Ripples #653: The Edge.
For our tribe of 29,955 busy people who share encouragement and gratitude.
11/28/2011
PEBBLE:
Let your life be like the cliff,
for beauty lies below.
And only at the very edge
will all the beauty show.
-written and submitted by Michelle E. Tetreault in Washington D.C.
BOULDER:
It is not given us
to live lives
of undisrupted calm,
boredom, and mediocrity.
It is given us
to be edge-dwellers.
-Jay Deacon
PONDER:
It is time to quickly recover from all the holiday celebrations of last week and jump into the last month of the year with a fierce determination to ensure this year ends on a positive note AND invite the new year to engage you with exciting new possibilities. Find your edge, and enjoy the beauty!
Peace,
Paul
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Ripples #652: Giving Thanks.
Ripples #652: Giving Thanks.
For our tribe of 29,982 busy people who share encouragement and gratitude.
11/22/2011
PEBBLE:
Count your blessings, not your stressings.
-unknown, submitted by Lana in Waunakee, WI
BOULDER:
Give us thankful hearts.....
in this season of Thanksgiving.
May we be thankful for health and strength,
for sun and rain and peace.
Let us seize the day and the opportunity
and strive for that greatness of spirit
that measures life not by its disappointments
but by its possibilities,
and let us ever remember that
true gratitude and appreciation show itself
neither in independence nor satisfaction
but passes the gift joyfully on
in larger and better form.
-W.E.B. DuBois, submitted by Barbara in Madison, WI
PONDER:
Hey, it's Thanksgiving week here in the U.S. For many of us that means a gathering of friends and/or family for good food and good times. I think most of us do a good job of reflecting on this holiday's theme of gratitude, and I will take this opportunity to tell you that I am so grateful that you find time in your crazy schedule to join me for a minute every Monday morning. The fact that so many people enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy crafting them is an exceptional gift.
I hope you can stretch your self a bit this week and share gratitude with someone who won't expect it, or maybe you could practice being grateful for something challenging in your life--find a way to appreciate a difficulty that is helping you grow stronger.
Peace,
Paul
For our tribe of 29,982 busy people who share encouragement and gratitude.
11/22/2011
PEBBLE:
Count your blessings, not your stressings.
-unknown, submitted by Lana in Waunakee, WI
BOULDER:
Give us thankful hearts.....
in this season of Thanksgiving.
May we be thankful for health and strength,
for sun and rain and peace.
Let us seize the day and the opportunity
and strive for that greatness of spirit
that measures life not by its disappointments
but by its possibilities,
and let us ever remember that
true gratitude and appreciation show itself
neither in independence nor satisfaction
but passes the gift joyfully on
in larger and better form.
-W.E.B. DuBois, submitted by Barbara in Madison, WI
PONDER:
Hey, it's Thanksgiving week here in the U.S. For many of us that means a gathering of friends and/or family for good food and good times. I think most of us do a good job of reflecting on this holiday's theme of gratitude, and I will take this opportunity to tell you that I am so grateful that you find time in your crazy schedule to join me for a minute every Monday morning. The fact that so many people enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy crafting them is an exceptional gift.
I hope you can stretch your self a bit this week and share gratitude with someone who won't expect it, or maybe you could practice being grateful for something challenging in your life--find a way to appreciate a difficulty that is helping you grow stronger.
Peace,
Paul
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Ripples #651: Climbing Life!
Ripples #651: Climbing Life.
For our tribe of 29,979 busy people who share encouragement and gratitude.
11/14/2011
PEBBLE:
Don't worry so much about the rough times.
Just remember, you could never reach
the top of a mountain
if the sides were smooth.
-unknown, submitted by Samantha in Oklahoma
BOULDER:
Live your life each day
as you would climb a mountain.
An occasional glance toward the summit
keeps the goal in mind,
but many beautiful scenes
are to be observed
from each new vantage point.
Climb slowly, steadily,
enjoying each passing moment;
and the view from the summit
will serve as a fitting climax for the journey.
-Harold V. Melchert, submitted by Katie in Kohler, WI
PONDER:
This week I journeyed west in my smile-covered Ripples car to hang out with some of the peppiest people on the planet that descended on Laramie, Wyoming for a gathering of residence hall leaders. IACURH was as fun and frenetic as I hoped (nice hosting, U. of Wyoming!).
While we were out west exploring the rocky challenges of leadership and life, back east my friends Ron and Denise unleashed a faculty flashmob to jumpstart conversations about the challenges of "fitting in" on campus. I'm so proud that these professors were brave enough to release their inhibitions and reveal their humanity in order to demonstrate just how much they care about the significant "uphill climbs" that some members of their campus community face.
I hope your climb through life includes enough challenge to help you grow, and enough comfort to keep you sane.
Peace,
Paul
For our tribe of 29,979 busy people who share encouragement and gratitude.
11/14/2011
PEBBLE:
Don't worry so much about the rough times.
Just remember, you could never reach
the top of a mountain
if the sides were smooth.
-unknown, submitted by Samantha in Oklahoma
BOULDER:
Live your life each day
as you would climb a mountain.
An occasional glance toward the summit
keeps the goal in mind,
but many beautiful scenes
are to be observed
from each new vantage point.
Climb slowly, steadily,
enjoying each passing moment;
and the view from the summit
will serve as a fitting climax for the journey.
-Harold V. Melchert, submitted by Katie in Kohler, WI
PONDER:
This week I journeyed west in my smile-covered Ripples car to hang out with some of the peppiest people on the planet that descended on Laramie, Wyoming for a gathering of residence hall leaders. IACURH was as fun and frenetic as I hoped (nice hosting, U. of Wyoming!).
While we were out west exploring the rocky challenges of leadership and life, back east my friends Ron and Denise unleashed a faculty flashmob to jumpstart conversations about the challenges of "fitting in" on campus. I'm so proud that these professors were brave enough to release their inhibitions and reveal their humanity in order to demonstrate just how much they care about the significant "uphill climbs" that some members of their campus community face.
I hope your climb through life includes enough challenge to help you grow, and enough comfort to keep you sane.
Peace,
Paul
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Ripples #650: Ready, Set, CHANGE!
Ripples #650: Ready, Set, CHANGE!
For our tribe of 29,716 busy people who share encouragement and gratitude.
Nov 7, 2011
PEBBLE:
Time does not change things,
your choices change things.
-Pastor Gary Step, submitted by Jerry
BOULDER:
Change is the way of life,
it is the norm,
it is the underlying
law of the Universe.
How we handle change
defines who we are.
It allows us to grow,
teaches us to adapt, and
wills us to become
stronger as individuals.
Without change, we wither
and fail to flower.
-written/submitted by Brett F. Bachhuber in Marshfield, WI
PONDER:
This week I visited Arizona to hang out with some of my NIRSA buddies for their Region VI conference (Hey Arizona State U, thanks for letting me borrow your conference theme for this week's RIPPLES!). Then I zipped back to Wisconsin for the WAICU Residence Life Conference (Hey Lawrence U, thanks for hosting an amazing event!). At both events we talked about how change can be difficult, frustrating, and annoying. Exhibit A: Did your Facebook buddies whine as much as mine did about recent changes?
Change can certainly be a challenge, but it is also a healthy, inevitable part of being alive and you could choose to view an upcoming or recent change as an opportunity to improve your adaptability. I invite you to re-examine some shift in your work, school, or life as an experiment in flexibility.
Peace,
Paul
For our tribe of 29,716 busy people who share encouragement and gratitude.
Nov 7, 2011
PEBBLE:
Time does not change things,
your choices change things.
-Pastor Gary Step, submitted by Jerry
BOULDER:
Change is the way of life,
it is the norm,
it is the underlying
law of the Universe.
How we handle change
defines who we are.
It allows us to grow,
teaches us to adapt, and
wills us to become
stronger as individuals.
Without change, we wither
and fail to flower.
-written/submitted by Brett F. Bachhuber in Marshfield, WI
PONDER:
This week I visited Arizona to hang out with some of my NIRSA buddies for their Region VI conference (Hey Arizona State U, thanks for letting me borrow your conference theme for this week's RIPPLES!). Then I zipped back to Wisconsin for the WAICU Residence Life Conference (Hey Lawrence U, thanks for hosting an amazing event!). At both events we talked about how change can be difficult, frustrating, and annoying. Exhibit A: Did your Facebook buddies whine as much as mine did about recent changes?
Change can certainly be a challenge, but it is also a healthy, inevitable part of being alive and you could choose to view an upcoming or recent change as an opportunity to improve your adaptability. I invite you to re-examine some shift in your work, school, or life as an experiment in flexibility.
Peace,
Paul
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