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An invitation
“A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.” ~Robert Frost April is National Poetry Month — and I can’t let another day pass without celebrating it. While I’ve featured some of my favorite poetry here in the past, today I wanted to share a poem that’s new to me. Sometimes, when I need inspiration, I’ll pull a poetry collection from the shelf and open it randomly to a page. Then I read the poem two or three times to fully experience it. Today, I turned to Mary Oliver’s 456-page Devotions anthology, letting the book fall open where it would. Here’s the beautiful poem I found … Invitation By Mary…
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Everything you love
“I am all the things I have ever loved.” ~Toni Morrison, American author “List Yourself” is one of my favorite writing practices, and it’s even easier than journaling. Pick up a brand-new journal and fill its pages with lists of all kinds — your favorite books and films, your biggest accomplishments, pet peeves, favorite recipes, people who’ve inspired you, places you’d like to visit, and so on. The practice of list-making might seem simplistic, but it can lead to self-awareness and discovery. When you make lists of all the things you love, for instance, you’ll see a unique self-portrait taking shape on the page, just as today’s quote suggests. Furthermore,…
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Speak up, make a difference
“Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.” ~Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience and Other Essays American author Henry David Thoreau wasn’t afraid to speak out. Staying silent in the face of injustice was an act of compliance, he believed. Thoreau campaigned against slavery and also served as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, a venture that put him at personal risk. A born naturalist, he paved the way for American environmentalists to protect our natural resources. Thoreau’s courage has motivated me since my college years.…
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The road ahead
“People ask me to predict the future, when all I want to do is prevent it. Better yet, build it. Predicting the future is much too easy, anyway. You look at the people around you, the street you stand on, the visible air you breathe, and predict more of the same. To hell with more. I want better.” ~Ray Bradbury, Beyond 1984: The People Machines As we age, we map out the course of our own future. We plan for retirement, organize our personal finances, and reevaluate our healthcare plan. At the same time, we consider the bigger picture. What will be your legacy? What will you leave behind for your…
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Are you feeling stuck?
“You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety.” ~Abraham Maslow This is the time of year when we’re most likely to feel stagnant or mired in routine. The calendar tells us it’s spring, but the weather isn’t cooperating yet. Cabin fever aside, we can feel stuck any time of the year. For instance, we might keep making the same recipes for dinner because we’re not inspired to find new ones. Or we might feel stuck in the house when we can’t summon the energy to initiate plans with friends. Likewise, we can feel stuck if we don’t speak our minds because we’d rather appear…
