writing : blog
"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential." -Ellen Goodman As the New Year draws near, many are creating lists…
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Something for everyone I want the water to fill your glass the moment it sees your thirst. I want the staircase to meet your footfalls. I want the line to the freeway to move like breath. I want the wind flattering your hairline, the rainshower a welcome refreshment. I want the parking space to fit your car. I want the…
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My father's birthday was Christmas day. He died in 1980 when he was 53. He would have been 83 today. My job is to keep him alive by telling his story. I hope you can take a moment in your holiday festivities to read about him in this story I wrote in 2005. Happy holidays to you and yours. Hold…
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Season The season is the heart star. What escapes now will be remembered. What escapes now was once thrown Off like a shirt or saddle. Ridden into Bethlehem to be borrowed, Then given; this is it: the one noise, A rock, cobalt, and a book, a cow-child Is giving us a gift. It is the gift of an infant mind….
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"To be truly happy in this world is a revolutionary act because true happiness depends upon a revolution in ourselves. It is a radical change of view that liberates us so that we know who we are most deeply and can acknowledge our enormous ability to love. We are liberated by the truth that every single one of us can…
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Every Thursday, a few links that follow the wanderings of my addled holiday brain. And a link to an actor of some note. mind :: my brain and yours Librarians rock. (And so do writers) Speaking of writers, this new book, Highway 89, is gorgeous. Written and illustrated by photographer Ann Torrence (one of her photos is in Life is…
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Sleep Positions This is how we sleep: On our backs, with pillows covering our chests, heavy as dirt On our sides, like wistful spoons Clenched, knees in-tucked, arms folded Wide, like sprawling-rooted lotuses In Iowa on top of pictures of Hawaii, huge white flowers on blue In New York on black satin In China on straw. This is how our…
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I hope you are buying art from artists as gifts this holiday season. And books from writers. One of the impulses behind my 37days "store" is to provide an opportunity for artists to create art related to 37days and Life is a Verb. (If you're an artist and interested, send a sample of your art to me at p.o. box…
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Every Thursday, a few links that follow the wanderings of my easily distracted mind. And a link to an actor of some note. mind :: my brain and yours Every word knows something of a vicious circle. 10 Best Books of 2009, according to the NY Times. body :: my place and yours How to not suck at getting in…
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Alliance “You have to make an alliance with your anguish,” he said,“not wage war against it.” And I thought of all the fistsI had shaken at misfortune: games lost because the shot clock ran out, a good meal scorched in a forgotten oven, money dropped on a dress worn only once,the bully in 6th grade, the math test in 9th,…
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Patti Digh is the author of six books, including bestsellers Life is a Verb and Creative is a Verb. She travels the world teaching others about mindfulness: to live fully, love well, let go deeply, and make a difference. Patti's comments have appeared on PBS and in The New York Times, Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, the London Financial Times, and many other international publications. She writes a thank you note every morning.
