Category Archives: This and That

I’ve been… A Poem

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I’ve been young

I’ve been old

I’ve been weak

I’ve been bold

I’ve been rich

I’ve been poor

I’ve known what it’s like

To want so much more

I’ve lived out my days

And been up all nights

Yet, I’ve learned to fight the fight

I’ve been weak

I’ve been strong

I’ve walked a crooked path

For far too long

I’ve been grounded

I have fled

I’ve been alive

I’ve been dead

I’ve been generous

And I’ve been kind

I’ve been reckless

And fallen behind

I’ve been high

I’ve been low

And through it all

This much I know

Today, my feet are planted firmly on the ground.

 

Angela C. Ragosa

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There’s No Such Thing As An Uneventful Day…

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“Not one day in anyone’s life is an uneventful day, no day without profound meaning, no matter how dull and boring it might seem, no matter whether you are a seamstress or a queen, a shoeshine boy, or a movie star, a renowned philosopher or a Down’s-syndrome child. Because in every day of your life, there are opportunities to perform little kin

dnesses for others, both by conscious acts of will and unconscious example. Each smallest act of kindness—even just words of hope when they are needed, the remembrance of a birthday, a compliment that engenders a smile—reverberates across great distances and spans of time, affecting lives unknown to the one whose generous spirit was the source of this good echo, because kindness is passed on and grows each time it’s passed, until a simple courtesy becomes an act of selfless courage years later and far away. Likewise, each small meanness, each thoughtless expression of hatred, each envious and bitter act, regardless of how petty, can inspire others, and is therefore the seed that ultimately produces evil fruit, poisoning people whom you have never met and never will. All human lives are so profoundly and intricately entwined—those dead, those living, those generations yet to come—that the fate of all is the fate of each, and the hope of humanity rests in every heart and in every pair of hands. Therefore, after every failure, we are obliged to strive again for success, and when faced with the end of one thing, we must build something new and better in the ashes, just as from pain and grief, we must weave hope, for each of us is a thread critical to the strength—to the very survival of the human tapestry. Every hour in every life contains such often-unrecognized potential to affect the world that the great days and thrilling possibilities are combined always in this momentous day.”
― Dean Koontz, From the Corner of His Eye

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More Insightful Quotes…

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The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

— Hans Hofmann

Some people need a red carpet rolled out in front of them in order to walk forward into friendship. They can’t see the tiny outstretched hands all around them, everywhere, like leaves on trees.

— Miranda July

Stormy or sunny days, glorious or lonely nights, I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If I insist on being pessimistic, there is always tomorrow. Today I am blessed.

— Maya Angelou

Those who are willing to be vulnerable move among mysteries.

— Theodore Roethke

[Kindness] is a most edifying form of instant gratification.

— Krista Tippett

To make any kind of progress, we need to imagine a different reality and believe it’s possible.

— Tali Sharot

The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.

— Emily Dickinson

Your time belongs to you, not your stuff.

— Peter Walsh

The secret of happiness is: Find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it.

— Dan Dennett

The world ‘out there’ won’t change until the world ‘in here’ does.

— Deepak Chopra

Generosity is also an act of freedom, a casting off of the constraints of prudence and self-interest.

— Marilynne Robinson

Most dreams are also part reality (otherwise we wouldn’t believe them), and reality happens to be a condition that gives you plenty of chances through your life to rise to—no, soar through—the occasion.

— Leigh Newman

It’s in great joy that we grasp truth.

— Mark Leyner

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.

— Charles William Eliot

It only takes a split second to smile and forget, yet to someone that needed it, it can last a lifetime.

— Steve Maraboli

There is somebody out there who gets it—it being you.

— Leigh Newman

You have to ask yourself, ‘Does this item or thought or response move me closer to my vision for my best life?’ If it does, great. If it doesn’t, what is it doing in your life?

— Peter Walsh

Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.

— James Baldwin

There are two types of people I will always remember at the end of my days; those who have been the kind to me and those that have been anything but kind to me.

-My Quote

Remember, what you focus on expands; results follow focus.

— Marcus Buckingham

Love—as grand and as great and as healing as it is—requires boundaries.

— Dr. Robin Smith

If you get, give. If you learn, teach.

— Maya Angelou

We’re the creators of our own experience—remembering this, and living our lives from this perspective, empowers us.

— Mike Robbins

There is a nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy, a grace in forgiveness.

— John Connolly

Money should not cost you your joy

— Laurence G. Boldt,

You have to stop ‘going’ ‘doing’ and ‘chasing’ and start spending more time ‘being’ with yourself.

— Dr. Robert Holden

I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.

— Golda Meir

Busy-ness is a state of mind, not a fact. No matter how much or how little we’re doing, we’re always just doing what we’re doing, simply living this one moment of our lives.

— Norman Fischer

The knowledge of the past stays with us. To let go is to release the images and emotions, the grudges and fears, the clingings and disappointments of the past that bind our spirit.

— Jack Kornfield

Why you? Because there’s no one better. Why now? Because tomorrow isn’t soon enough.

— Donna Brazile

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10 Thoughts On Mindful Living…

 

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1.   Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion.

       Keep yours moving.

2.   Alignment comes naturally.

       Balance cannot be achieved by force.

3.   Yoga is more than a series of poses; it’s an approach to life-

       and to the world around you.

4.    A daily walk can reengage your body and mind.

5.    You can’t force flexibility.

        It’s about releasing and opening gradually.

6.   Experiment with exercise that soothes as well as strengthens. 

7.   Balance isn’t static; to achieve it,

       you have to move, adjust, and change.

8.    Your core supports the whole body.

        Explore ways to keep it strong.

9.    See physical fitness as a practice, not a goal.

10.  To find your strength, push past your comfort zone.

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STOP “SHOULDING” ALL OVER YOURSELF!

STOP “SHOULDING” ALL OVER YOURSELF!

BY EMILY GREENER 

 

 

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Expectations really are funny things. They surround us and our society seems to need them in order to know how to function day-to-day. I never thought there was anything wrong with expectations until I realized the problem isn’t what other people expect of us, it’s the expectations we put on ourselves and others that are so dangerous. We’re frantic to be anything and everything other than simply who we are, where we are, right now. The constant internal and external voicing of “should” perpetuates the endless not enough-ness that lives inside our heads and hearts. When we’re going fast, we “should” slow down and when we are slow, we “should” be more productive. We “should” be in a relationship, be single, get better grades, do more, weigh less, fight harder, live longer, be stronger, smarter, and more popular. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.

It’s been 28 years and I’m just now really aware of the critical voice inside my head. She makes me feel bad for being vulnerable or for not being more successful. When my body needs rest, she calls me lazy. And when I prioritize myself over others, she calls me a bad friend. She tells me that in order to have value and keep friends, I better use my gift to lift people up. If I’m not feeling particularly positive or high-energy, I “should” probably just fake it or stay home all together. The word “should” immediately implies that it’s not enough simply just being. You can imagine how easy it must be to live in constant disappointment of ourselves and I wonder how many of us do.

Well I’m here to tell you (and myself) that I’m fed up, so I’m eliminating the word “should” from my vocabulary. I’ll replace it with phrases like, “I’d love to” or just omit the term altogether. You’ll be truly shocked once you start to listen for that word just how often you hear it from people around you and inside your own head. So, I’m going to practice loving myself exactly as I am right now on a daily basis.

Can you imagine if we all agreed to give it our best shot and when we fall short, just call it what it is? “I’m being lazy and eating food that doesn’t give my body what it needs.” “I’m not motivated and my success will be affected by that.” “I’d really love to meditate today because I know how good it makes me feel.” How about some self-compassion? “I’m sorry, self that you don’t feel optimistic right now and whatever you’re feeling is causing you pain, but I know we will get through this.” How revolutionary!

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Quote…

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“I would rather die an individual than live my life as a clone.”
― Christine Marrero

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21 Suggestions For Success by H. Jackson Brown Jr.

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1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.

2. Work at something you enjoy and that’s worthy of your time and talent.

3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.

6. Be generous.

7. Have a grateful heart.

8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.

9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.

10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.

11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.

12. Commit yourself to quality.

13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige,
but on relationships with people you love and respect.

14. Be loyal.

15. Be honest.

16. Be a self starter.

17. Be decisive even if it means you’ll sometimes be wrong.

18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.

19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things
you didn’t do more than the ones you did.

20. Take good care of those you love.

21. Don’t do anything that wouldn’t make your Mom proud.

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Mad Girl by Sylvia Plath

Classic pink car at beach

“I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;

I lift my lids and all is born again.

(I think I made you up inside my head.)

 

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,

And arbitrary blackness gallops in:

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

 

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed

And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.

(I think I made you up inside my head.)

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An Update On A Lot To Lose…

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Today, I decided to take that dreaded step up onto the scale expecting to see the number higher than the last time I weighed myself and to my surprise I lost 4lbs! The past week and a half I’ve logged 27 miles of walking which I’m extremely proud of. I also started cooking each and every night, healthy, low calorie meals choc-full of flavor thanks to fresh herbs. I’ve sort-of reintroduced myself to my kitchen during this process because to be totally honest, I haven’t been cooking dinner for years. My husband has been the chef in the family and a fine chef he is, but I could see where we could tweak our diet here and there, cutting calories and enhancing the flavor of the food. It’s all coming together nicely and most importantly, it’s WORKING! I would like to close with leaving a picture of myself but I’m still not that brave, maybe next week

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Quote…

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“If you seek creative ideas go walking.
Angels whisper to a man when he goes for
a walk.”

― Raymond I. Myers

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