“ I was always fascinated by people who are considered completely normal, because I find them the weirdest of all.” ~ Johnny Depp What do you consider normal? When is something truly bizarre? And what does it mean to 'normalize' something? I'm sure you remember being a kid and visiting someone else's house, [...]
“ The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” ~ Coco Chanel What does freedom mean to you? What kind is most important? How do you know when you are liberated? The way Janis Joplin sang it — “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” Flip the maxim and [...]
“ Nothing is pleasant that is not spiced with variety. ” ~ Francis Bacon Where does diversity show up in your life? How many kinds can you count? Why is it so important? The word for the day bubbled up as I wandered around London’s historic Kew Gardens, which bills itself as one [...]
“ Miracles do not, in fact, break the laws of nature.” ~ C.S. Lewis How do you define your garden? Do you consider your workplace your atelier? Where exactly is the edge of your dance floor anyway? I’ve been thinking about Chauncey Gardiner again lately. Tending my garden in Guignier might have something [...]
“ You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” ~ Maya Angelou What do you think about altruism? Is it different than contribution? And how do generosity and creativity fit into the picture? You heard it over and over when you were a kid, especially around the holidays. [...]
“ May you have the courage to begin; the patience to persist; and the strength to finish.” ~ Michael Bassey Johnson Did you ever ride a bike with training wheels when you were a kid? Or even trickier, have you ever tried walking on a tight rope? How about paddling a canoe or [...]
“ You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Can you take a walk and hold a conversation at the same time? How about washing the dishes and listening to music? For that matter can you rub your belly [...]
“ Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses ” ~ Confucius How do you measure up at the end of the day? What’s your yardstick for success? Why are principles and values so important? Have you ever been in a high stakes competition where you thought you had a shot at first place only to [...]
“ Discord on one level is harmony on another ” ~ Alan Watts Are you ever tempted to multitask? Do you find it easy to focus? When is it important to be methodical? When it comes to the human operating system, there is no one-size-fits-all. Everyone has a different comfort level when it [...]
“ Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in while, or the light won't come in.” ~ Alan Alda Have you made any assumptions lately? How did they turn out? Why do we have to be careful with them? Assumptions are tricky, one size does not fit all. You [...]
