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Posts from the ‘Quotes’ Category

Jul 7

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Nap Investment

We need to diversify and balance what we do with our time investments –  work, play, people, rest, reflection. I can tell when I’m out of balance and it affects my outlook and attitude, stealing my days. Take time each day to rest, restore and renew your mind, spirit and body to stay in balance. Quiet the chatter in your mind and simply relax into the moment. Never underestimate the value of a good nap.

“Work is not always required. There is such a thing as sacred idleness.” - George MacDonald

“Work is not always required. There is such a thing as sacred idleness.” – George MacDonald

“I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four.” – Yogi Berra

“I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four.” – Yogi Berra

Jul 5

8 Comments

Defy Gravity

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure , the process is its own reward.” – Amelia Earhart

While we may not have control of our circumstances, we have the freedom to choose our attitude, thoughts, perspectives and actions. Defy gravity. Take flight.

“We'd never know how high we are, till we are called to rise; and then, if we are true to plan, our statures touch the sky.” - Emily Dickinson

“We’d never know how high we are, till we are called to rise; and then, if we are true to plan, our statures touch the sky.” – Emily Dickinson

Jul 3

6 Comments

Wake Up Call

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” – Socrates

“My appointed work is to awaken the divine nature that is within.” – Peace Pilgrim

“My appointed work is to awaken the divine nature that is within.” – Peace Pilgrim

“Busy” is the response you’ll get from most people when you ask “how are you?” Or the benign “fine.”  And do we really want to know since we’re feeling the same? We juggle a lot (too much) – overcommitted, bouncing frantically from one “important” thing to the next on autopilot. All stressed up and several places to go, but going nowhere. Quantity not quality. Urgent trumps important. Surface vs. depth. Our success defined by the number of items checked off a ridiculously long and bottomless “to-do” list and how many activities we can jam into the day.

Chaos can serve as a wake up call. Slow down, detach and quiet the noise to hear yourself and others. We have choices of where we invest our time, talent and attention. Choose carefully and invest wisely. Never let circumstances or people defeat your spirit, dim your light.  Wake up and stop hitting the snooze button. These days won’t come again. So turn off cruise control and start driving the car.

Jun 26

8 Comments

Finishing Touch

“Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another.” – Thomas Merton

My parents drove up to Duluth early Saturday morning to surprise my brother at the finish of his first marathon. With great anticipation, we waited in the rain for him to turn the final corner. Cameras ready and cow bells ringing, Tina, Emily and I were cheering to get his attention and then pointed out Mom and Dad. John’s mouth dropped and he stopped in his tracks to embrace Dad. Emily brilliantly captured the moment, summing it all up.

Family, friends, love, unwavering support, being there in the rain to celebrate our wins, easing the heavy steps all make the long race possible and meaningful. The finishing touch to the journey well traveled, never alone.

“At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.” – Plato

“At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.” – Plato

Jun 25

4 Comments

Mission Accomplished

“If you raise your children to feel that they can accomplish any goal or task they decide upon, you will have succeeded as a parent and you will have given your children the greatest of all blessings.” – Brian Tracy

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” – Napoleon Hill

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” – Napoleon Hill

There’s nothing quite like achieving a personal goal after months of work and effort. Each day, through repetition, consistency and seemingly small steps, the goal becomes real with time and patience.

This past weekend, my brother John finished his first marathon and my niece Emily finished her first half marathon. I’ve done dozens of half marathons and am training this summer for my second marathon in Fall. It was refreshing to see the event through their fresh eyes.

When I was running with Emily, she kept telling me to go ahead. I would have finished earlier but I would have missed the joy of watching her goal unfold to fruition 13.1 miles later. Our victories aren’t always in being first or fast but in showing up, doing the work and finishing. And the victories are always sweeter when shared.

Jun 19

15 Comments

Let Go of the Rope

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning.” – Lao Tzu

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” – Havelock Ellis

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” – Havelock Ellis

Summer reminds me of waterskiing the beautiful lakes and rivers in Minnesota. Walking out of work after another thick day, “let go of the rope” came to mind. When you start losing your balance waterskiing, you naturally let go of the rope so you don’t get pulled under and dragged along. A vivid reminder of releasing and letting go of the day, finding a renewed balance.

We think that we should hold tight no matter what, even if it drags us under. There’s no heroism or strength in stupidity and stubbornness. When you get off balance and start to fall, let go of the rope. You’ll float.

Jun 15

2 Comments

Stand Out

“No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.” – George Washington Carver

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

Do not merely blend in, go along to get along, fit into the pack. Conformity dulls and mutes beautiful color. Define yourself and live it without hesitation, leaving more behind because you passed by. We are here to be salt and light, to stand out. Be bold and transform yourself and in turn the world.

Jun 11

2 Comments

Magnify

“There’s no enlightenment outside of daily life.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Put down the binoculars, searching in the distance. Pick up a magnifying glass to this day, to now. Surely amidst the daily routine and rush, you can find but one good thing, then another and another. You are not where you’ve been and you are going where you need to. Look through the glass with awe, surprise and delight.

Do the work, find the joy in it, then put it down. Rest, reflect and do it again. The rhythm of daily life. The outcomes come whether we worry about them or not. Let life unfold without pushing. Magnify each moment.

Jun 9

4 Comments

Breeze

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius

“What you really want for yourself is always trying to break through, just as a cooling breeze flows through an open window on a hot day. Your part is to open the windows of your mind.” – Vernon Howard

“What you really want for yourself is always trying to break through, just as a cooling breeze flows through an open window on a hot day. Your part is to open the windows of your mind.” – Vernon Howard

Heads up and heads out the window – notice the day and simply enjoy it. Don’t overcomplicate, just accept the moment.

Jun 6

8 Comments

Untether

“It is not the end of the physical body that should worry us. Rather, our concern must be to live while we’re alive – to release our inner selves from the spiritual death that comes with living behind a facade designed to conform to external definitions of who and what we are.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Growing up, we would play tetherball on the playground. Hitting the tied ball back and forth until it would wrap around the pole to win the game. What we tether to, binds us in the same way, holding us back from good days, a good life. Assumptions, attitudes, ideas, judgments, biases, the past… Cut the cords and watch those heavy balls turn into balloons, floating away. Untether, lighten up.

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