In Others’ Words: My One Word for 2019

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, One Word, perspective 19 Comments

  Let’s talk about choosing One Word for the coming year.  2019 is just over a month away, but if you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, then you know that I gave up New Year’s resolutions thirteen years ago. All my good intentions — the “I wills” and the “I won’ts” — faded so quickly, and I always misplaced …

Choosing to be Thankful Now

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Quotes, Thanksgiving 5 Comments

So many people are posting so many things about Thanksgiving today. So many things have already been said about Thanksgiving. About being grateful. And today is a day to be present … yes, present in our less-than-perfect circumstances and choose to be thankful for something. For someone.  Gratitude, if nothing else, is a choice. You are in my prayers today …

In Others’ Words: Two Ways to Be Happy

Beth Vogtexpectations, In Others' Words, Quotes 7 Comments

I shared with a friend this week how my emotional margin is depleted and how, at the same time, I’m pushing to meet some self-imposed goals. She listened. This friend always listens. And then she spoke some much-needed truth to me. About how my circumstances probably weren’t going to change right now. And that maybe, instead of pushing against the …

In Others’ Words: When We Give What We Have

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, perspective, Quotes 6 Comments

I love to give gifts to family members and friends. The funny thing is, in the past, I often gave a gift and accompanied it with an apology. “If you don’t like it, you can exchange it.”  “If that’s not exactly what you wanted, there’s a gift receipt in there …” Oftentimes, the person hadn’t even seen what I’d given …

In Others’ Words: A Simple Hope

Beth Vogthope, In Others' Words, Quotes 4 Comments

 I know many of us are counting the days down to Christmas — that gift-giving day that out-gives all other days in the year. And if you’re wondering, there are 47 days until Christmas. 4-7.  And yet,  not all of us celebrate Christmas. But gift-giving? It’s a year-round activity, what with birthdays and anniversaries and even “for no special reason” …

In Others’ Words: An Opportune Time

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, opportunities, Quotes 6 Comments

  So often we look at the time we have and think of what we’re not accomplishing.  And we stress out. Maybe we could change how we think about the time we have. Be more positive about our days — the hours and minutes we are blessed with.  Today is an opportune time to: be kind.  laugh with family and …

In Others’ Words: The Secret to Living Well

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, perspective, Quotes 8 Comments

My mother-in-law turns 100 years old tomorrow. Yes, you read that correctly: She will be One. Hundred. Years. Old. Her father was one of the last homesteaders in Montana. And she was born in a one-room log cabin — that her father built — during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. She rode a horse to school, which was also a one-room …

In Others’ Words: Life has No Remote

Beth Vogtchange, In Others' Words, Quotes 6 Comments

I am always losing track of the TV remotes. Remotes, as in plural. Does anyone have just one remote anymore? We have one to watch TV. One for the DVD player. One for the sound bar. And another remote for … well, I don’t really know. It may be for the standing fan, but it gets put in the TV …

In Others’ Word: Don’t Jump — to Conclusions, That Is!

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Quotes, success 10 Comments

We all have different goals. Different dreams. Different opportunities. But no matter what we’re aiming for, we all hope to succeed. I’ve attended lots of writers conferences in years past. (Not lately. It’s been more about my daughter’s volleyball tournaments — and I’m okay with that.) When I’m with writers, we talk about the books we’re writing. The books we …

In Others’ Words: Listen and Learn

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, perspective, Quotes 12 Comments

We all have certain morning routines — habits we’ve fallen into.  Things like: waking up at a certain time  eating the same breakfast drinking coffee or tea exercising or maybe taking our dogs for a walk getting out the door and on the road at the same time What if we started off each day determining to talk less and …