In Others’ Words: Blind “I”

Beth VogtIdentity, In Others' Words, Quotes 10 Comments

  We so often talk about centering ourselves. Finding our inner strength. Searching for, and finding, the person we were meant to be. Well, bravo that. But what about getting out of our own way? How often do we consider that as a path to success, to fulfillment?  Not often enough. As a writer, I often plumb my own life …

In Others’ Words: Holding Back the Flood of Fear

Beth Vogtcourage, In Others' Words, lifequotes 8 Comments

  Fear was a constant companion of mine last week. It was as if a predator stalked the edges of my life for days. I was unsettled. Unable to sleep. Unable to focus. My prayers seemed pathetic … disjointed … to no avail. I went to bed each night determined to be braver when I woke up, only to find myself battling …

In Others’ Words: Doing What is Necessary

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Quotes, success 6 Comments

I agree and disagree with the most-esteemed Mr. Churchill’s statement: “There is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” There are times when it’s absolutely fine to both say, “I’m doing my best” and to do your best — to give your all to a task, to a challenge, …

In Others’ Words: Counting the Cost

Beth Vogtchoices, In Others' Words, quote about life 9 Comments

I’ve had this quote on file for quite a long time. I read it. Ponder it. Pass it by. Come back to it again. Leave it in my files. It’s not that I don’t like the quote. I do. It’s probably one of my most favorite quotes now, which makes me think I need to update my list of favorite …

In Others’ Words: The Art of Living

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, perspective, quote about life 6 Comments

Most of us, if given the choice between dancing or wrestling, would choose dancing. Am I right? I mean, even if you were going to be a spectator, you’d probably opt for a night of watching dancers versus an evening watching a team of wrestlers going at it. But if you were asked to participate … well, surely you’d choose the …

In Others’ Words: New Year, New Start?

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Life, Quotes 6 Comments

I’ve missed you all, although I did enjoy my social media break. It helped me achieve more of an “all is calm” attitude the past couple of weeks. I hope each one of you found comfort and joy during the holiday season. We’re three days into 2017, and I’ve seen so many blogs, Facebook posts, Instagram photos, and tweets proclaiming excitement …

In Others’ Words: All is Calm

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes 1 Comment

As I look into to the coming week, I’m anticipating my son’s arrival home … and my youngest daughter’s 16th birthday on Christmas Eve … and yes, Christmas Day! In an effort to embrace those three little words “All is calm,” I’m taking a break from social media, including my blog, until after the New Year. I’ll see you back …

In Others’ Words: The Glorious Mess of Christmas

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes 4 Comments

  This quote makes me smile. The words takes me back to my childhood … and to the years when my children were younger. And to be honest, there are still messes created in our family living room on Christmas morning. And I love the glorious mess. Yes, there’s noise — laughter and conversation all mixed together. And the room is …

In Others’ Words: Honoring Christmas

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes, Uncategorized 11 Comments

A common theme among Christmas quotes is the idea that the spirit of Christmas shouldn’t be confined to a single day. Of course, different people mean different things when they talk about the spirit of Christmas. Love. Joy. Goodwill. Kindness. Giving … and receiving.  Truly, all of these attitudes are part of Christmas. And yes, it would be wonderful if we …

In Others’ Words: Choosing Sides on Christmas

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes 2 Comments

  I read through pages and pages of quotes about Christmas last night and I came to a conclusion: People either love Christmas or they don’t. And when they don’t, well, sometimes they tolerate it … and sometimes they just outright hate it. Reading those quotes was like sitting atop a virtual pendulum that swung back and forth, back and …