I take issue with the phrase, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” (Random mental asides in quotations.) First of all, we live in a complicated world. Shades of grey fill our lives. The probability of a random thing being either black or white is zero. (Note: mathematically speaking, that does not mean impossible.) Therefore, all things lie on a Continue Reading
How to Practice Proactive Patience
I’m a person of action. I like to move and do. I don’t like to sit still. I certainly don’t like to wait. Given all that, it comes as no surprise that patience comes hard to me. This time of year, I especially struggle with patience. I want to play outside in the longer spring days, but snow still covers the ground. The snow’s deteriorated beyond cross-country skiing, and Continue Reading
How to Fall Down and Succeed
This week, I took some spectacular falls. Each one made me smile. Why did falling down make me smile? Because I was brave enough to try. I smiled when I skidded on my side across a concrete floor. I had been brave enough to try a new roller skating stop at full speed. I smiled when I dropped six feet and bounced on my rope and safety harness three stories off the Continue Reading
3 Lessons Learned By an Analytical Person in a Touchy-Feely World
I am a very analytical person. In some people’s words, I think too much. When I look at a problem or task, I see infinite possibilities. Each path is no better or worse than any other until proven otherwise. I am not satisfied with the “recommended” solution. Even with anecdotal evidence, I yearn to try multiple options. I’m curious. I just want to see what happens. I Continue Reading
The Graceful Way to Weather Bumps in the Road
If I had to pick one word to describe my first downhill ski day of the season, I would pick “bumpy.” Perfectly groomed corduroy greeted me, even though I arrived midday. The frozen grooves in the snow had withstood earlier skiers without breaking down one bit. You see, the temperatures had roller-coastered throughout the week. The day before had been 40 degrees and rainy. Continue Reading
