freedom

Can We Be too Free?

“Too much freedom is a dangerous thing. Too much freedom inhibits choice. Constructive narrowness clarifies choice.” ~Walter Darby Bannard Walking along the street, I let our dog pull the retractable leash so he can investigate the smells in the yards. Unlike his shorter leash, this long leash provides freedom. Enabling him to lollygag, to sniff every […]

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Take a Walk

“It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche The ‘Real Feel’ is 38 degrees. The sun is nowhere to be seen, and the wind seems to be whipping in to lower that real feel to freezing. Brr. Still, there is nothing like fresh air. Bundled up, we can get out almost […]

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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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The Risk of Fear

“In time we hate that which we often fear.”  ― William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra Watching the leaves falling from the trees, I am fascinated with how they change colors at their own pace and fall when their time comes. Eventually, they land on the ground with every other leaf and decompose or get raked into a […]

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Stories that Matter

“When we deny our stories and disengage from tough emotions, they don’t go away; instead, they own us, they define us. Our job is not to deny the story, but to defy the ending—to rise strong…” ~Brene Brown “This is deep,” my friend said and sent a video my way. I watched without sound and […]

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A Little Good News

“One more sad story’s one more than I can stand Just once how I’d like to see the headline say “Not much to print today, can’t find nothin’ bad to say” ~ Rory Michael Bourke, Charlie Black, Tommy Rocco Good Morning! On my walk… The bluebirds were flying between the field and a fence, eating worms […]

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The Permission Slip

“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” ― Marcus Aurelius   It will take a few weeks to get the pictures of people lost and wandering in the flooded streets and yards out of my mind. It will take longer for them to get a clear […]

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Helping and Being Helped

“Never underestimate the difference you can make in the lives of others. Step forward, reach out and help. This week reach to someone that might need a lift.”– Pablo He arrived with nothing. He was helpless. He had no clothes, he had no words to express his needs, all he knew to do was cry. She […]

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Hum a Little Diddy

“Who hears music, feels his solitude peopled at once.” ― Robert Browning   The local university was hosting Freedom Sings, a project of the First Amendment Center. Their description says, “American history meets rock ‘n roll to put together a remarkable story…about how guitars and drums changed the path of history because they were accompanied by […]

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Show Up for You and for Them

“The willingness to show up changes us, It makes us a little braver each time.” ― Brené Brown Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh were climbing in a tree one night, and Christopher Robin said to Pooh, “You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. But the most important […]

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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…