“Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.” ~Henry Ward Beecher Retirement. A word that fills people with both excitement and fear. On the one hand, we’re excited about the possibilities that retirement brings. The possibility to travel, to try new hobbies, …
Tag: happy
You Can’t Change or Fix People, So Listen Instead
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” ~Ernest Hemingway The chances are good that at some point in your life you had to deal with a loved one who consistently frustrated you. They were caught in a destructive pattern of behavior that made life difficult for them and everyone around them. How do …
Why We May Have Already Won the Lottery of Life
“Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~Oprah Winfrey Occasionally, I experience moments of what I can only describe as “pure bliss.” It’s like a cool wave of peace washes over me, cleansing me momentarily of my …
Why You Can End the Search for Your Purpose Now
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt For some of us, like me, the question, “What is my purpose?” creates a ton of anxiety and a feeling that our self-worth is being undermined. It’s hard …
Life Is in the Little Things: Finding the Extra in the Ordinary
“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.“ ~Jimmy Johnson “Write about what we did today,” my daughter said. She knows I often write once she is asleep. Dully I thought, “What we did today wasn’t that exciting.” Yet, for her, it obviously was. She gets lost in her experiences, deeply entrenched in …
In Search of the Sacred: Escaping Facebook’s Sticky Web
“You leave the present moment every time you check your phone.” ~Deirdre Jayko Facebook was driving me to distraction! One late-winter evening, I prepped for a mood-saving hike in the snow. Magic happened on the trails in the moonlight. I decided to check Facebook for a friend’s answer to a message. Who knows what caught my …
The Past May Have Shaped Us, But We Have the Power to Change
“If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down.” ~Toni Morrison Our very first relationship is the one we develop with ourselves. However, even that one is shaped by outside forces. You may believe we do or do not choose our family. Regardless of your position regarding how …
How I’ve Learned to Free Myself from Depression When It Hits
“No feeling is final.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke I’ve battled depression for most of my life. In my younger years, it gripped me pretty frequently. I was first hit with suicidal thoughts at the age of fifteen, and it scared the bejesus out of me. I was young and dumb and had no idea what was …
Made a Big Mistake? What to Do Instead of Beating Yourself Up
“Note to self: Beating yourself up for your flaws and mistakes won’t make you perfect, and you don’t have to be. Learn, forgive yourself, and remember: We all struggle; it’s just part of being human.” ~Lori Deschene When I was in twelfth grade I took a World Issues class and learned about colonization, child soldiers, …
What Really Makes Us Feel Successful
“Congratulations on becoming successful and best wishes on becoming happy.” ~John Mayer I was living the life of my dreams. Or so I thought. I’ve been very fortunate to have had some very awesome opportunities all over the world. I’ve worked to help victims of human trafficking in the shady streets of Thailand, I’ve helped …