If anyone ever tells you that working a public job, running an online business, attending college, and getting all of your teeth yanked simultaneously is a good idea, please tell them that they are being incredibly stupid. I can now say that from experience. I just tried it and it wasn’t fun. I highly advise you to take at least…
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How Do You Spend Your Time?
“To come but once into the World, and Trifle away our true Enjoyment of it, and of our selves in it, is lamentable indeed.” William Penn (1706). Some Fruits of Solitude, in reflections and maxims relating to the conduct of human life. These past few days I’ve had little to do but rest and think. It occurred to me that…
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Know Thyself
“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.” Laozi When you start upon a journey, you must not only know where you are but where you want to go. Otherwise, you wont know which turns to make—or even realize if you have arrived at your destination. Life is the same way, yet many of us tend to wander aimlessly through…
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What Would You Do Today if You Were Scheduled To Die Tomorrow?
“Life, we learn too late, is in the living, in the tissue of every day and hour.” Carnegie, Dale. (1948). How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Raise your hand if you’ve ever said this: “I can’t wait to achieve….” We all do this. We spend our present moments focused upon our future in one way or another. We can’t…
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Beware the Company You Keep
Do not be misled. Bad company ruins character. (1 Corinthians 15:33, The Bible: An American Translation, 1931). If you are reading this blog, chances are that you have a goal you are working to achieve. If so, congratulations. It takes a special kind of determination to begin actively pursuing a goal. Over time you may have noticed that your progress…
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The Magic of Dreaming
Beep! Beep! Beep! The alarm clock blares, signaling another day of drudgery. You hit the snooze for as long as you dare, dreading the oncoming day until you finally jump up, catch a shower, and race to work. You punch in at the time clock only to be greeted by your boss who has a litany of complaints and a…
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There is no White Knight Coming to Rescue You
So life sucks. You’re perpetually broke and unattractive enough that all of the “good ones” pass you over for the younger, cuter models. Your only hope of having the good life is when the weight disappears, your flaws are magically fixed, your distant relative leaves you an inheritance, and a complete stranger begs you to accept a job offer that…
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The Art of Standing Firm
There comes a time in all of our lives when we have to stand firm in our decisions, when we have to straighten our shoulders and move forward despite opposition from others–and even ourselves. These decisions can encompass anything. The details don’t matter; what matters is that you maintain your resolution. The people around you may not understand what you…
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You Can’t Change Your Past
Every so often I encounter someone who shares with me their belief that they cannot be successful. “I’d love to [insert dream here] but I can’t. My parents were abusive/poor/absent so I’ve got too much of a disadvantage.” If it’s not some variation of that excuse, they claim that they got married or had kids too soon. Sometimes they’ve even…
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How to Deal With the Demon of Doubt
After a long night at work I returned home to discover a surprise in my inbox: “Congratulations! We are excited to inform you that your application has been reviewed and you can start studying at UoPeople in the upcoming term!” I sat and stared at that email for an hour. I was accepted? Just like that? They’re joking, right? I…
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Winners are Losers Who Gave it One Last Try
I’ve failed many times over the years. I failed to be cautious one night and ended up pregnant with my first child. I failed in my marriage. I failed in my first business attempts. I even failed in my first attempts to start a writing business. But when I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and tried again, a future…
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The Accumulative Power of Small Steps
I recently achieved a milestone in my goal of restoring the older posts on this blog. By just uploading a single post a day I’ve managed to restore all of the posts from 2009. It doesn’t take long to restore a single post. I can take care of it in moments before I go on with my day. Yet that…
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2019 Goal Update
I received a call on my day off from work yesterday, asking if I would come work for a couple of hours. I wasn’t thrilled at first but then I realized that those hours worked would take me a tiny bit closer to my goal. I worked that short shift with a smile on my face. I’ve made quite a…
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How I Spent My Vacation
Last week I took the first paid vacation at a public job in almost two decades. “What do you plan to do?” Curious friends wanted to know. “Absolutely nothing,” I grinned. I lied to everyone prior to taking those days off. I had something special planned to mark the start of my 49th year of life. While one day had…
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Operation: Katie
Yesterday morning I was awakened at 8am by the phone. Katie had finished the train part of her journey and wanted to call while she awaited her first bus. She shared with me how she’d decided not to spend the money on a taxi in Chicago; she had gotten turned around and had to ask for help to reach the…
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The Life of a Social Outcast
This past year has taught me that it is not socially acceptable to save money. It is not socially acceptable to want to educate yourself. And it is definitely not socially acceptable to spend your time pursuing your dreams. With the exception of my auntie and a couple of friends I’ve been forced to go underground, to hide what I’m…
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The Process of Recharging
Day by day, in every way, I’m getting better and better. Émile Coué de la Châtaigneraie I sleep in when I can. I rest instead of endlessly working. Bit by bit, I can tell a difference. Instead of scolding the dogs for their excitement in the mornings when they wake me to go potty, I gather my coat and take…
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The Secret to Achieving the American Dream
The American Dream of improving your life, of having the ability to own your own home and change your circumstances is alive and well. It is hidden in plain sight, crouching among the waves of advertising and manufactured needs we have been indoctrinated with; one simple sentence that so many choose to ignore: Spend less than you earn. You cannot…
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The Power of Ritual
Every single morning the very first thing I do is look at my clock. I turn on the radio, pad to the kitchen, and start the coffee as I head to the bathroom for my daily constitutional. I tend to take my journal with me; writing while on the porcelain throne first thing in the morning allows me to flesh…
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Test Your Limits
Four hours of sleep is not enough. I’ve been experimenting with my sleep schedule lately. Since successful people tend to wake up earlier, I want to alter my personal habits in order to become more like them. Today I set the intention to wake up at 4 am since I have to be at work by 9 am. I feel…
