The Resolute Woman

Category: stress

  • Contemplative at the eye of chaos

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in , ,

    Sister Joan Chittister, author of many books and a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pennsylvania, talks about “being contemplative at the eye of chaos.” Contemplative in the midst of chaos? We like that image. It’s easy to be contemplative when you’re outside in a quiet garden or alone listening to music. But, to…

  • Solitude and silence

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    resolutewoman
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    When Malcolm Gladwell runs, he never has anything in his ears. He doesn’t listen to music or the radio or an audio book, he told the audience recently at an Arts & Letters presentation in Dallas. Gladwell prefers silence. “Something beautiful happens when you’re alone with your thoughts,” he said. His father was a mathematician,…

  • Late for a TV interview

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    resolutewoman
    in ,

    Fayteen and I were headed for an interview with Suzie Humphreys on The Broadcast on KTXD Channel 47. And we were a little nervous, especially because we were late. It was snowing in Dallas on Wednesday last week. There was just a light flutter of snow flakes, but already there were a few icy patches…

  • Everything is going to be amazing

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    resolutewoman
    in ,

    I’m feeling the holidays-are-over, I’m-having-a-difficult-time-sticking-to-my-resolutions blues. However, I did find a bit of inspiration when I was shopping for greeting cards at Barnes & Nobles. Both of these quotes are from Quotable Cards. “Find joy in each day.” –Saint Philip Neri “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be amazing.” –unknown –Joy

  • Her mind was straight and tidy

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    resolutewoman
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    When her brother dies in a tragic accident, Ren, who is 12 years old, survives by shutting off her feelings and creating space between herself and other people. In the book Come In and Cover Me, Gin Phillips describes how her character “had trained her mind to be straight and tidy. She was normally very…

  • Savor the moment

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    resolutewoman
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    “Would you stand here with me and savor the moment?” asks Jim Chee to his wife, Bernie, in Anne Hillerman’s new novel Spider Woman’s Daughter. Jim and Bernie, both Navajo Nation police officers, stand and look at the majestic New Mexico sky. “The Sandia Mountains rose like a rugged, blue monolith to the east, glowing…

  • Slow down

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    resolutewoman
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    It’s summer. Take a vacation or an afternoon off from work. As Lily Tomlin once said, “The trouble with the rat race is that, even if you win, you’re still a rat.”

  • The gift of gentleness

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    resolutewoman
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    Fayteen is overwhelmed with concern for her daughter, Ranna, who is facing serious, complicated health issues. And, I am concerned about Ranna and about Fayteen, who is exhausted from taking care of Ranna and trying to keep up with her business. “Take good care of Ranna, and take good care of yourself,” I told Fayteen.…

  • Find your inner voice

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    resolutewoman
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    We believe that each of us has an inner spirit or an inner voice. The only way to find your true self is to be still and quiet, to get away from the loud voices and racket that surround us, and to listen to that inner voice. Thomas Kelly, a Quaker, talks about this voice…

  • Take a walk

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in

    For me, the best way to take a break is to take a walk. When I’m tired, a walk makes me feel refreshed. When I’m too busy and feeling overwhelmed, a walk makes me feel calmer. When I’m stressed, a walk helps me relax. I recently found this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson on the…