The Resolute Woman

Author: resolutewoman

  • Happy summer!

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    resolutewoman
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    The temperature reached 100 degrees in Dallas County on June 24 at exactly 4:55 p.m.—with more 100 degree days in the forecast. Summer has arrived! My dog Ginger, who loves to stay in the backyard keeping watch over the squirrels, is ready for an early morning walk—and perfectly content to spend the afternoon sleeping next…

  • What kind of supporting actress are you?

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    resolutewoman
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    I couldn’t resist buying the little book with a bright yellow cover—The Power of Nice—How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval. It wasn’t a very nice reaction, but I immediately thought of a number of people who might learn something from reading The Power of Nice. I…

  • How to achieve effective self-management

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    resolutewoman
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    My daughter Mary Elizabeth, who is working on a master’s degree in behavior analysis, heard Ian Ayres, author of Carrots and Sticks: Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done, speak at the 38th annual meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis meeting in Seattle in May. In his speech, Ayres discussed three factors…

  • Sometimes you need to vent

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    As some of you know, my daughter has been battling major health issues for almost a year and a half and I have been her major supporter—going with her to the numerous doctors’ appointments, cooking her meals, trying to encourage her. One day recently I just felt tired. I wasn’t sure I could go to…

  • Joy vs. happiness

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    resolutewoman
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    In his book Aging Well, Dr. George Vaillant tells about a visit with George Emerson. “I could only sit back and marvel at this 76-year-old man,” Dr. Valliant writes. “Despite severe asthma, devastating leukemia and hands so arthritic that he could no longer write, Emerson had been out sailing competitively for a state trophy he…

  • The joy of aging

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    resolutewoman
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    I just finished reading a fascinating book by Dr. George Vaillant, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. It’s titled Aging Well—Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development. Of course, even though I now have two children who are college graduates and I was well past my…

  • A sense of accomplishment

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    resolutewoman
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    For months, I’ve felt a little depressed every time I’ve looked at all of the boxes that we crammed into the garage when my husband and I moved into my mother’s house. Not anymore.  We finally took the time to sort through the boxes, sending piles of clothes and miscellaneous items to a charity. I…

  • Tarantulas for dinner?

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    resolutewoman
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    I learned this on a trip to Tulsa while reading Spirit, the Southwest Airline magazine. More than 2.5 billion people around the world eat insects every day. In Cambodia, tarantulas are fried whole, with a little sugar, salt and garlic. And, a tarantula has 18 more grams of protein than a strip steak. Yes, I…

  • The bad news and the good news

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    resolutewoman
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    My son Jay just got a new car. That’s the good news. And the bad news? The third day Jay was driving the car, he called his father. “The car is okay,” he said, “but….” My husband panicked immediately. His mind leaping ahead after Jay’s first words, he feared a terrible accident. Jay had turned…

  • Cultivate your friendships

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    resolutewoman
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    “A friend is a gift you give yourself,” Robert Louis Stevenson once said. We talked in our last blog post about the importance of friendship. Sometimes, suddenly, you meet someone and make a connection. You know that you have a new friend. And, then, sometimes, you get to know a colleague at work or a…