-
The right balance
“Good relationships are built on mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual effort.” ~Mona Sutphen Friendship experts suggest that “imbalance” is often at the root of relationship trouble. If a relationship feels off, it helps to consider what could be out of balance. Am I talking more than listening? Do I take more than I give? Am I initiating social activities or just waiting for someone to call me? Do I compromise or insist on controlling things? We all have times when we fall short of being present in the ways people need us. Then again, sometimes we expect more than others are able to give us. All said and done,…
-
Storms
“Not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path.” ~Angel Chernoff, Marc & Angel Hack Life Nature has a way of reminding us of who’s in control. Here in southeast Michigan, most of us can recall storms that left us without electricity for days. And in many other parts of the country, major storms have totally devastated the landscape and destroyed homes. Career changes, relationship conflicts, and health crises can also throw us off course or uproot our lives. But as today’s quote suggests, sometimes storms “clear the path” and change things for the better — even though we don’t realize it until we look…
-
Emerson’s golden rule
“As we are, so we do; and as we do, so is it done to us. We are the builders of our fortunes.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Emerson is one of my heroes. A champion of self-reliance, this American essayist and lecturer had little sympathy for those who blamed their problems on other people or outside circumstances. He was ordained as a Unitarian minister in Boston in 1829, so it’s not surprising to hear echoes of the Golden Rule in today’s quote. (“In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” ~Matthew 7:12.) Emerson believed that personal responsibility is empowering. When we hold ourselves accountable for our…
-
Taking flight, growing strong
“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.” ~Pema Chodron Today’s quote spoke to me in several different ways. First, I thought of all the new college students who’ll soon be starting school — and how leaving the nest for the first time is such a milestone for our kids. The whole process involves facing change and challenges — and learning how to adapt. But Buddhist author Pema Chodron isn’t just referring to young people living on their own for the first time. She uses “the nest” as a metaphor for our comfort zone. No matter how old or young…
-
Here and now
“I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing. Dinner. Bath. Book. Bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.” ~Anna Quindlen A short overnight visit with our two-year-old grandson this week reminded me, again, how important it is to savor the moments we spend with children. I remembered his father’s toddler years (“Dinner, bath, book, bed”) and how quickly they flew. Too often, as Anna Quindlen points out, we neglect to savor the routines and rituals that anchor our lives. There’s always “the next thing” on our to-do lists. Childhood…
