personal growth

Persist

The longer you hang in there, the greater the chance that something will happen in your favor. No matter how hard it seems, the longer you persist, the more likely your success. ~ Jack Canfield Not wanting to spoil the movie for those who haven’t seen it, I will simply say that I was pretty […]

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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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Appreciating the Patina

“Trouble makes us one with every human being in the world – and unless we touch others, we’re out of touch with life.” ― Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Being in touch with people (real people, in real life) is not a necessary part of daily life for many adults today. With the gift of the internet, […]

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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 […]

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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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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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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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…