balance

Moving Beyond Fear

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” ― Marie Curie (1867-1934) The hair on the dog’s back ruffled, standing up as if someone had brushed it against the grain. I have a healthy fear of a growling […]

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Where’s that Joy?

“Do anything, but let it produce joy.” ― Walt Whitman   What a long ride it was from the house to the market on my little blue bicycle. Living on top of a hill meant leaving was a breeze and returning was hard work. Flying around the curves, staying close to the edge of the road to avoid […]

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Step One

“The first step is always the hardest” ― Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever There is just nothing quite like a new journal. If you’ve never been a journaler, maybe it’s easier for you to appreciate the feeling of a new package of notebook paper — opening the plastic, straightening the pieces of paper, and clasping them […]

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I’ll Choose Serenity

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.” ~Reinhold Niebuhr “You’re really not acting like you normally do. You need to chill out.” Was my friend really saying this to me? Yes, she was, and it was very painful […]

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It’s Not About the Likes

“If you just set out to be liked, you will be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and would achieve nothing.” ― Margaret Thatcher The votes came in, and I took second place in the category of “Best Dressed  Girl” in my senior class. Vicky had more votes, in my opinion, more likes, and […]

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Framing Life like a Picture

“High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.”~Charles Kettering   Sitting on the branch, the little bird was busy pecking at the sunflower he had pulled from the feeder. Using the surrounding branches to frame him, I was able to draw the eye of the person viewing the photograph directly to the […]

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Good Riddance to Guilt

“Calvin : There’s no problem so awful, that you can’t add some guilt to it and make it even worse.” ― Bill Watterson, The Complete Calvin and Hobbes The pressure is on. Just writing those words creates a little sense of panic in me, but the pressure really is on so many people right now. We are […]

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“It means your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one, both of you.” ~Dr. Emmett Brown (Back to the Future III) I started college when I was 18 years old. I had to leave a year and a half later and […]

Making Repairs

“We had a kettle; we let it leak: Our not repairing made it worse. We haven’t had any tea for a week… The bottom is out of the Universe.” ― Rudyard Kipling, Two chairs are pulled away from our table because their joints aren’t holding well. My blouse with the pretty stitching on it is sitting […]

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What Comes First?

“If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.” ~Greg McKeown   Read the quote again. Take it completely to heart as you ask yourself, ‘Who sets the priorities in my life?” If you are 16, your parents are setting most of those priorities, but you can absolutely exercise your right to speak up and […]

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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…