It’s national “Give a Compliment Day.”
Okay, I lied.
I am not familiar with any holiday by that name on any date but I figured it couldn’t hurt to make one, could it?
So, how do you celebrate it? [Read more…]
Finding Abundance
The year prior to last was frankly put, lousy.
We had some health issues, which, as you know, are not only frightening, but also expensive. To make matters worse, what I thought was a very successful business model suddenly collapsed as if built on rotten toothpicks, leaving me financially scrambling. I’m fortunate; I’ve always put money away for a rainy day, but this was a downpour.
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said,
“That which does not kill me makes me stronger.”
So, I guess I am sturdier for the experience. Yet, I retained scars.
One result was that I hunkered down, even as the tides began shifting. I looked for where I could shrink my life instead of how I could once again blossom. Because I attempt to live simply (all things being relative), there wasn’t a great deal to prune. I was faced with decisions akin to, “How can I save three dollars on the power bill? Is it really essential to patch the roof now or can we wait? How long can I hold off before replacing my brakes?”
Don’t misunderstand, we muddle up our existence with all too much unnecessary clutter so, if given the luxury, living within one’s means is admirable and even virtuous. However, unless one is extravagant or wealthy (or both), he or she can only cut so much fat before grinding away through bone.
Eventually, I was fortunate enough to be confronted by someone willing to have with me one of those unpleasant — but many times necessary — “courageous conversations.”
Your Life Stories
In college, a good friend of mine introduced himself to others not with the rote “How are you,” but rather, “Hi, I’m Tom. What’s your story?”
It threw me off, as it always seemed abrasive. I dismissed it as maybe some kind of “raised-in-Brooklyn thing.” Yet, I couldn’t overlook the responses he received.
After the usually initial reaction of shock, those that did not reply with “Huh?” opened themselves up with a sometimes startling level of intimacy, revealing not what they did for a living or reciting the social version of name, rank, and serial number; but rather where they had been, how they felt, and what made them tick.
Each of us carries with us a story waiting to be told, given the right opportunity.
Equally true is that we all ascribe storylines to people we see, which may or may not be accurate. As long as we’re into this area of metaphor, it’s the counterpart of judging a book by its cover. [Read more…]
Are you Sure You’re Really Angry?
The anger you feel might not be real.
The four “primary colors” of emotions are:
- Sad
- Mad
- Glad
- Afraid
Virtually all other feelings come from some combination of those.
[Read more…]
Video: Little Girl Doesn’t Want Her Brother to Grow Up
I don’t whether to laugh or cry at this video.
However, I think we can all really relate. Sometimes aging just sucks. However, who would have thought it would affect this little girl so much. In this video, she not only laments the fact that her little brother is going to grow up, but that she will.