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Hallways
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. – Semisonic, Closing Time When faced with an exciting new beginning, we may be inclined to ignore some other beginning’s end. Excitement is more palatable than grief. Alternatively, when we are forced to face a sorrowful ending, we can’t always recognize that it is also a new beginning. This is the way of life. Seasons change. Children grow. Relationships evolve. We are in a constant state of flux transitioning from one phase to the next. Sometimes these transitions are obvious and remarkable–a snowfall, a driver’s license, an engagement ring. Other times, it’s more subtle–only clear in retrospect. For example, it’s difficult to discern the exact moment adolescence begins. There…
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Partners
She was struck by the simple truth that sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people… -Nicholas Sparks Accountability partners are a relatively new invention. At least, that term for them is. The concept is not new. People have benefitted from the mutual commitment to assist one another in achieving their goals for as long as there have been people with goals. Nonetheless, the concept has come into vogue in the last couple decades. Business magazines, health journals, and religious publications all tout the benefits of having an accountability partner. There are even phone apps for the less socially inclined. It’s an interesting…
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Expectable
In a recent conversation with my 12 year old son, I demanded to know was his behavior acceptable?? Frankly, I was trying to maintain my composure. I had just walked into a family room that could have been declared a disaster area for the number of Legos strewn about the floor. He and his sister had been playing there all morning. My son was thoughtfully quiet and then responded, “Not acceptable…but expectable.” And, in that moment, I knew he was right. It’s easy to deny the nature of people–even ourselves. We like to pretend that certain proclivities, big or small don’t exist. Or that they were temporary. Certainly, the object of our expectations has out grown…
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Three Words
Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become your character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny. This quote, or one similar to it, has been attributed to several sources including Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi. Regardless of its origin, its verity is without question. Another way to think of it is “what we focus on…grows”. Or, most succinctly “as you think, so you become”. Earlier this year, I was listening to a favorite podcast, the One You Feed. It is named for the parable of the two wolves at battle within each of us.…
