-
Unexpected joy
“Joy is not made to be a crumb.” ~Mary Oliver Joy is a feel-good hormone. It inspires you to be more generous, more loving. But its unbridled positivity runs on short supply if you’re always mired in the habit of negative thinking. Worst of all, dark energy is both pervasive and contagious. Mary Oliver’s poetry always resonates. And when a dear friend shared “Don’t Hesitate” with me, the word “joy” jumped off the screen. It was exactly what I needed to read, and I hope it speaks to you, too. ~CL Don’t Hesitate If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of…
-
Cheap shots
“Tune out the cheap shots people take at you. Don’t waste words on people who deserve your silence. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is nothing at all.” ~Angel Chernoff These days, I have to limit the amount of time I listen to the news. Political rhetoric is nastier than ever. Sometimes I’m tempted to risk being uninformed — even though I know better. At the end of the day, what worries me most is the fact that the brutal political rhetoric has a ripple effect on the folks we encounter in our daily lives. Road rage is worse than ever. People don’t smile as much. (One of…
-
Random acts of authenticity
“Authenticity is not needing external approval to feel good about your actions.” ~Jess Lively, The Lively Show Once in a while, it’s healthy to question our own motives. How often do we take a photo that we don’t intend to publish or show anyone else? How often do we create a work of art, write a story, redecorate a room, or buy a “no-reason” gift for someone — just because it makes us happy? How often do we give generously of our time or resources without expecting acknowledgement, praise, approval, or something else in return? Today, try doing something for yourself. (Don’t explain it or show it to anyone else.)…
-
Stone-cold silence.
“You gotta be careful: Don’t say a word to nobody about nothing anytime ever.” ~ Johnny Depp
-
Social media is breaking us. What can we do about it?
“It amazes me that we are all on X and Facebook. By “we” I mean adults. We’re adults, right? But emotionally we’re a culture of seven-year-olds. Have you ever had that moment when are you updating your status and you realize that every status update is just a variation on a single request: “Would someone please acknowledge me?” ~Marc Mason, Attempting Normal Last week’s tragic events — including several shootings that didn’t get much news coverage — are finally sparking serious dialogue about social media abuse and how it’s tearing us apart. This conversation is long overdue. Social media has changed our lives, and not always for the better. Over…
