A Quarter for Your Thoughts

    If you see a car parked in a metered spot that is about to run out of time, slide in some loose change to help avoid a parking ticket. Sometimes the driver is just a few minutes late and a ticket is almost a 100% guarantee to spoil someone’s good day.

Let's Make It a Complaint-Free World

    Go one day without complaining. Even better, go a week. If this is hard for you to accomplish, it's time to make some changes in your life. Think positively, live in the present, and appreciate where you are and who you are. Today is a gift, so accept and embrace it.

    Author Mark Bowen wrote a fantastic book on this very topic that I turn to when I need a reminder, as we all do now and again. My copy came with a bracelet, a simple way to monitor how often you complain that helps you track your progress toward becoming "complaint-free." Put on the bracelet and every time you complain, switch it to the other wrist. The goal is to go 21 consecutive days without switching the bracelet. It is harder than you might think and I was a bit shocked at what a complainer I turned out to be. It was a really good exercise for me- I highly recommend it, I benefited enormously and I suspect those around me did, too!

Do the Thing You think You Cannot Do

    My friend Clare Cooley practices this courageous philosophy and now teaches others how to "Imagine a Day." Clare is probably the ultimate autodidact; she had to drop out of school pretty early to take care of family members. This has not stopped her form learning and doing anything she sets her mind to, from design, filmmaking, and painting to crafting, writing, and music. One of Clare's most spectacular gifts is her show-stopping skate dancing and there are many YouTube videos that strangers have taped and uploaded of her whirling and twirling. Clare, who chose to not allow economic difficulties and a lack of formal education prevent her from succeeding in life, has gone on to show her ceramics and naturalist paintings in museums and galleries around the country. She says, "Lack of imagination is the only limitation and fear creates self-doubt." In her teaching, she helps people get out of "fear mode" and unlock the power of imagination. You can see her beautiful artwork at clarecooley.com.

    I urge you to Imagine a Day- pick something you always wanted to do, but were afraid to try. After over a year of quarantine and restrictions, it's almost time to start that Day. Painting, French cookery, playing piano, singing, learning a foreign language, yoga, rock-climbing, balloon dancing, pottery, snorkeling- something that speaks to you on a profound level but scares you just a little. Find a class or barter with someone who is an pet to whom you can teach something, and dive right in. Remember to wear a mask and go live your Imagine a Day!

Top of the Mornin'

    One of our fabulous interns here at Viva Editions,  Sara Wigglesworth, has a lovely way of saying "Good morning" upon arriving that ensures that it will actually be a better morning. I have to admit that greeting coworkers sometimes slips my mind, so it's helpful to be reminded of the power that a simple, well intentioned, and sincere greeting can have. It is a wonderful way to start the day with elegance and ease.

Uncommon Courtesy

     Right now, it can be hard to smile with a mask on but you can smile with your eyes and your manner. Supermodel and tv host calls it "smizing."