Mental Post-Its

Thoughts, Notes, and General Mental Mayhem

Tag Archives: Christian living


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Storyline Conference Highlights

IMG_1564I’ve been a fan of Don Miller ever since a friend suggested that I read Blue Like Jazz shortly after it’s release. I immediately felt like I could be friends with this guy. Since then, I’ve read every one of his books, and consider A Million Miles in a Thousand Years one of my all-time favorite books. So when Don announced he would start hosting conferences based on this material, I was ready to sign up.

And that’s just what I did last month. Since he recently relocated to Nashville, one of the Storyline Conferences each year is now held there—a mere four hours from me. It was a really fun two days. It was a little like, and a little unlike, other conferences I attended. Don describes it as sort of group therapy and I have to agree. 😉

The basis for the time is that you are looking to develop a plan to discover and live out your God-given story. Before and after guest speakers, Don takes you through the process, much like he discovered along the way in A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Another element of a story is added in each session. Some of his material also comes from “logotherapy,” a therapy which helps you discover meaning and purpose, hence the therapy session. The guest speakers do some instructing, but I gathered that mostly you are to see living examples of the material Don presents. There were some really awesome speakers. And then, of course, because it’s Nashville, there were local musicians who contributed to the agenda.

Honestly, I still have A LOT of thinking to do about what was said over the weekend. But I really appreciated what I heard, and am looking forward to more reflecting on it. I had already started making some baby steps in my story before arriving, but I still have a long way to go. And I have the homework from the conference to prove it! It was a very affirming time, though, and I know it will help me in the future.

Here are a few of the pearls I pulled out of the conversation:

Don Miller

  • Living great stories involves changing the way we approach life. To live a great story, we need to know who we are, what we want, what conflict we will need to engage and then we must take action.
  • If people don’t find purpose, they will pursue pleasure. – Viktor Frankel, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist as well as a Holocaust survivor (Invented “logotherapy”)
  • God did not create us to live in reaction, but to be co-creators of a meaningful life.
  • We are not our failures—or our successes.
  • Love your calling, not the applause of the crowd.
  • Your story is not about you. It’s about God using you to save many lives.
  • When you find a passion or purpose, you realize all the parts of your life have been leading up to it.
  • In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning. – Viktor Frankel
  • What if God created you because the world needed to feel the impact of your story?

Becca Stevens, priest and founder of Thistle Farms

  • We learn more from mercy than judgement.
  • Love heals.

John Richmond, Federal Prosecutor at Department of Justice Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit

  • We are not entitled to anything. Every breathe is a gift.
  • Got wants to rescue us from thinking we have to measure up.
  • The ruler you choose matters, because it will rule you.

Shauna Niequist, author

  • God can give you a new name and a new story.
  • Hold up the hard stories in your life that have no place anymore. Lay them down and make room for new ones.
  • What are the old stories you are letting stand in your way?

Bob Goff, Founder of Restore International, Lawyer and Author of Love Does

  • See people for who they are becoming.
  • We’re afraid of our calling because we’re afraid to fail. Fail at the right stuff. Fail trying.

Joshua DuBois, emails daily devotions to President Obama

  • When we play the victim, life becomes about us.

Ryan Forsthoff, The Leadership Foundation

  • The most powerful moments in a person’s life are the moments in which they realize what they are capable of.
  • Great leaders recognize and respond to the capabilities of those they lead.

 

Don began and ended the conference with the question, “What will the world miss if you do not tell your story?” Um, that’s a pretty powerful question. I’m not there yet, but I’m pondering it. It definitely shapes the way I see things. I spend too much of my time comparing myself to others, and I think that was one of the things this conference does best. It reminded me that God created me. He took the time to form and shape me. I’m here for a reason. I better not waste it.

So…what would the world miss if you did not tell your story?


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Political (Insane) Asylum

At least once every four years, I wish I could seek asylum somewhere else. I wish I could skip campaign season and vote from afar.

I really can’t stand politics. So much fighting, slander and backbiting–from all sides. Tell me what you believe, not how bad the other guy is! I’ve seen some really nice people (both Christian and non) say some pretty horrible things when it’s under the guise of a political opinion, as if that makes it ok. Many people simply change when they start talking politics and, frankly, it scares me. So I tend to stay away. I have only a few people that I’ll discuss politics with because they can be calm and objective. Those last two adjectives are key, and rare. Half of those conversations are just me pumping my friend, Raechel, for information because she’s in law school and a walking political dictionary.

My friend, Daron, has always said of me that I don’t “play the game” and what he means by that is politics. I’ve never liked politics when it comes to relationships or the workplace or church. I frankly don’t see the point. So I simply don’t participate. I try to be me wherever I am, go figure. That’s hard enough, so anything else just seems like too much work.

Don’t read the above and hear me say not to vote, or participate in the process or do research. I think you should do all of those things. I think they are important because they move society forward. I’m simply saying I don’t like it. But in reality, I don’t have to. It’s not my system, just one I’m a part of. And I am extremely thankful for those who fought for the right for me to do so, therefore I don’t want to take it for granted. I’m not taking it for granted, but I’m not hugging it either. Kinda like when you say you don’t like someone but you love them because Jesus does. 😉

As with many aspects of my life, I just don’t feel I fit into politics. I don’t consider myself a Republican or a Democrat (or an Independent, though I am quite independent). I don’t think that if you’re conservative, you must be a Republican. I don’t think if you’re an environmentalist, you must be a Democrat. I personally feel we are all a little too complicated to fit into on column on a ballot. I try to find who most lines up with my beliefs, thoughts and opinions, and I go from there. (Side bar: if you are unsure who to vote for but want to take those ideas into account, check out www.ISideWith.com. I totally wish they had local and state on here, too.)

With the election season coming up, I ask you to remember only two things before and after November 6.

1. If you are a Christian, please choose what kind of Christian you will be. Will you be the kind of Christian who only checks the box, and then says and does whatever they want regardless? Or will you be the kind of Christian Christ asks us to be? I think all the Christians I know would say the latter. If that’s the case, please remember you are called to pray for your elected officials and obey them. Sure, you can be disappointed that your guy/gal lost if that’s the case, but that doesn’t give you free license to bash and forward hateful emails about the winner. Unity is not uniformity. You can disagree with the person, but you are still called to pray for them and obey them. Make the best of the situation and quit giving the rest of us who are trying a bad name. If more people prayed for their leaders, who knows what would happen? Your leader may just surprise you. And if not, hey, you get the chance to vote him/her out later. But the point is, be the Christian described in the Bible. The other person is not the devil incarnate (most likely).

2. Christian or not, I’ll share with you a little story from Rob Lowe’s autobiography. Fascinating, by the way. There are a lot of jaw-dropping stories in his book, but one of the things I loved most was when Rob described his visits to the White House. The cast of The West Wing was invited several times to visit the White House over it’s AMAZING seven seasons. He says that he visited under two different administrations, a Republican and a Democratic. And he said that he was struck by the fact that, when it all came down to it, these were guys who were fathers and just doing what they thought was right. It didn’t mean he liked everything they did. But he truly believed that these men were handling a very hard job the best they could, and were simply acting according to what they thought was the right thing to do. I loved that. So simple, yet so profound. We have terms like armchair quarterback (yes, I do know a few sports terms) and backseat driver, but I probably hear more commentary about what people think they’d do as President than anything else. Ignorance, in my opinion. I mean, come on, this is the most powerful person IN THE WORLD. You know what most of us would do in that position? We’d be in the fetal under the desk in the Oval Office praying for our four years to pass. It’s hard work. That’s why hardly anyone runs. When push comes to shove, 99.9% of us don’t want that job–nor should we have it. So, let’s cut these people some slack. You don’t have to agree. You’re entitled to your opinion. I’m not taking that from you. But let’s be careful how we act on that opposition. These are just people who made it to a big-time public decision-making level who, in their heart, are just trying to do the right thing.

If your guy/gal loses, the world will not end on November 6. And if your guy/gal wins, it’s not a time to gloat. Remember, we still have like a whole month after that according to the Myans, so let’s make it good. In all seriousness, though, be a good citizen. We all live here.

Do you research. Participate in the process. Vote.

Just remember to give some grace. Plenty has been given to you.


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Book Review: Mudhouse Sabbath

screen-shot-2016-12-10-at-1-44-36-pmI’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again–I don’t enjoy reading. However, I try to always be reading at least one book at any given time. I do like to learn, and therefore, I feel reading is important. It expands my mental horizons. And I do come across some good, or even great, books. It just remains a fact that I don’t enjoy it overall. I’d rather be watching TV or a movie. There are these little gems, though, that really stick out in my literature landscape. And, even if for a brief moment, I do derive great pleasure from the words. Mudhouse Sabbath is one of those occasions worth marking.

I gulped this book up. In fact, I read several of the chapters twice just to prolong my experience. It’s just too short! I’ve been wanting to read it for a couple of years now, but just got around to it. I guess I was in the mood. And I quickly discovered an author that I love as well. I feel she, Lauren F. Winner, writes much the way I do because it’s what I’d like to read…as if someone is talking with you. Not lecturing you, not talking at you, but talking with you.

The one thing that initially drew me to this book was that Lauren had converted from Judaism to Christianity, and was learning to integrate the former into the latter. I’ve been fascinated with Judaism for a number of years now, and have been learning in bits and pieces. It’s the Old Testament, and the root of Christianity, so I wanted to understand better where my faith came from. I think too often Christians don’t consider it at all. But when you have a greater understanding of it, you better understand the Bible as a whole. It provides context, and gives foundation. As she puts it, “practice is to Judaism what belief is to Christianity…spiritual practices don’t justify us. They don’t save us. Rather, they refine our Christianity; they make the inheritance Christ gives us on the Cross more fully our own.”

Mudhouse Sabbath is broken into eleven parts:

  1. Sabbath – stressed the need for rest as a regular part of living. It is a place to draw the energy to work from, not working until you crash and are forced to rest. “In observing the Sabbath, one is both giving a gift to God and imitating Him.” For the last five plus years, I’ve observed a Sabbath off and on. I haven’t really gotten good at it yet, but I’m trying. Even if it’s just a half day, a few hours that I regularly plan for, I know it will have enormous impact.
  2. Food – taught me to have a greater respect for the things that I eat. It’s not simply entertainment or a mean’s to an end, it’s a source. “A right relationship with food points us toward Him.” Lauren mentions another author named Barbara Kingslover in this chapter, and how Barbara has shown her to eat seasonally, which “sacralizes not just food, but time.” I’ve been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara the last couple weeks. Head’s up, there will be a blog post about it. It’s been incredible!
  3. Mourning – showed me that we as Americans don’t know how to grieve well. Like everything else, we tend to rush through it. “Judaism understands mourning as a discipline, one in which the mourner is not only allowed, but expected to be engaged.” And one of the Jewish mourner’s prayers focuses solely on praise, thereby reminding us that God is still present. He has not left you alone. It pushes you to take the time to feel the sad emotions, work through them wholly, and sit with the knowledge that however lost or lonely you feel, He is by your side.
  4. Hospitality – called me to keep inviting others into my life. “Creation is the ultimate expression of God’s hospitality to His creatures…Our Three-in-One God has welcomed us into Himself and invited us to participate in divine life. And so the invitation that we as Christians extend to one another is not simply an invitation into our homes or to our tables; what we ask of other people is that they enter into our lives.” I used to be really good at inviting people over, but I’ve gotten away from that. Time to make some changes.
  5. Prayer – gave me a different perspective on liturgy. I’ve always had a hard time with liturgy because it never felt real to me. It was just me praying/reciting what someone else wrote down. There wasn’t any emotion, which I depend greatly on. “When you don’t have to think all the time about what words you are going to say next, you are free to fully enter into the act of praying; you are free to participate in the life of God…Liturgy is not, in the end, open to our emotional whims. It repoints the person praying, taking him somewhere else.” I suppose my views on liturgy is one of the reasons I have trouble getting through the Psalms. But the next time I delve into them, I hope I’ll look at them differently.
  6. Body – hit home. “Though I believe God has something to say about human bodies, I generally tune out God and listen to Cosmopolitan instead…Scripture speaks of bodies that God created in His image, bodies that are both doing redemptive work and being redeemed.” That is a re-framing that I needed. It helps me remember the first and foremost reason I need to take care of my body.
  7. Fasting – gave me further fuel to practice this act more. “Fasting is at its core about repentance…When I am sated, it is easy to feel independent. When I am hungry, it is possible to remember where my dependence lies…Fasting is not meant to drag us down, but to still us. ” Matthew tells us “when” you pray, give and fast. It’s not an option. Again, something else I’ve done kind of off and on but never developed a good habit for it. I am fairly good about fasting for major decisions and during Lent, but need to strive to make it more regular.
  8. Aging – addressed both yourself and those in your circles growing older. “The spirituality of aging inevitably involves preparing for one’s death…Caring for one’s elderly is an obligation…It is not always fun, but it is always sanctifying…When our memories fail, it is our community that can tell us who we are.” A very interesting way to look at the aging process. She also references a rabbi who notes that to elder is to shape the last years of your life with intention. I like this notion, but I’d rather start now.
  9. Candle-lighting – gave me new insight on something I really didn’t understand. Candles mark occasions and mark time. “There seems to be no surer way to sacralize time or space than lighting a candle, no quieter than the silence of candlelight. Candles are peaceful, and transfixing, and ancient.” She gave me some great ways to use candles for more than just making things brighter or smell better.
  10. Weddings – allowed me to see marriage as a “community endeavor.” It’s not just two people making a commitment, but granting witnesses to the union the opportunity and permission to be a part of it. Learning from one another and doing life together in community brings out the best in each of us. It gives greater power to two becoming one.
  11. Doorposts – helped me pull my mezuzah out of my drawer. A friend brought it to me from his trip to Israel, and it sat on a shelf. Then I redecorated my bedroom and it went in a drawer. Now it sits beside my door since I’m in an apartment and can’t really affix or tape it permanently. The mezuzah is derived from Deuteronomy where the Lord says to bind the words on the doorposts of your houses. It is a promise of peace. Lauren also describes a sign on a door that she found which had the verse Psalm 121, “The Lord shall preserve they going out and they coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” I liked that representation a lot as well. “Every time I come home I see the sign, and I remember that I claim to actually believe in this God who will preserve my going out and coming in, and I remember that this home is supposed to be a Christian home. It is to be a home into which I invite strangers, and in which I organize my time through prayers, and in which I do work that might somehow infinitesimally advance the kingdom of God.”

Ah, just writing about it makes me want to read it again! I haven’t done that yet, and I am absolutely sure that I will. I learned so much, and have already starting changing my thoughts and behaviors based on what was said. It hit the spot; so much of what I wanted it to be and more. I think Mudhouse Sabbath will remain one of my all-time favorites, as well as a book I recommend to many people. If it remotely sounds like something that would interest you, I’d urge you to pick it up. I can’t imagine you’d regret it.

By the way, if you’re wondering, Mudhouse is the name of the coffee shop where Laurn wrote the book. And, yes, she spent her Sabbaths there, writing and reading.

 

(Note: Amazon links are affiliate links.)


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On Having Dual Personalities (of Sorts)

I have two people living inside me.

They fight for my attention.

Some days one wins; some days the other. But I’m not sure both can ever win at the same time.

I wouldn’t call them Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde. I wouldn’t call them Two Faced. Though two opposite sides of people are often expressed in movies, TV and literature as only good and bad, I find myself with a good and good. At least that’s what I’d call them.

The first me likes having a home, likes making the home look nice, and really likes acquiring stuff. She doesn’t crave stability by any means, but she likes a framework to move within. She doesn’t want to own a house for that still feels a bit like a cage, but she likes making the home she lives in feel warm and inviting. She likes buying books and movies and decor and electronics and kitchen appliances (though she doesn’t know how to use them very well). She doesn’t enjoy clutter, in fact she periodically purges to avoid extreme excess, but she does have comfy surroundings and a VERY long Amazon Wish List. I wouldn’t say she puts down roots, but she does enjoy watching relationships, places and surroundings grow to be a part of her. She doesn’t resist change by any stretch of the imagination, but maintains a flirtation with it, and welcomes it in from time to time.

And then there is the second me. She regrets the day everything she owned didn’t fit in her car anymore. She likes the idea of a well-decorated home, but isn’t convinced she needs it for herself. She only needs a reliable car to get her to where she wants to go next. She thinks she’s got some gypsy blood in her, but isn’t sure where it came from, because every couple of months she’s ready to move. To see new places. To have new experiences. She wants every day to be different and unknown. She thrives on adventure. She despises acquiring stuff because 1) she really doesn’t need it despite her wants and 2) so many people around the world have so little. So why not send the money and stuff to them instead? She doesn’t resist change; she embraces it with a huge smile as if it’s always overdue.

While reading about the two sides of me, you most likely identified more with one over the other. I think most people do. I’m sure even the more “tame” side of me isn’t near stable enough for some of you. (I know that because I’ve talked to you.) And in fact, the opposing side may even seem ludicrous to you. But, I promise, these two people live within me. Neither is bad.

Different isn’t bad. It’s just different.

But I’ll tell you one thing, it’s really hard for these two to take up occupancy inside me. The first side side has been the side that shows up most often, and sometimes I really am unsure why, while the second side plays the prominent role at only certain times. But usually, the side that isn’t winning is screaming to be in front. I’m sure the means and opportunity are the only thing standing in the second me’s way.

I think we’re often taught by society that my second me is flaky or irresponsible. Sure, it’s romanticized in movies, TV and literature, but when it comes down to it, come on? You can’t really live that way.

But I disagree. Didn’t the apostles live like the second me? I’ve lived like the second me at times and enjoyed the heck out of it. Not everything has to change in a couple thousand years. Don’t the aforementioned romanticized people often inspire you? They do me. And you only need know me to know that no matter which side is dominant, I’m not flaky or irresponsible. I may take risks, but they are calculated and prayerful. I just don’t understand life without risk. What a bore! I certainly don’t want to live that way. Both me’s need a calling, adventure and to be part of something larger. That is a constant no matter which side is taking the lead. That’s what I believe being a disciple of Christ is all about.

Control is out of my hands. Though I’m still in recovery, I tried to let go of my control freak side a long time ago. What a waste of time–trying to control. I was only trying to do a job that I professed was God’s, but in the end, must have secretly thought I’d be better at. I learned submission, and in that, opened new doors to adventure. Liberation. Now I understand truly what freedom is about. Some adventures are more tame, and they are for the first me. They are every day adventures (yes, they exist). And then there are the epic ones for the second me, and they are grand indeed. They leave a longing in me for more…much more. And that is why second me will always be part of my scenario. And honestly, I’m grateful for that.

I guess I’m learning to reconcile that having both sides of me is a good thing, though some days that’s harder to grasp. Sure, they are variations of the oneness of me, not necessarily polar opposites. And certainly not good and bad. They are both a gift, both of value, and both given by God. Which one I’ll wake up as, I never know. But then again, isn’t that part of the adventure?


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Appreciating “The Process”

screen-shot-2016-12-10-at-1-54-25-pmI’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to movies. I don’t watch them for the entertainment value, though I do enjoy them at times simply for that reason (my guilty pleasure dance movies, for example). But this business of show is one that I wanted to work in for a godd part of my life, so the appeal to me is more than the final product. I love the process. And when I watch a movie on screen or at home, I see the process. I appreciate everything that went into it. I look for themes, appreciate the beauty of the cinematography and lighting, listen to the writing come to life, marvel at the effects and pull out truths. And if you’ve ever been to the movies with me, you know that I typically sit through the credits afterward (and arrive promptly for the trailers and pre-show trivia). I watch the credits for a couple of reasons. One is that it lets me reflect on what I’ve just seen. They’ve given me the appropriate music to sit there and contemplate or discuss the things I liked, and maybe didn’t like. The second thing is that I want to recognize all the people that contributed to the film. I read the names of just about everything I can, not just the celebrities. I know they all played a role in the process of getting the film to me, and I’m thankful (usually). We’ve been on this journey together, and we’ll finish together.

Over the past week or so, I’ve been watching one of my all-time favs, The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I watch it at least twice each year, sometimes up to three or four times. I can’t get enough, and at the end, I’m always ready to start it over. I think it’s just a brilliant piece of movie-making on so many levels. Sometimes I watch just the movies, but sometimes I watch all the special features, too. I bought the Extended Edition on Blu-ray on Black Friday, so that gives me…over 27 hours of special features and footage. Nope, that doesn’t include the movies. Add in another 11+ hours for those. I can honestly say I get just as excited over watching the special features as I do the feature films. I laugh, I cry, but mostly I’m amazed. I appreciate the process. There are no words to describe the thought and detail that went into this trilogy. You can see how much the people love the books, and therefore, tried so hard to honor them. It is inspiring to me. I could never catch it all, even after having watched the special features a couple of times. And I love that.

In watching them this time, I started evaluating why I love the special features so much when so very few comparatively would dare (or care) to watch them all. I’m not a big Tolkien fan, though I think his work is astounding. I know it’s sacrilege to some to say this though, but I prefer the movies to the books. I’m a movie person, though. A filmie, my friend Daron calls me. But half of the reason I love these movies is that I love the special features. And in that, I love the process.

As I starting relating it to me and my life, I had a thought. I am, and I think this applies to many of us, always concerned about the beginning and the end. Sure there are always twists and turns in the middle, but mostly I want to know where something came from and where something ends. For example, I’m overly concerned about where I’m headed in life. (I still don’t know yet so don’t ask.) Where I am is always setting the stage for what’s next. I want to know what’s ahead for me, especially when times are hard. I don’t always appreciate my process. It’s hard, it’s tiring, it’s frustrating, it’s…not always fun. And I love fun. You can also take the prime example of a female like me. When she’s single it’s, when will she date? When she’s dating it’s, when will she get married? When she’s married it’s, when will she have kids? Sheesh. Let the woman enjoy one stage for a moment, will ya! I hear these remarks all the time from friends, females and males alike rather frequently. It’s never enough to be where you are. It’s only about where you’re going next. And frankly, that’s a shame.

Let’s take a lesson from my friend, Sam.

LOTR, for me, isn’t about the creatures or the monsters or the wizards or the hot elf who’s handy with a bow, it’s about the truths that I relate to and the process of storytelling. This scene, Sam’s speech, is my favorite in the entire series. It was sort of a last minute addition from the writers to tie up some loose ends and add some closure. I think it’s so beautiful. I watch it multiple times when I watch the movie, and tear up every time. I think it’s such a lovely description of not only life, but my Christian faith. (Yep, I tend to be a bit dramatic.)

We are living great stories, ones that really matter. And stories have a beginning, middle and end. (Note: otherwise you’re telling it wrong, Michelle.) The middle is the detail. Sure, sometimes that can be tedious, but it shapes and adds greater significance to the beginning and end. The middle is what makes us who we are. It gets us to the end. To forget that is to forget ourselves. That’s what happens when we’re “too small to see it” as Sam says. We can easily want to ignore the middle because it’s where we’re living, and not always where we want to be. But there are important lessons there, and to miss them is a tragedy. It could just be the plot twist we’ve been looking for.

My friends and I, and my favorite authors and workplace for that matter, talk about living great stories. That doesn’t mean you necessarily have to go cure AIDS or move to Africa or acquire a fortune. It could, but it doesn’t have to. It simply means recognizing where God has you and doing the best you can with it. He’ll take care of the rest. He’s given you what you need to be right there at that moment. It may not always be to our liking, but there is greater purpose it in. I truly believe it. He has placed me in His narrative for a reason. That’s a tremendous thought. He. Has. Placed. ME.  It may not be for one job or one person or one calling or even one phone call, but it’s all mine because He destined me to be here. And I want to make the most of every opportunity He gives me, large or small, beginning middle or end, because He thinks I’m important enough to take on. It’s given to me. My responsibility, and my privilege.

The above is a picture of a decal from my bedroom wall. I see it at least twice a day, when I get up and when I go to sleep. I wanted it that way to remind me over and over again, since I can be a little stubborn (no comments, please), that my story is important. It sure doesn’t always feel that way, but I know in my heart and my head that it is. And it reminds me that the middle of the story is where life happens. And I truly do want to live a story worth telling, but takes a lot of work every day. Little by little. Sentence by sentence. Sometimes word by word. But in the end, it’ll be a heck of a story because I won’t skip over the parts that made me sad or uncomfortable. Those parts add punctuation to the highlights. They are mine, and want to do them justice.

The process is just as important, or more so, than the ending. The final product didn’t just happen. It was often painstakingly pieced together from more details than we’ll ever know, from more people than we’ll ever realize. It’s a mosaic, a tapestry, of what living is all about.

Appreciate the process. It’s the only one you’ll ever have. And tell someone the story of your life, taking lots of time in the middle. And remember, you’re not done until you reach the very end. (Hint: if you’re breathing, you’re not done.) “There’s room for a little more” as Frodo says.

PS – I’m sure more LOTR posts are in my future, but if you’d like to read my lessons learned from them in 2009, here they are: one, two, and three.

(Note: Amazon links are affiliate links.)