Category Archives: Quotations

Feb 21 2012

Investment Advice, Good Karma Style

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Along with sending letters in the mail and talking on phones with a handset and a curly cord, I enjoy listening to the radio. I like the variety–and the live voice on the other end of the airwaves. And a few mornings ago, when I had the radio on while getting ready for work, two things caught my attention–a public service announcement and a song–both of which have been floating around in my head ever since.

“For each hour of regular exercise you get, you’ll gain about two hours of additional life expectancy.”
–American Heart Association

“Where you invest your love, you invest your life.”
–Mumford & Sons, “Awake My Soul”

Each thought is profound on its own. Invest in your life–for your heart’s sake. Invest in your heart–for your life’s sake. But together? They deliver a terrific jolt of present-moment awareness.

The secret to living the biggest, richest life possible? Hit the gym. Unroll your yoga mat. Chase the puck. Romp around the park with the dogs. Take a long walk. Speak from your heart. Pursue your dreams. Teach. Listen. Say I love you. Make the time. Rinse, lather, repeat.

*~*~*~*~

P.S. Here’s where you can find that stat from the American Heart Association–and a youtube link to “Awake My Soul.”

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©2012 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because it’s never to late to begin investing in yourself. (Photo by Makena G via Creative Commons.)

 

Sep 21 2010

Redoing the To-Do List

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“There is much to get done; therefore, we must go slowly.” I can’t remember who said it first, but boy was he (or she) right!

When the to-do list is a mile and a quarter long (And, really, whose isn’t?) the only chance we have of really getting things done is to slow waaaay down.

Less is more. Remember?

Today, instead of rushing to work to get crackin’ on that to-do list, I chose to hit the coffee shop. After getting my drink, I pulled out a blank sheet of paper and started writing. I wasn’t just wrapping my head around what I had to do; rather, I was getting clear on how I was going to do it. More intention, less agenda. Fifteen minutes later, I was ready to face my workday.

With a clear intention, we stand a much better chance of getting to the items on our own to-do lists—even when other people are adding their own items to it.

Want to re-do your to-do list? Here’s my approach for getting things done:

  • Start with a blank sheet of paper and take a few minutes to unload whatever thoughts are jumbling around in your head.
  • Remind yourself of your intention. (What are you working toward? What gets you energized?)
  • Create a short to-do list for the day. (3 to 5 items is realistic.)
  • Review each item and ask yourself, “If this was the only thing I got done today, how would I feel?” Make sure that something on your to-do list is fueling your intention.
  • Take a moment to think about how you’d like to feel (Calm? Productive? Connected?) and imagine yourself doing each of the items on your to-do list in this manner
  • Go out there and live your day.

If things don’t go as planned, that’s okay. Tomorrow you get to try all over again.

“Love of bustle is not industry.”
                                  –Seneca

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© 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because less on your to-do list can make you more productive. Whodda thunk? (Photo by Shereen M via Creative Commons.)

Sep 12 2010

Quotation: On Taking Action

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“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
                                                                                                              –Theodore Roosevelt

I recently came across a to-do/goals list from a few years ago—and was stunned to see just how many of those items I was still working toward. Lofty ambitions, largely untouched. And I suspect, if I looked through my old notebooks, these same things would be on my wish list.

What if I had tackled these things in small bits—bird by bird, as Anne LaMott would say—where would I be now? What amazing feats could I have accomplished?

What I’ve finally learned is that there is no such thing as the “right” time. Perfectionism is procrastination. If I give myself permission to do things imperfectly, I get things done. And the funny thing is that the outcome is usually pretty darn good.

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© 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because you never know unless you try. (Photo by other cities via Creative Commons.)

Sep 6 2010

Gratitude Roundup: Summer Lovin’

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Alas, (not to be confused with  “at last”) it’s fall. Sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes are just around the bend. Scarves, too. (I love scarves!) And even though the calendar still says we have two more weeks of summer, I’ll always associate September 1 with fall’s unofficial start. Maybe it’s the latent meteorologist in me . . .

But before I usher in autumn, I must pay homage it its spunky little sister. This year’s summer was filled with things to love, both big and small. Such as: 

  • Park trips aplenty with the pups and my beloved
  • My best pal moving back east
  • An indulgent, two-hour yin + vinyasa workshop with YogaThree’s Chanel Luck and Bonnie Argo
  • Upleveling my life with creativity coach extraordinaire, Christine Kane
  • An outdoor yoga class in the DeCordova sculpture park
  • Learning how to hold ’em and fold ’em
  • A new car (after a year-plus of being a one-car family)
  • Hosting a fancy-pants dinner party at the Liberty Hotel (even though the hotel lost our flowers)
  • My hair got crazy long
  • Perfecting the art of cold-brewed iced coffee (thanks to smallnotebook)
  • Front-row seats to see Willie Nelson at the House of Blues (and access, to the fancy-pants Foundation Lounge)
  • Laughing in yoga classes with Boston’s omgal, Rebecca
  • Cupcakes and iced coffee on the porch of a yellow Victorian with my best pal
  • Discovering lovely, serene sittin’ spots around town
  • Getting my geek on with this uber-addictive card game
  • Digging my toes in the sand while sitting beneath my beach umbrella
  • Taking lunchtime walks and snapping photos (like the one above) on my cell phone
  • Falling in love with croonsmith Ray LaMontagne
  • Playing bocce (win!) and mini golf (let’s not talk about that score)
  • A leisurely, cloudy morning spent at a harborside coffee shop (with a new notebook in tow)
  • A foodie gift bag from a friend, which included the most lovely jar of dandelion honey from Italy
  • Trying new flavors at the ice cream stand up the street from my house (graham central—yum!)
  • Eating raspberries in the parking lot at Russell Orchards, fresh from the field, still warm from the sun

I’m a simple pleasures kinda gal. Sure, a week on an island would have been lovely. But my memory of those raspberries is priceless . . .

“That much gathers more is true on every plane of existence.”
                                                                    –Charles Haanel

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© 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because, so often, the little things can add up to something spectacular. 

Sep 3 2010

Quotation: On Slowing Down

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“There is much to be done; therefore, we must proceed slowly.”
                                                                                       –Buddha

It’s a three-day weekend. Slow down. Hit the park. Pick up a book. Take a nap. Do yoga. Buy an ice cream cone. Whatever feeds your soul.

Prioritize. Nurture yourself now so that you’ve got the energy to get things done later.

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© 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because being busy and being productive are not the same thing. (Photo by Ed Yourdon via Creative Commons.)

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