Every year I watch, full of fear, as Californians flee (or don’t flee) homes that are devoured by wildfires. We have family and friends around the state; despite hearing about go-bags in the cars, I remain mystified by the the combination of steeliness and flexibility they display. On the other hand, I’ve met people who are frightened by New England’s blizzards and ice storms. After several years, I’m adjusting to Florida’s hurricanes. At first I relied on information from neighbors coupled with firm, specific instructions from my…
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Our Friend Oscar and His Inner Critic
Once upon a time we had a friend, a guy named Oscar. Like most — maybe all — of us, he had an inner critic. The problem was, he did not know that his inner critic could become an ally. Our friend struggled and stayed stuck — convinced that those ugly words the inner critic put into his head were, in fact, true. One day, somebody gave our friend a book. A very good book. An award-winning book. At first Oscar wasn’t sure why he had…
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When a Breeze Becomes a Sigh
Everyone in the northeast knows where to find “that tree” — the one that shows its vivid fall colors long before the others in the area. The ones that make us sigh with both resignation and delight.They live in neighborhoods, on street corners, beside streams and ponds, mountainsides and in certain corners of certain farms. Upon seeing them, my imagination tends to take me on a wild ride or two. I think of “those trees” personifying the story of Paul Revere’s midnight ride, “the snowflakes are…
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Facing Fear: A New Question for That Voice in Our Heads
When Henry Ford said “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eye off your goal” he was right. While some delight in constant change, when challenged to try something new, the first thing many of us feel is fear. Call it fear of failure. Or fear of the unknown. Or fear of missing out. A knot in the stomach or a dry mouth. Why question it? Plain old fear of we don’t know what can be enough. As readers of The Inner…
