October Commonplace

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BOOK: Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer
A friend once asked his daughter to read this book. Unfortunately, he passed before they could discuss it. I was curious to know his intent, and after reading it, I can see that he was hopeful that this girl would live an authentic life, however that looked. What a wonderful aspiration for our children. But we should also want it for ourselves. This book shows you how knowing (and living) who you are makes all the difference.

TV: The Pacific War in Color – Smithsonian Channel

I love WWII history, but I’ve admitted in the past that I am far too ignorant regarding the Pacific theater of the war. Over the last two years, I’ve been intentional about learning more, and this on-demand series was a great source of information. The footage is amazing, but the organized timeline that shows the individual battles of the “island hopping” campaign was informative.

TV: Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix

I watched a “made for TV” movie about this case several years ago, but it was not nearly as disturbing last this limited series. I had forgotten much of the story, but the drama (and the questions) came flooding back to me. The alleged sexual abuse (on the boys by their father) was minimized in years past and probably in the case when it was tried. I don’t know if I believe their story, but I do think they deserve to be re-tried now that we know more about sexual abuse and the harm it does to the victims. (And it seems the LA District Attorney and Kim Kardashian agree with me.)

TV: Nobody Wants This on Netflix

I needed some rest in October, and this romantic comedy was just what the doctor ordered. The limited series is based on a true story about a Jewish Rabbi falling in love with an atheist. As a survivor of an “interfaith marriage,” the topic grabbed my attention. Although I find some of the story a little far-fetched (no serious rabbi would even consider dating a non-Jew), I loved the story and binged it over two days. It ended on a cliffhanger, and I’ll watch Season Two when it comes out.

BOOK: The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman

I was delighted when I realized the Book Club selection I chose for November was set in 1939 Berlin, Germany. Yep! Another Nazi book. But this one is different than any other I’ve read. It tells multiple parallel stories and even includes fantasy and Jewish folklore (which we learned about on our trip to Europe in April.) I loved it.

Commonplace

“Inspiration comes on the twenty-fifth attempt, not the first. If you want to make something excellent, don’t wait for a brilliant idea to strike. Create twenty-five of what you need and one will be great. Inspiration reveals itself after you get the average ideas out of the way, not before you take the first step.” – James Clear

“You can’t change your past, but you can reframe it. Find the lesson in it. Find the opportunity in it. Pull the teachable moment out of it and share with others. You can’t choose your history, but you can choose the story you tell about it.” – James Clear

“Two years, not two months. The visible progress you’re hoping for usually comes slower than you’d like. Even with consistent effort it can take a long time before progress feels significant. It might be a year of writing and editing before the book really starts to come together. You may need two years of recovery from a major injury before you notice just how far you’ve come. It may take two years of yoga before you realize how flexible you have become. Take a deep breath, stop worrying about immediate results, and settle into a nice routine.” – James Clear

“As long as there is love, there will be grief. The grief of time passing, of life moving on half-finished, of empty spaces that were once bursting with the laughter and energy of people we loved. As long as there is love there will be grief because grief is love’s natural continuation. It shows up in the aisles of stores we once frequented, in the half-finished bottle of wine we pour out, in the whiff of cologne we get two years after they’ve been gone. Grief is a giant neon sign, protruding through everything, pointing everywhere, broadcasting loudly, “Love was here.” In the finer print, quietly, “Love still is.” – Heidi Priebe, Writer

“Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.” – Chinese Writer and Literary Critic, Lu Sun

“Don’t just imagine doing things someday. Do them now. Get out of your head and take action.” – James Clear

“Less is more and more is more. It’s the middle that’s not a good place.” – Graphic designer and painter Paula Scher

“To the ancient sages, happiness depended upon virtue, wisdom, and an interior life in communion with and contemplation of the divine, moral and spiritual states that, once achieved, the happy man possessed inalienably.” — Harley Price, University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies

“Focus on your likes, not your wants. You may not want to exercise, but you like how it makes you feel. You may not want to write, but you like the feeling of accomplishment. You may not want to wake up early, but you like the calm beauty of morning. Wanting is the desire you feel before doing something. Liking is the satisfaction you feel after doing something. Let your likes guide you.” — James Clear

“Read, but don’t just read. Read the best book you can find. Write, but don’t just write. Write the best idea you can conceive.” — James Clear

“Even if you’re not a teacher, be a teacher. Share your ideas. Don’t take for granted your education. Rejoice in what you learn and spray it.” — Tim Minchin, Musician and Comedian

“People pay to see others believe in themselves.” — Kim Gordon, Singer and Songwriter

“Let us not grow tired of prayer: confidence works miracles.” — St. Thérèse of Lisieux

“Obedience proceeds understanding.” — Fr. Mike Schmitz

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