Reflection

Perspective Is Everything

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor March 25, 2013

It snowed again. I watched the flakes turn from tiny, wet ones to large, perfectly shaped individual geometric patterns. I got caught up in thoughts of how perspective is everything. It made me think of the Jim Carrey movie -How the Grinch Stole Christmas – and the Whoville town that lived within a single snowflake.

Those thoughts led me to ones about this huge earth on which I live. And how, in the entirety of all the space and universes and stars, I am …

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Peace

Simple Good Ol’ Days

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor February 26, 2013

Mostly in pictures, let’s go back in time.

The simple good old days. Whatever that means to you. Because those good ol’ days are a lot different for each one of us, depending on the era in which we grew up, the circumstances, and what we did during those old days.

A ball and jacks. Who plays that, anymore? Old fashioned bicycles. With ringers on ‘em. Dinners that included potatoes, and no matter what kind they turned out to be – french fries, mashed, casseroles …

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Goodness

Simple Ways To Make A Good Day

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor February 12, 2013

There are simple ways to make a good day. All of them can be based on perspective, or experience, or focus. The older I get, the more I hunger for moments to celebrate – for any ol’ reason. Or maybe it’s the understanding that when I decide to look for more goodness, there is clearly more to honor and grow.

One way I try to make my day better is by finding good things to read – good articles, good news, happy photos. I …

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Goodness

Why Do We Love Music?

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor November 27, 2012

Why do we love music? It has magical, boundless ability to filter out conflict and to heal. It has a way of building bridges and tearing down walls. It makes life better. It is tightly connected to feelings – and offers a way to grow love. Yep. I believe so.

It has been an integral part of my life, always – soothing, comforting, inspiring and blessing me. It may get me hyped up, feeling bouncy and happy. It might be the trigger to release deep …

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Love

Supercalifrag…. Never Mind

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor October 30, 2012

Supercalifrag…never mind. Trying to be Super All That is such a myth. Whoever started the whole “I can do everything!” needs to stand in the corner with their nose touching the crevice. Don’t be crowning me Queen of Goodness – or anyone else. We’re all working stiffs here, shoring up as best we can, and dealing with Stuff. Trusting, hoping, praying, working so that the Stuff doesn’t do us in.

Does this sound negative? Sorry – I don’t mean it to. Just the opposite.…

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Goodness

No More Excuses

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor August 20, 2012

No more excuses. No more lame reasons for giving up too soon, leaving a job unfinished, or giving up on myself. No more whiney self-talk about why I can’t do this, or shouldn’t attempt that. No long stories for why I didn’t get this done, or complete that task.

At my age, it’s simply time to get rid of all the excuses. If you’re reading this and you’re decades younger than me [And this is very possible, given that I’ve got quite a few decades …

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Goodness

Crooked Gerberas

by Misty June 16, 2012

Crooked Gerberas have been on my mind this week.

Years ago, we were flower farmers near Sydney, Australia. One of the flowers we planted was the Gerbera Daisy. I loved those big, beautiful, bold blooms!

One day, I came down to the shop to see at least 20 lovely flowers on the floor. I was startled, and asked my husband about them. He picked one up and proceeded to show me how the gerberas on the floor had stems that were not perfectly straight, and …

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Inspiration

Counting the Good Things

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor March 16, 2012

My method of counting good things in life has shifted as the years go by. Based on age, experience, the school of hard knocks, and a dash of “Al, I get it!”, my expectations have lowered, or my joy in the tiniest little positive things have increased. Or my way of counting has changed. Or something.

Now I see good things all around me, all the time. Maybe it has taken age and a wiser perspective to note the little miracles. Maybe I don’t pay …

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Goodness

Clean out the Clutter

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor January 11, 2012

I’ve been attempting to clean out the clutter. In the office [help!], the bedroom [How does stuff collect so quickly?], the “storage” [which can become a junk spot in no time flat], and inside myself.

It’s one of those New Year’s things. “Out with the old and in with the new.” Which would definitely be the case if I could truly dump all the stuff I don’t need, and organize what I do.

As I make yet another attempt at minimizing-for-more-peace, here are a few …

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Motivation

Good Memories and Green Beans

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor January 9, 2012

Growing up, I hated green beans.

Every memory I have of my mom making them for dinner is an unpleasant one – including her insistence that I “at least try to like them” and that I “eat One Green Bean before leaving the table.” Not good!

Eeewww.

I saw them as “gross”, “scary”, or “disgusting.” So, more than one meal was a quiet battle of the wits – me pushing my few “gross” veggies around the plate, and my mother compelling me to at least …

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Family

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