“Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.” – George Bernard Shaw
Staying at home, staring at screens. Television screens. Laptop Screens. Smartphone screens.
Our daily intake of news and opinions through cable networks, social media and messages between friends. There may be an unlimited number of choices, but we have a limited amount of time and attention. Either intentionally or subconsciously, we’ve either narrowed our channels or expanded our viewpoints.
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Topics:
improvement,
learning,
values,
growth,
positive,
challenge,
little lessons,
social media,
trust,
perspective,
information,
balance
“Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.” – Alice Mackenzie Swaim
I love watching the first blooms of early spring. Tulips, daffodils, and crocus have been lying dormant for almost a year. When they make their appearance each April, it reminds me that warmer weather is on the horizon. The promise of more daylight, more time outdoors and even more flowers.
Every so often, winter ignores the calendar. We wake up to find that the grass has disappeared under a fresh coat of snow. The temperature has dropped below freezing. The daffodil stems are bowed down in submission. A lone tulip stands defiant.
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Topics:
love,
fear,
growth,
moment,
challenge,
little lessons,
rest,
beauty,
nature
"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." – Confucius
Last week, a couple of my friends were having a tough time. One was facing a health scare, and the other’s mother passed away. We shared some long phone conversations. Each call ended with “I love you, brother.” And the response – “I love you too”.
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Topics:
inspiration,
love,
learning,
support,
growth,
happiness,
joy,
little lessons,
kindness,
father,
parents,
compassion
“Give me a place to stand on and I can move the Earth.” – Archimedes
Once upon a time, I was young and strong.
Throughout high school, and part of college, I worked summers as a landscaper. My boss loved to give me the hardest jobs, because he knew I wanted to be challenged. Dig a hole 6 feet by six feet by six feet – with only a shovel and pickax. Move truckloads of wood mulch with a wheelbarrow. Rip out a tree stump without any power tools.
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Topics:
strength,
improvement,
networking,
hard work,
reading list,
Reading and Books,
growth,
groups,
challenge,
little lessons
“So goes discovery: unless you know your own ignorance, you won’t recognize when something truly novel is right before your eyes.” – Nick Pyenson
I don’t know anyone with fond memories of their adolescence. For most of us, it was a period of uncomfortable change. Our bodies transforming into young adults while struggling with new social structures and relationships. But we didn’t have a choice – we could only grow through change.
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Topics:
improvement,
goals,
change,
learning,
growth,
challenge,
little lessons,
help
"The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live” – Mortimer Adler
For decades, I’ve disdained slippers. They seemed like an unnecessary piece of clothing. Either I wore shoes – dress shoes, work boots, running shoes – or I went barefoot. Having something “in between” would just take up more room in my closet.
My outlook changed with my hip surgery last summer. In addition to needing a cane, I would have difficulty bending over for weeks. That would make tying my shoes a challenge. Walking barefoot wasn’t recommended, so I had to find slip-on shoes – slippers.
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Topics:
change,
Reading and Books,
fear,
growth,
little lessons,
expectations
“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” - William ShakespeareThe best part of my morning walks is passing by the flower beds and gardens in the neighborhood. There are neatly arranged plots with perfectly balanced layouts of size and color. Stunning wildflower gardens that look like something a poet would describe at the edge of a meadow. Ancient rose bushes that have entangled themselves so tightly around fences, it’s impossible to know where plant ends, and post begins. And the occasional single flowering plant, adding a splash of color in the midst of a green lawn.
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Topics:
growth,
challenge
“Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn't worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” – Louise L. Hay
Readers of this blog understand my commitment to life-long self-improvement. Whether it’s expanding my knowledge through reading books, or my past efforts as a runner, or my current rehabilitation after surgery. More importantly, through the lessons and love shared by friends, I try to become better at providing support and understanding for the people in my life.
I also accept being me – just as I am.
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Topics:
love,
support,
growth,
little lessons
“We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are.” – Anais Nin
I enjoy joining groups, but I despise being put into a category. Using randomly chosen years to create “generations” splits us into “Baby Boomers” or “Gen-X” or “Millennials”. Or worse, assigning different values to someone because they happen to live in a city, or suburb or farming community. Other people want to use personality tests to assign us a color or letter profile. We’re humans, and not books to be categorized by the Dewey Decimal System.
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Topics:
reflection,
learning,
growth,
listen,
challenge
“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge.” – Daniel Boorstin
I try to be an educated person. Not just by the degrees I attained in college and graduate school, but by constant reading – books, magazines and varied websites. I spend more time on subjects that interest me. For example, I’ve read more than 25 books about or by Theodore Roosevelt. While I may not be an expert, I consider myself well-informed about our 26th President.
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Topics:
learning,
growth
