“We become what we think about all day long.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist & poet I was a pretty fearful kid growing up. Sad to say, I dragged some of my fears right into adulthood. What made me change? My first child was born. I remember being at home with my baby boy and the lights went out. It …
In Others’ Words: Books
“Reading is a means of thinking with another person’s mind; it forces you to stretch your own.” ~Charles Scribner, Jr., American publisher More than once I’ve confronted the question “What’s the best book you’ve ever read?” — or some derivative of that question. Usually, my response is something like, “How do you expect me to pick only one book?!” Last week, when …
In Others’ Words: Focus
“It is wise to direct your anger towards problems — not people; to focus your energies on answers — not excuses.” ~ William Ward, English missionary & author There came a time in my life when I had to face a harsh reality: I was an angry mommy. I had a lot of aspirations for myself as a mom — …
In Others’ Words: Conversations
“Most conversations are simply monologues delivered in the presence of a witness.” ~ Margaret Millar, American-Canadian mystery-suspense writer Do I ever come across like that out-of-proportion-mostly-a-mouth woman pictured above? Oh, how I hope not. Do I participate in conversations with friends and family? Or do I act like some sort of running off at the mouth comedian positioned front and …
In Others’ Words: Seeds
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish novelist You ever have one of those days when you crawl into bed and think, “I didn’t accomplish anything today?” That’s because you’re thinking “harvest,” not “seed.” When you’re all about the harvest, you’re thinking way-too-far down the …
In Others’ Words: Memories
“Memories without dreams are anchors.” ~Dan Rockwell, aka “Leadership Freak” Memories are precious. My life is all the richer for the memories I’ve tucked away. But if all I have is memories — images of days gone by — those very things I treasure will weigh me down, dragging all my forward motion to a stop. I also need dreams-yet-to-come-true …
In Others’ Words: Is to Laugh
“Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” ~ Bill Cosby, comedian Long, long ago, I was a mom of one little boy. This little guy had been sick for days.There was no leaving the house — we didn’t …
In Others’ Words: Pleasure
“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 …