Category: Writing
-
TAB…
TAB is one of my favorite reminders of the importance of watching your language. We don’t often think about the steps that lead to our behavior. It is what happens, deal with it. But there is an attitude that drives that action. Beyond that, there is a thought that informs that attitude. Thought, Attitude, Behavior. …
-
Rebirth…
Springtime – dormant blooms peek through thawing ground and baby bunnies hop around fences. Yesterday, my wonderful home church celebrated the resurrection of Jesus after a week of services that commemorated every aspect of Holy Week. The day before I helped flower a twelve-foot cross that would adorn the sanctuary on Sunday morning. I couldn’t…
-
High Stepping…
When working on a big project it is tempting to plod through, even if it means dragging one foot in front of the other to the finish line. I’ve never run a marathon, but I have ridden my bicycle from Houston to Austin for the MS150. The two-day ride was grueling and pushed my non-athletic…
-
Beautiful Balance…
I recently tagged along with friends to visit a local textile art exhibit. My first reaction was to refuse the invite, given that it conflicted with a day set aside for writing, all cozy and comfy in my closet. But, as much as I protect my “jammie day,” the pull toward art is greater. For…
-
Watch Your Language…
This is one of my favorite ELAN Principles because the words we choose directly affect our perception and thoughts. We may have no power over the actions of others, but we have control over our words. We choose our internal language. It takes practice, but we can adopt a more positive dialect. In the tiny,…
-
Adopt a Policy…
Maybe there is a catchier way to say it, but adopt a policy means to make a decision once about an issue that comes up repeatedly. Then stick to it. When we had a landline, I decided to always respond to the urgings of telemarketers with “I have a policy to never participate in phone…
-
Stir the Current Current…
Have you been observing your world? Really paying attention rather than floating down the river of life allowing the current to carry you wherever? What contemporary wave is driving your reality? The current of the world changes constantly. Trends. Fashions. Conventional Wisdom. Opinions. Likes and Dislikes. It is tempting to lay back in the boat…
-
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…
-
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,…
-
Double Grief…
In 2008 we lived in a nearly idyllic bayside community in Galveston, catching fish and crab in our literal back yard while soaking up salty sea spray and sun rays. Until Ike, a Category 4 hurricane, plowed right over our shores and into our homes. Ike turned island living into years of construction and boarded…
Patty Mayeux Blog 