“You may love ’em, but you can’t be ’em.” ~ Ray Bradbury
“If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?” ―
A man seated at a bar turns to the man sitting next to him and says, “Hello, where are you from?”
The man next to him replies, “I’m from Ireland.”
The first man’s eyes widen as he replies, “Me too! What part of the city are you from?”
The second man replies, “I’m from Castletown, near Phoenix Park.”
The first man replies, “Me too! What’s the name of your grandmother?”
The second man replies, “Dorothy.”
The first man replies, “Wow, mine too!”
About that time, a new customer walks into the bar and asks the barkeep, “Hey Mac, what’s new?”
The barkeep replies, “Nothing much. The Thompson twins are drunk again.”
Don’t Forget to Check In With Yourself
It’s easy to get caught up with preparing dinner or wrapping gifts until your fingers fall off, but be sure to take a few seconds to ask what’s going on with you.
“Do a daily check-in with yourself each morning to see what you need, just for you, that day,” Patel says. “It could be the simplest thing like your morning coffee alone, a 30-minute walk with your favorite music, or drinking a green juice to fuel your body.”
Life
Charlotte Bronte
LIFE, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall?
Rapidly, merrily,
Life’s sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily
Enjoy them as they fly!
What though Death at times steps in,
And calls our Best away?
What though sorrow seems to win,
O’er hope, a heavy sway?
Yet Hope again elastic springs,
Unconquered, though she fell;
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.
Manfully, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell despair!
When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at 4:00 am and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for 10km or swim for 1500m (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at 9:00 pm. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind. But to hold to such repetition for so long — six months to a year — requires a good amount of mental and physical strength. In that sense, writing a long novel is like survival training. Physical strength is as necessary as artistic sensitivity. ~ Haruki Murakami
Straighten Up
You’ve likely heard that certain power stances—standing like Super Woman, for example—instantly boost your self-confidence, making you look mighty when you feel puny. It turns out, you don’t even need to leave your chair to strike that pose: Simply sitting up straight and lifting your chest can make you feel more confident than slouching over, science says.
When we sleep, our brains recharge, ensuring we wake up alert and clear-headed. Without enough rest, our energy, attention and memory are reduced and stress hormones go through the roof. Thus, happy people make sleep a priority.
“Life is short. Kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly.” ~ Paulo Coehlo
“I have a glass of water or a cup of tea. There’s a certain time I sit down, from 8:00 to 8:30, somewhere within that half hour every morning,” he explained. “I have my vitamin pill and my music, sit in the same seat, and the papers are all arranged in the same places. The cumulative purpose of doing these things the same way every day seems to be a way of saying to the mind, you’re going to be dreaming soon.”
