Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.
— Tennessee Williams
The only thing that I am certain of is that we are surrounded by uncertainty. We collect stories of terrible things that have happened to people and then we try our best to protect ourselves from these horrors by engineering our lives to avoid them. That’s the phenomenon that occurs with the news broadcasts. We say that we want stories that reflect the positive in our world and the good in people, but we don’t really react to these stories as we do to stories of bad luck, or murder and mayhem.
You may disagree with me, but I think that part of the fascination with these stories is that Continue reading » Out of Control
How do you live inside hope?
…if you’re lucky, you’ll find a way to live inside hope, running down its hallways touching the walls on both sides.
— Barbara Kingsolver
Puts me in mind of the time I learned to dance on a moving log…
Hope arouses a passion for the possible.
— William Sloan Coffin
There I was, arms flailing in a desperate attempt to stay upright on the suspended rough hewn pine log… consumed with the fear of falling… ready to give up almost before I’d begun… Continue reading » Touching the Walls on Both Sides
Self-help is the best help.
— Polish Proverb
There are many bloggers and authors out there who make fun of the self-help industry and I certainly understand their point of view. If nothing else, the question is always raised, “if self-help authors/speakers are so good, why do we keep needing to read/hear from more of them?” I think I’ve figured out the answer. They believe that we can succeed more than we do.
For several weeks now, I’ve been listening to a free series of speakers provided by an organization called “Unlimited Wealth.” Some of the speakers have been a rehash of the same ol’ stuff I’ve heard a million times before, but some of them have brought new ideas to the table. The price for all of this is that in the middle and at the end of every interview, there is a sales pitch. The speaker is there to promote their business and they get their shot each time. Even so, there have been some really good Continue reading » How to Help Yourself
Are you guilty of Splat Head? If you’re multitasking and proud of it, think again…
We cannot control the parade of thoughts marching through our minds. But we can choose which ones we will give our attention to. Picture your thoughts as people passing by the front of your home. Just because they’re walking by doesn’t mean you have to invite them in.
— Unknown
I’m guilty of Splat Head; I multitask as often as I can. How about you? On her blog, Christine Kane writes about multitasking – and she seems equate it to a disease:
Many of us – especially artists, creative types, and the self-employed – catch Attention Splatter. It’s insidious. We’re so good at multi-tasking and being available to all things at all times that we don’t even realize that we’re only half present to any given one of them. Our attention is splattered.
Interestingly enough, as much as we publicly disparage multi-tasking, many of us secretly believe it’s a skill, something that some people do well, and many of us count ourselves as among that “do well” crowd. Somehow those insidious, sneaky little tasks nibble away at our consciousness and lull us into believing we’re better off doing Continue reading » Splat Head!
A sense of blessedness comes from a change of heart, not from more blessings.
— Mason Cooley
The Catholic Church actually began as a splinter group from Judaism. Followers of Christ were really devoted, they kept two Sabbaths, Saturday and Sunday. That’s a lot of church in one week.
One of the traditions of Judaism is the speaking of the blessing over the children. In My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, she writes of the power of the blessings that her grandfather spoke over her. It’s still the same, we all want the approval/blessings of our parents, our friends, our families. For some of us, these blessings never come from our parents. Others must provide them.
Lesson 1 – Know Thyself
I was educated in grammar school by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Our school was 1st through 8th grade. We had no kindergarten. For that you went to the public school and since I started 1st grade when I was 5, there was no kindergarten for me. Eighth grade was the pinnacle. We were cool and about to become high school students so the principal chose to “have lunch” with each of us that year. One by one, we went to the principal’s office and “chatted” with her.
I don’t really remember my lunch with Sister R. I just remember the reaction.
At some point, during the lunch, Sister asked me Continue reading » Speaking Blessings
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