personal growth

Achieving Success…More than Eating Bonbons

“If you want to be a good writer, you are not going to become one by always going to the movies and eating bonbons. You have to sit down and write, which can be frustrating, and yet without that you would not get that good result.” ~Archbishop Desmond Tutu Few, if any, of the most […]

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Diversion Can Drive You to Succeed

“The mind ought sometimes to be diverted that it may return the better to thinking.” ~Plato, Phaedrus What is on your to-do list?  Is there any chance you’ll get it all accomplished today? “No,” you think, “not if I keep running into people who want to talk to me.”  It happens when we are in […]

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Sometimes, You Need a Spark

“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.” — Samuel Ullman Once upon a time, a young teenager fell in love — with computers. It was his enthusiasm and passion that made an […]

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To Put Aside those Thoughts

“The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations   The lights go off and the thoughts come on. Where moments earlier the body was tired and the eyes were heavy, there is suddenly new life and sometimes anxiety in the form of unwelcome thoughts.  What is it that keeps […]

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Using a Filter for More than Coffee

“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.” ― Emily Post The conversation was louder than the library normally would encourage. Her lack of concern for those trying to study was not surprising, though, as she was seldom […]

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What Defines You?

“I don’t know. Just because someone’s pretty doesn’t mean she’s decent. Or vice versa. I’m not into appearances. I like flaws, I think they make things interesting.” ― Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever Men who believe their noses aren’t attractive enough, women who think some sections aren’t large enough while other sections are too large, […]

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Treasure the Ordinary

“Every day look at a beautiful picture, read a beautiful poem, listen to some beautiful music, and if possible, say some reasonable thing.” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe You hurry to look at the sunset announced by someone standing at the window. Remarkable in its beauty, this setting sun of oranges and reds mixed with purple hues […]

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Packing Your Bags for a New Year

“What you leave behind says as much about you as what you bring along.” ― Jacquelyn Middleton, London Belongs to Me It is difficult to not get caught up in the excitement of how to make a new year better, especially if the year before held a lot of sad moments. Either way, it’s here. A year […]

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The Power, the Joy, and the Fear of Anonymity

“She’d never felt more alone, even as hundreds of people walked by. No one recognized her, and she began to treasure her anonymity as a gift.” ― Jamie Ford, Songs of Willow Frost Airports are busy, the roads are full, the restaurants are filled with tables of people.  Sitting quietly on a bench, he watched […]

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Rules of Engagement

“Engagement can be a commitment to love or a declaration of war. One must enter every battle without hesitation, willing to fully engage the enemy until death do you apart.” ― Emily Thorne Maybe the mention of the word brings back memories of a time someone you loved asked you to spend the rest of […]

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Thoughts to Encourage

Joy is the will which labors, which overcomes obstacles, which knows triumph.~ William Butler Yeats

Whether you think you can or think you can’t you’re right. - Henry Ford

The best way out is always through. ~ Robert Frost

Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. ~ Theodore N. Vail

Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall. ~ Oliver Goldsmith

You must be the change you want to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi

Nothing helps like a good nap…

Birds are Beautiful

A Dog is Faithful…