Straight and Narrow

Is time spent in the valley a time of boredom and simply plowing through until one reaches the beauty of the distant mountains? Or are the flatlands a time of ease and rest before you come to the rugged heights? Is it better to keep your eyes fixed on the horizon of a distant goal, or is it better to stay focused on the place where you are, even if it’s not so glamorous?

How would you describe your current location in your life’s journey?

Palm Trees

Do you dream of a vacation in a tropical paradise, where palm trees grow on sandy beaches, and warm breezes caress your skin? Just for a moment, close your eyes and visit this island paradise. Then remember that people who live in tropical lands have work and money troubles and aging parents and troubled children and all the difficulties of daily life in colder climes.

How will you find a moment today to relax and find peace in the perfect place where you already are?

Love by the Side of the Road

Usually we think of love in terms of the fragrant rose or the glowing rainbow. But sometimes love shows up in a form that hints more at rusty metal than rainbows and roses. A smelly dog that shows up on our doorstep, a colleague who rubs us the wrong way, a neighbor with the wrong kind of politics—you can never say for sure who might touch your heart with some act of friendship or kindness.

In what surprising place have you found love?