available…
-
When one door closes …
“When certain people walk away from you, or certain opportunities close their doors on you, there is no need to hold on….Take it as a direct indication that these people, circumstances, or opportunities are not part of the next chapter in your life. It’s a sign that your growth requires someone different or something more, and life is simply making room.” ~Marc & Angel Hack Life I’ve faced a lot of closed doors, having worked in journalism for 40 years. The internet has changed this business in countless ways, closing down (or shrinking) many favorite print publications that regularly published my work. Like so many of my fellow journalists, I’ve…
-
Your side of the fence
“So often we seek more fertile ground — that greener space on the other side of the fence. Where we fail to thrive and where we falter in our appreciation of the everyday is in this urge to be ‘there’ and not ‘here.'” ~Patti Digh, Your Daily Rock The fear of missing out — imagining that there’s something better going on somewhere else — is a real thing. It can feel like being in junior high again, making us wonder if there’s yet another party we haven’t been invited to. Even as adults, we spend hours on social media, tracking what other people do (or have) instead of enjoying our…
-
Deep thoughts, tough questions
“To find yourself, think for yourself.” ~Socrates The simplest truths are rarely as simple as they seem. Today’s quote from the philosopher Socrates is a case in point. “Thinking for yourself” gets tricky when you’re under the influence of family and friends, popular culture, cable news, and social media. There’s always a cacophony of voices sharing different views on everything from business to fashion to politics. You can try to find the courage to go deeper. Then you have to ask yourself some tough questions: Am I following my own heart or trying to fit in? Am I rebelling against something or living authentically on my own terms? How and…
-
Forgiveness
“Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.” ~Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre Responding to a recent “Life Lines” post about kicking our bad habits, a subscriber confided that giving up grudges tops her list of resolutions this year. We agreed that forgiveness is essential to our wellbeing — but not so easy to put into practice. Speaking for myself, I find it difficult to let go of righteous anger and resentment. But I’m trying. Everyone struggles with grudges, emotional wounds, and petty grievances. Yet we do so at great cost to our own health and wellbeing. As Anne Lamott writes in Traveling Mercies, “Not…
