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“Gratitude is not only the recognition of goodness; it is the recognition that we have been part of another person’s story in a way that mattered .”— Robert Emmons (paraphrased synthesis of his work) “Stories are the way we remember what counts. When someone tells us how we mattered in their story, it becomes easier to believe that our life has meaning.”— Dan McAdams (adapted from narrative identity research) “Gratitude strengthens relationships not just because it feels good

“Vocation does not come from willfulness. It comes from listening.”— Parker J. Palmer For many years, my father did not like Santa. Nor December. Not even the Christmas season. He was a bit of a Grinch. But not because his heart was two sizes too small. It was something different. He loved Jesus with a steady, serious devotion. He was a minister. He believed Christmas mattered. And because it mattered so much, he felt protective of it. Anything that felt like a distraction

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate… to have made some difference that you have lived and lived well.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson One of my favorite ways to drift into sleep is a quiet little ritual you may recognize as a loving-kindness meditation. It’s a simple practice — offering kind wishes to ourselves and others: “May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be at ease.” When I'm lying in the dark, I start with myself,

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples." — Mother Teresa For years, my husband John began his days with a simple purpose: “To improve the quality of life of each person I have the opportunity to touch.” As I have mentioned previously. As a dentist, that meant much more than fixing teeth. It meant smiling at patients, listening to their worries, encouraging their courage, and creating a calm place where fear could disso

“To have purpose is to make a contribution — to be part of something bigger than yourself.” — Roy Baumeister I’ve been watching my husband, John, go through something that I think many people experience quietly but rarely talk about: the sudden disappearance of purpose after retirement. When John was practicing dentistry, he was utterly clear on his mission: to improve the quality of life of each person he had the opportunity to touch.  Dentistry was simply the doorway. What

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”— Henri Nouwen, Dutch Catholic priest, writer,...

And when you looked to this part of the world, grandmothers are considered to be the custodians of local culture and wisdom. And they are...

And so when we're doing things that light us up, we're being purposeful...Dr. Jordan Grumet On Sundays, I take six or so kids, including...

Yes, I saw and read some of the political news yesterday. I am politically independent - still I have plenty of thoughts about what path...

What do most people say on their deathbed? They don't say, "I wish I'd made more money." What they say is, I wish I'd spent more time...

Life comes from physical survival; but the good life comes from what we care about. Rollo May Last night John and I caught up on the news...

There is what I would call the hero journey, the night sea journey, the hero quest, where the individual is going to bring forth in his...

"The wound is the place where the light enters you." Rumi, poet Some years ago, my brother, Steve, shot himself.  Steve never recovered...

Values provide perspective in the best of times and the worst. Charles Garfield . Here’s one early takeaway from this article.  A simple...

"Adversity, in whatever form, can teach us valuable lessons and make us stronger if we have the courage to face it." Elizabeth Smart,...

"You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice."  Bob Marley, singer Last week we were visiting with some...

There is definitely openness to others' suffering that is dealt not with distress but with compassion. Matthieu Ricard A couple of months...

“The fundamental human experience is that of compassion." ― Joseph Campbell, The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life & Work...

I don’t know if we can be trusted with such a weapon. But I know the Nazis can’t. We have no choice. – Oppenheimer, the movie Yay space!...

"All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone," Blaise Pascal, French philosopher I was thinking...