A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/31/23



# 103


Occasionally we unexpectedly catch sight of something essential about ourselves. We need to be open to allowing that to happen. When it does, we need to be open to incorporating that revelation.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/30/23



# 102


Most people don’t concern themselves with self-expression beyond their normal daily pursuits. That’s a shame. Society would be better if more people pursued self-expression for the purpose of becoming a better person.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/29/23



# 101


Rather than ask yourself “What am I seeking,” try envisioning “Who would I be if I weren’t seeking anything…”



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/28/23



# 100


My cat notices immediately when I play Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.” He may be more culturally evolved than I am. Even though that is likely the case, he still loves me. When I leave he sits by the door waiting for my return. I don’t know anyone else who does that.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/27/23



# 99


I got a call from someone in Florida, out of the blue. He fed me dinner four years ago when I was cycling across the country. He wants to meet again next year… I suppose there is no greater compliment than that…



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/26/23



# 98


What exactly is it about skiing that liberates me? It’s about the power of now. Few things both force you and allow you to be in the moment quite like skiing. Focusing deeply on the moment, on each turn, is a way of allowing you to see into the infinite. It extends the moment and allows you to be one with something larger than yourself. Unless it’s icy.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/25/23



# 97


I love you all. Thank you for being a part of my life. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Of course, I should say more than that… It isn’t easy to list the names of all the people I love and those who have been an important part of my life. This will have to suffice.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/24/23



# 96


I don’t know what tomorrow holds. No matter how hard I try to predict the answer, there is no guarantee. That is the challenge. That is the joy.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/23/23



# 95


Does anyone truly know us? It is difficult to answer that in the affirmative, largely because we are always evolving, even if we don’t realize it. The challenge is to hold on to those things and people that ground us even as our evolution proceeds.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/22/23



# 94


We are all just doing the best that we can. Very little separates us from the one percent or the homeless. Who is to say what that difference is? A man got on the bus and began to play his guitar. Is he better than I am, or am I better? The question itself is nonsense.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/21/23



# 93


Everyone should have a place of their own. A place they can retreat to, a place to call their own, a place that allows them to replenish, refresh, and ultimately grow into the person they need to be. Find that place.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/20/23



# 92


God does not play dice with the universe, but that does not mean he’s opposed to rearranging things just a bit if he reads a good paper on theoretical physics…



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/19/23



# 91


The beginning is the hardest step. Before taking the first step, it behooves us to consider where we are going, even though the precise destination may be unknown. That said, never let a lack of a precise destination deter us.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/18/23



# 90


“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger… is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”
—Albert Einstein



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/17/23



# 89


The secret to life is to live long and ski. Cycling is not too bad either.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/16/23



# 88


Happiness is not what happens to you when the stars align in your favor, happiness is not an accident. Happiness happens when you are focused, mindful, and practice the things that bring you joy — and you practice daily.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/15/23



# 87


“Soften your knees. Trust the slope. Give in to gravity.”
—Heather Hansman



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/14/23



# 86


Sometimes, like today, I am at a loss for words. Even in those moments when we feel ourselves adrift and unmoored, we need to keep looking for the shoreline and searching for a place to put in.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/13/23



# 85


Stressful times cause people to become shortsighted, this can easily cause the loss of ability to look at the big picture.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/12/23



# 84


Sometimes humor can be used as a substitute for thoughtfulness. With that in mind, I offer the following: if my cat could talk (he probably can, he just chooses not to) he would tell you that I love him, but I only like you… That is largely my fault for indulging him too much. Any conclusions you take away about yourself are on you…



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/11/23



# 83


Look, then look again… then look again.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/10/23



# 82


One path to peace, personal peace, is creativity. It also has the benefit of personal growth, but most of all, peace.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/09/23



# 81


Even the biggest things can be broken down into small, simple steps. Even the most overwhelming subjects can be understood when taken in small pieces.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/08/23



# 80


Be patient with yourself. Allow yourself to look at things, to look at your life. To look through different eyes. Imagine yourself soaring over yourself like an eagle. That is how Anaximander stumbled onto the concept of a map.



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A Year of Living Thoughtfully 12/07/23



# 79


Allow yourself to break the rules so you can learn by direct experience.



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