“It isn’t the great big pleasures that count the most; it’s making a great deal out of the little ones.” ~ Jean Webster, pseudonym for Alice Jane Chandler Webster, American author My 11-year-old daughter often reminds me to enjoy simpler things like: snow angels snuggles on the couch spending time with family — because her favorite thing in the world …
In Others’ Words: Success
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” ~Maya Angelou, poet & novelist I’m certain we could debate the “proper” definition of success. But let’s not. I like Maya Angelou’s definition. I remember the specific day when I realized that, yes, I liked myself. It was a hard-fought battle, I assure you, coming to …
In Others’ Words: Criticism
“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.” ~ Frank A. Clark, “The Country Parson,” journalist, editor & writer It’s the beginning of a new week. Odds are, I”l run into some criticism as I journey from here to the weekend. As a novelist, there’s always a good chance I’ll get …
In Others’ Words: Look!
“You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.” ~Dr. Seuss, American writer I’ve opened my eyes and seen: Mr. Right walk into my life after I wasted too much time and emotion on Mr. oh-so Wrong. the never-to-be-forgotten faces of my newborns — all four of them. the ugly Truth … and discovered that yes, …
A Departure of Sorts: Priorities
“A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with—that’s poverty—but how efficiently we can put first things first. . . . When you’re clear about your purpose and your priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not support these, whether it’s clutter in your cabinets or commitments on your calendar. ” ~Victoria Moran, American writer & …
In Others’ Words: Silence
“For some moments in life there are no words.” ~David Seltzer, American screenwriter A picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes a breath is worth a thousand words. Or one heartbeat … to … the … next. One thousand words. Not a single one of those thousand words need be uttered … but the width, breadth, height and depth …
In Others’ Words: Getting Ahead
“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” ~Mark Twain, American author & humorist And the rest of the quote goes: “The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” Duh. I tend to over-complicate things. Spend too much time staring at the big picture and letting …
In Others’ Words: Winter
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” ~Edith Sitwell, poet We haven’t had a lot of snow in Colorado yet this winter. Today there’s been a bit of snow on and off — nothing much to …
In Others’ Words: Blessings in Disguise
“What seems to us as as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.” ~Oscar Wilde, Irish poet & playwright Blessings in disguise. If only those blessings-to-be showed up in our lives as what they were going to ultimately be: blessings. But no. They stay hidden as we trudge through the darkness. The pain. The days where our our hope is …
In Others’ Words: Change
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” ~James Baldwin, African-American writer Let’s take a can change/can’t change look at this quote. Can Change: It’s Wednesday. How’s your week going? Look at that To Do list you scribbled on Monday — or formatted on an Excel spreadsheet, for you uber-organized …