Book Nook Cafe discussion

Ah, a spot in the afternoon sun.

I particularly like "A good monk would know that contentment is easier to attain than happiness, and that is enough."
As I typed that I am in a warm home, thinking about dinner and a relaxing evening ahead. Who could or should want more than that. Contentment with what I have is wonderful. I wish that for the world.

That would be perfection.

Perfect word, Rachel, Contentment.

The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time. The more we say thanks, the more we find to be thankful for. And the more we find to be thankful for, the happier we become.

From ‘The Secret Of Saying Thanks,” Douglas Wood,

Very nice sentiment.

True.

Ooooo. Challenging.

Consider doing something badly. As G. K. Chesterton wrote, "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." Usually, some progress is better than none, and often we have to do something badly before we can do it well.

~~ Gretchen Rubin on Facebook.

Interesting…and not the quote one hears more often. Yet i won’t disagree.

I think people often feel discouraged or embarrassed to not do something well. Though everyone has to start somewhere.

I know at my adult beginner dance classes at the Y, there were often people who wouldn't come back because they couldn't do it well or know for example the ballet terminology. Which is sad as it's fun to dance if you can just let go of the notion that you already have to know basic ballet or whatever. After all, it was the Y, not tryouts for Broadway. It really just takes practice to become competent at most tasks . I would think playing the piano or really learning any new task is the same.

You need a growth mindset. When you have that positive growth mindset you take on challenges and learn from it. You believe in yourself, are positive that with effort and hard work, you too, like anyone else, can learn a new task.

Unfortunately, I think people say to themselves, I'm too old to learn that now. Which of course is nonsense. Maybe as a child, someone said, little Suzy is bad at math, or Jimmy is bad at sports. That label is hard to shake.

Words are so powerful. Maybe even more so, the words we use about ourselves.

It's better to turn those negative words around and say, I'm not good at playing chess, right now or I'm not good at leaning to tango, right now. That shows a growth mindset that you will be better in the future. Life is too short not to try and have fun while doing it !

Bob Marley was a wise man.

I like the idea of saying, “right now”, when talking about our abilities or lack of same. Good post, Alias. I agree with it.

I am one who just missed knowing much about Marley but ideas and quotes from him pop up and i feel cheated for not paying attention.

madrano wrote: "I like the idea of saying, “right now”, when talking about our abilities or lack of same. Good post, Alias. I agree with it."

Thanks, deb !

Yes, learning from things that do not go right is essential. If we don't learn from our mistakes what will we learn from? Thanks for the thought provoking quotes. Excellent.

Thank you, Rachel. I'm glad the quotes resonated with you.

They did. A friend had a complete melt down and I saw him in the closed mindset and it gave me some clarity. I think we probably all spend time in both camps. For certain, I do.

I heard today about a website https://grateful.org/

I thought I would spread the word if anyone is interested.

Rachel wrote: "I heard today about a website https://grateful.org/

I thought I would spread the word if anyone is interested."

Thanks, Rachel !

This is a lovely website. Thank you.

I am happy to share hopefulness and gratitude.

Anthropologist Ashley Montagu on aging well:

"The goal of life is to die young — as late as possible!"

Source: Growing Young

LOL, I love that!

Wonderful advice!

A habit must be established before it can be improved. If you can’t learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details. Instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis. You have to standardize before you can optimize.⁠

One push-up is better than not exercising.
One minute of guitar practice is better than none.
One minute of reading is better than never picking up a book.
It is better to do less then hoped then to do nothing at all.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones~~James Clear
Chapter 13

Encouraging Thought for the Day!

Thank you.

Alias Reader wrote: "A habit must be established before it can be improved. If you can’t learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details. Instead of trying to engineer a pe..."

Brilliant words. Anything in terms of doing is better than not trying. People get overwhelmed instead of just do the next right thing and the following right thing will appear. If you practice for a minute try tomorrow for two minutes.

Rachel wrote: "If you practice for a minute try tomorrow for two minutes...."

Exactly.

Elizabeth Hardwick

Good idea on increasing practice time, Rachel.

That reading quote is a gem, too, Alias.

My mother taught me to read and it has been the greatest gift she ever gave me.

Rachel wrote: "My mother taught me to read and it has been the greatest gift she ever gave me."

Lovely, Rachel.

Splendid poster for libraries, Alias. Thanks for sharing it. I'd like to see it in person someday.

Wonderful poster. I love librairies. 😀🎈🙂

Barbara wrote: "Wonderful poster. I love librairies. 😀🎈🙂"

As do I, Barbara. They are a life saver for me !

That is a great poster and it is sacred ground. I hope it can remain that way. We all need to stand up for freedom to read everything and anything.

Rachel wrote: "That is a great poster and it is sacred ground. I hope it can remain that way. We all need to stand up for freedom to read everything and anything."

Absolutely !

Wonderful, Alias! And true.

Alias Reader wrote: ""

That might be the best quote of all time.

Very true. 😃

"Deconstruct the cool things you see.

If you'd like to become a better musician and you see an amazing performance, start paying attention to how they do it. How did they promote the event? What happens in the first ten seconds of each song? How frequently are they engaging directly with the audience? Is there a progression of energy throughout the show?

When something fascinates you, pay attention to the details. The person who thinks, "That was cool" is a consumer. The person who thinks, "How did they make something that cool?" is on the path to being a creator.

Don't just taste the recipe, look for the ingredients."

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones--James Clear

​

This is a different approach. Thank you for the exposure, Alias.

madrano wrote: "This is a different approach. Thank you for the exposure, Alias."

Deb, one of my friends always say when she is reading a non fiction, biography or memoir book, she wants to know how they did it. Many books skip over the details.

Also she says when she does something herself that turns out well or not, she always goes back and tries to figure out why.

I think James Clear is saying something similar. I emailed the quote to her. :)

I think you are right about his quote. Your friend's attitude is solid. I try to do so but often am in a rush and there it goes!

“I’m not saying that you have to be a reader to save your soul in the modern world. I’m saying it helps.” — Walter Mosley

Walter Mosley