Some people say that today is the “shortest day of the year.” Technically it’s the day of the year (if you live in the northern hemisphere) when there are fewer hours and minutes of daylight than any other. So in actuality, today will be neither longer nor shorter than yesterday. And while this cold and …
Yes or no? Oh, if only it was that simple! A few months ago I noticed a billboard on my drive to one of my consulting gigs. It was sponsored by an organization that serves addicted individuals. The sign said, “Addiction is not a choice. It’s a disease.” Upon reading it my first response was …
There’s much that I love about this time of year and in particular, this weekend. Yes, an “extra hour” sounds like such a gift (even if it’s just the same hour we gave up earlier this year.) And even if this “extra hour” isn’t really free time, the idea having more time certainly appeals to us …
Folks have strong feelings about storms and they certainly seem to be a part of life, so here a few quotes about storms. Today my wish for you is the sentiment contained in the last quote. But first, take a moment to read and consider these other quotes by Paulo Coelho (and feel free to …
Right? We may as well “let” it rain rather than hate it, wish against it, or try to pretend it isn’t raining. Rain happens and I usually choose to suppose that the rain happens for a reason. Then it’s not only neutral, but it actually feels positive. Decades ago, whenever there was a thunderstorm, my …
This weekend I had an opportunity to hear an extraordinary organist (Dr. Robin Dinda) perform an improvisation on “Morning Has Broken,” and the tune – while always a favorite – has been dancing, or perhaps tiptoeing, through my head. This morning as I drove a familiar route I was wooed into the woods to snap …
Over the weekend on three occasions in three different places, I saw grackles. Of course, at this time of year, seeing birds is not unusual, but grackles aren’t that common around here. This week I rediscovered a small collection of labradorite stones that I had stashed away. I observed a similarity between grackles and labradorite. …
I guess this may be a continuation of an idea I wrote about recently. Sometimes it seems like the woods woos us to come, to look, to listen, to wander and ponder. So does it seem to you that sometimes hope is hiding? Requiring you to move, to go, to stoop, to kneel, to stretch? …
This weekend, countless earthlings will mark Earth Day with celebrations of various sorts. On a personal level, every day the Earth offers us a chance to be still, to seek communion with nature, to be grounded. Perhaps it is in the quiet of the woods or the rhythmic sounds of the surf that we can …
Without rain, nothing grows. That’s just one of a bunch of ideas to hold on a rainy day. You’ve heard others, no doubt. Do us all a favor and share your rainy day wisdom. Share a quote that might help someone get through a dreary day. You might even push back your own clouds. Here …
It’s out there. It’s always out there. It’s always out there even when we don’t take time to see it, to appreciate it, or to let it move us. Every season has its inherent beauty and even in the midst of a vast urban cityscape, there is natural beauty. Snowfall has a way of making …
Rainy Day A rainy day? – Oh no! A gray day might make some of us feel sluggish, tired, or even grumpy. But to some extent, we really do get to decide what kind of day we’ll have. We don’t control the circumstances (and surely not the weather!) but we DO have the authority to …
Opportunities and Sunsets Opportunities are like sunsets – if you wait too long, they’re gone. And even while the sun WILL set tomorrow, it will be a different sunset. Similarly, the opportunity that tomorrow MIGHT hold, will not be the opportunity that today holds. Seize it. Do it now. What are we waiting for? We …
Snow and Slow “Snow is like kindness – it beautifies everything it covers.” – Kahlil Gibran Let us take a cue from nature today and slow things down a bit. Isn’t that what nature seems to say when snowstorms come? And to take a cue from Gibran, let us look for opportunities to show kindness …
Best Thing To Do When It’s Raining What do YOU do on a rainy day? Some people grab their boots and head for a puddle, some folks really like rainy days. There’s a word for people like that – a real word! They are called pluviophiles. If you ever see someone (or ARE someone) who …
