Words of Wisdom

Kindness is the Answer

Posted on by Amy
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.   

Even after all these years I struggle to put into words the feelings I felt watching the Towers fall that fateful September day. Anger, fear, shock, awe, gratitude, wonder, amazement and everything in between coursed through my veins at various moments over the days that followed and still do when I stop to really think about what happened to individuals, communities and our nation (and world) as a whole. At a remembrance program this evening one of the speakers mentioned that he missed the feelings of September 12th. After the biggest shock had settled in (it would never really wear off) there was room for the outpourings of love and faith and hope and humanity that surged immediately after the attacks. Our country is in desperate need of those feelings again and each of us has the choice and opportunity daily to either react and give in to the hatred and negativity that we are constantly bombarded with or take a stand and represent the love, hope, positivity, goodness and more that each of us needs in our lives.

On a similar note, if you haven’t heard about or had a chance to watch the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor, I highly recommend you do so immediately. Fred Rogers was an incredible example of living your beliefs and accepting everyone for who they are. You can’t help but walk out of the movie theater feeling lighter, more hopeful, and eager to share that light and glow with everyone you come in contact with. And that was exactly his point. You don’t need to do anything over the top or miraculous, just be you. And let those around you be them. Love and appreciate each other for our similarities and differences. There’s a great magic in accepting and being accepted and that magic can change the world.

I can’t wait to learn more when I dig into his biography a little later as well. Darn library hold list…I think I’m #126. :/ But if you get a chance check out The Good Neighbor: The Life and Works of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King and let me know how it is!

I’ll leave you with a few quotes by the great man and the challenge to make a difference today, tomorrow wherever you may be.

How Important Mr Rogers quote

 

Mr Rogers quote self worth

 

Mr Rogers quote be kind

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Words of Wisdom ~ Ortega y Gasset

Posted on by Amy
Bryce Sunrise
Beyond living and dreaming
There is something more important:
Waking up.
~Ortega y Gasset

This is a truth I’ve been trying to learn recently. For me, it’s sort of akin to acceptance and letting go. Dreams are great and necessary as is the monotony of every day living but when those two things meld together there’s a beautiful catharsis that occurs. We awaken to the possibilities of our dreams without holding them up as unrealistic expectations that are bound to disappoint and we begin to see the blessings in every day amidst the struggles and drudgery that often weigh us down. We accept the truth and reality of our current situation but recognize that we are not limited by those situations while concurrently recognizing that failure to live a particular dream or reach an expected milestone does not equal failure. When we wake up to each moment and fully live it we can experience something deeper than the moment itself.

**As part of surrendering to imperfections I acknowledge the ‘failure’ of a past blog and absorb a few of those former posts here in the new format. So please enjoy a few repeat posts, or if you for some reason followed me before please re-enjoy them a second time! 🙂

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Welcome March

Posted on by Amy

 

fringed tulip

February is the shortest month but by golly, it sure feels like the longest one! We haven’t had as brutal of weather here as many across the country have but it’s still been cold and dreary and well, to be honest, I’m over it! So, welcome March! I’m so glad you’re here! And here’s a lovely little verse from Emily Dickinson to say it better than I could.

 

Dear March – Come in –

How glad I am –

I hoped for you before –

Put down your Hat –

You must have walked –

How out of Breath you are –

Dear March, how are you, and the Rest –

Did you leave Nature well –

Oh March, Come right upstairs with me –

I have so much to tell –

 

I got your Letter, and the Birds –

The Maples never knew that you were coming –

I declare – how Red their Faces grew –

But March, forgive me –

And all those Hills you left for me to Hue –

There was no Purple suitable –

You took it all with you –

 

Who knocks? That April –

Lock the Door –

I will not be pursued –

He stayed away a Year to call

When I am occupied –

But trifles look so trivial

As soon as you have come

That blame is just as dear as Praise

And Praise as mere as Blame –

 

~Emily Dickinson

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Words of Wisdom ~ Brene Brown

Posted on by Amy

Braving the Wilderness

Once we belong thoroughly to ourselves and believe thoroughly in ourselves, true belonging is ours….Belonging to ourselves means being called to stand alone–to brave the wilderness of uncertainty, vulnerability, and criticism.   

~ Brene Brown

If you haven’t read any of Brene Brown’s work her latest (Braving the Wilderness) is a great place to start.  You can check out my full review of the book here.

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Words of Wisdom ~ Giving Thanks

Posted on by Amy

Logan Barn

The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life. 

-Joseph F Smith

I love that we begin the holiday season with counting our blessings and giving thanks. I think it helps to put things into perspective and (ideally) sets us on a path toward charity and giving as we head towards Christmas.

I had the opportunity to spend time with the hubs’ family this year. We ventured north to Logan, a rural college town (go Aggies!) where the pace is slower and the air a bit fresher. Our holiday was perfectly chill with lots of food, great discussions and book recommendations, good movies and several walks around the neighborhood enjoying the splendors of nature. I’m so grateful for all of those things, pretty much all the favorites of my life. I hope your holiday was blessed and your plates full!

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Words of Wisdom ~ Don Blanding

Posted on by Amy

Chiang Mai Thailand

For as long as I can remember I’ve been at war with myself.  I long for adventure yet I crave the comforts of home.  My soul seeks new people and places to discover while simultaneously wanting longevity and stability and sameness in my surroundings and relationships.

I stumbled on this poem by Don Blanding recently and it sums up my struggles perfectly.

This blog is partly a celebration of that split personality complex.  The simpler and finer things in life, the ways I seek to branch out and explore this amazing world around us and the ways I seek to enrich but simplify my daily sphere of influence which is sometimes so small it’s nearly microscopic.

As an introvert my natural tendencies are to do things like curl up in a fluffy blanket with a mug of peppermint tea and a good book and stay there forever. If I’m feeling really brave (and the weather is cooperative) I’ll venture outside and do a little reading under the shade of a friendly tree. Not a bad existence, really. But there’s also this insatiable itch inside me that has become more and more persistent with the passing years. I think I did a pretty good job of ignoring it all through high school and college until finally, one day it would no longer be ignored.

I never set out to travel the world, or move thousands of miles from home to live in a place where I didn’t know a soul, or even to learn to play the harmonica but I’ve done all of those things and more. And while at first they happened sort of accidentally, I’ve begun to learn how to listen to that itchy inner voice and plan adventures on purpose, as well (it’s a lot more fun that way!)

Some days the introvert wins the battle and some days the adventurer claims the victory but only time will tell which side will ultimately win the war. Accidents still happen, and adventure still isn’t my default setting. I still love to escape into a world where the only conversation that occurs is between fictional characters on a printed page.  But I’m looking forward to a lifetime of continued adventures, big or small, accidental or otherwise, and sharing a few of them here with you.

P.S. I’d love to hear about your adventures as well!  Comments are always appreciated!

**Photo taken in Chiang Mai, Thailand
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