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Invictus Investing
“Your efforts are paying fantastic dividends.” He said it as he walked from the bakery to his car a white paper bag clutched in his left hand. I had been running almost three miles by then, only half-present to the familiar landmarks of my daily route, and he caught me by surprise. That time of morning, most people aren’t out and about. Even fewer are chatty. He was heavy-set. Ambling more than walking. And his tone made it unclear if his comment was as much a compliment to me as it was a condemnation of himself. The thought kept the words with me the rest of the way home…efforts…dividends. I…
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Giggles
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. — Mae West I have a friend who advocates giggling (his word) daily. He’s always trying get people to smile and professes that the giggle is always there if you look for it. I’m inclined to agree. No matter how busy or important or sad our day is, there is always a laugh to be had somewhere. Laughter costs nothing and lifts our spirits. Some people like puns or word play. (A dyslexic walks into a bra…) Others, often below the age of ten, prefer the most nonsensical of all silliness the knock-knock joke. Regardless of our brand of humor, when laughter…
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Sunday Sunday
Early last Sunday morning, I was running past a friend’s house in the pre-dawn quiet. Her Jeep was parked outside. I knew she was sleeping. Sunday is her only day off of work. It is the day she rests. In spite of the fact that “resting on the seventh day” is often referenced, the idea of resting at all has become counterculture in our world. Many stores operate 24/7. Businesses expect their employees to be available 24/7. And certainly, the internet knows no limits on its productive time. It would seem that we have “evolved” beyond a six-day work week. But…is it wise? Research tells us that taking a rest from exercise at regular intervals actually…
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The Struggle Is Real
One of our greatest freedoms is the freedom to choose. Regardless of the degree of complexity of the choices, being able to choose is a gift. As with our other freedoms, this gift comes with a cost. In 2011, John Tierney wrote an article for the New York Times Magazine entitled Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue? It centered around the idea that we have a finite cognitive budget and each decision we make has a physiological cost. The more choices or decisions we make, the more energy we expend (spend). Now, it doesn’t take one of the several scientists quoted in Tierney’s article to tell us that we have more brain energy at the beginning of the day…
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Inner Work
I started writing in response to what Parker J. Palmer defines as “inner work” in his book, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. As opposed to the outer work of our vocations, obligations, or hobbies, inner work is the work of attending to our spirits. I felt called to write. I felt (and ignored) this calling for some time, allowing it to wander about with me like a devoted pet. Finally, I listened. While it might seem that outer work is a requirement of life and inner work is optional, that is not true. Inner work links us to our emotions, spirits, and the places in our gut that drive our actions. Engaging with or leading others…
