Category: Encouragement
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Quote of the Week…
“I have learned as a rule of thumb never to ask whether you can do something. Say, instead, that you are doing it. Then fasten your seatbelt. the most remarkable things follow.” Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way
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Saying Yes…
I’ve been practicing saying yes to things. I don’t always feel adequate or prepared, but in every case, the outcome is beyond my expectation. Saying Yes pushes fear aside and makes room for joy. The Joy of Djembe Drumming ensemble recently played at the Children’s Museum Houston in honor of Black History Month. When our…
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Observe Your World…
Observe Your World is one of my favorite ELAN Principles. It is closely related to staying present, being here, in this moment. And it corresponds to watching for and naming moments of beauty and abundance: a green sprout poking through concrete, fresh flowers in an unexpected place or stopping to turn your face upwards toward…
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Dancing Like Elaine…
I love to dance. Am I good at it? Does it matter? Recently I met friends at a local dive for live music and beer. Walking into the dark bar brought waves of nostalgia from school days in New Orleans, back when eighteen was the legal drinking age and still we used fake IDs. Ah,…
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Learning to Learn…
School days. I couldn’t wait for them to end. No books. No tests. No schedule. No teachers. Did I really think I could just coast through life on the limited knowledge gained in high school and college? Me living in the world today, stuck in that no-more-learning mindset would be a disaster. Can you imagine?…
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Floundering Founder…
Lifelong learning can be hard. And frustrating. Best to remain in kindergarten where there are snacks and nap time and the hardest thing you have to do is tie your shoes. My dad was a lifelong learner; he died at 95 with 1500 books waiting on his kindle. Like him, I itch to learn so…
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Lifelong Learning…
My good friend Linda is an excellent example of the tenth ELAN Principle: Be a Lifelong Learner. Semi-retired, she has dedicated three weeks this spring to travel to Paris for the sole purpose of immersion in all things French. She teaches French at the college level so I would call her fluent, but she recognizes…
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Big Girl Pants…
I hate these baggy, grown-up Big Girl Pants. I’d rather be lounging in my jammies. Wrapped in well-worn flannel can make me feel like the status quo is where it’s at, where I want to be. But then why the heck have I been writing and rewriting a novel for years? Jammie pants will not…
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And the Winner is…
Raise your hand if you have written a novel. Put it down if it has been published. Congratulations, you have done the work of writing, rewriting, editing, revising, pitching, promoting, suffering rejections (or worse, crickets) and/or followed the steps to self-publishing. Those of you with your hand still in the air, raise it higher if…
Patty Mayeux Blog 