Is Your Fantasy Self Wearing You Down? (Guest Post at Miss Minimalist)
You know what’s really tiring, what drains the life out of so many of us each day? The belief that we should be someone we’re not … a fantasy self, if you will. Our fantasy self is the one who will read all of the books in our backlog and cook all of the fancy magazine-style meals. …
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Cross Everything Else Off Your List, Leaving Just This.
Photo: Brian A. Taylor Photography. Used with permission. Friends, the weather outside is frightful, so I'm glad to be here in my writing room, sharing this post on the true meaning of the holiday season. I'm also glad that we have central heating this winter. Happiness really is the small things, like not having to wear a hat in the house. And this reminds me of another story about four girls backpacking through Europe. It's one of my favorites, because I was one of those girls. Now, I could tell you a lot of dramatic stories about that ...
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Launch Day: I Was a Stranger to Beauty is Here!
Oh, happy day! Thanks to ThinkPiece Publishing, my new Kindle Single* is here! It's titled I Was a Stranger to Beauty: A Story of Special Needs, Simplicity, My Brother Willie, My Friend Miguel and A New Way of Seeing the World. (I'm fortunate to have a fantastic publisher who shares my affinity for ridiculously lengthy subtitles.) *If you don't have a Kindle, don't worry! You can read Kindle books with Amazon's (free) Kindle Cloud Reader. If you have Amazon Prime, you can also borrow the book through Amazon's Lending Library. *** This book is the story of a family moving ...
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The Summer I Ran Away (and What Brought Me Home)
Hilton Head, 2012. Photo Credit: Donna Fischer Once upon a time, I ran away from home. I ran in a very structured, organized, responsible sort of way, which is to say, I disguised the escape. *** When my husband and I visited family last month, we spent time with my parents, brother, grandparents, and an aunt and uncle too. I'm blessed with a wonderful extended family, and I feel particularly close to this aunt and uncle. Why? Because I lived with them for a summer seven years ago. When people asked me why I was staying with my ...
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Launch Day: Love’s Subversive Stance is Here!
It's the day you've been waiting for; Love's Subversive Stance is finally here! I'm proud to offer you this ebook, which contains 90+ pages of stories to help you go deeper with your most challenging relationships. If you want to say YES to standing on the subversive soil of love, pick up your copy today! Some early reviews: "The more I read of this book, the more I love it. It's really a beautiful collection of stories." -Allison McGinley, Be Not Afraid "Congratulations! I love the book...beautifully laid out." -Arvind Devalia, Make It Happen "...All I can say that it ...
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On Being Present & Embracing Enough (Could it Change Your Life)?
At prayer-time at L'Arche this Thursday, we passed a candle around the table, as is our custom. The reflection question was posed to us was: "How are you feeling?" Such a simple, ordinary question. Yet in that moment, I saw how powerful that simple inquiry could be. To check in with myself, asking, "How am I really feeling? What is really true for me, inside?" To check in with others, asking, "How are you?" and really listening to the answer...these are acts of love. At L'Arche, we keep our meditations simple. That said, what arises from those simple ...
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4 Steps To A Decluttered Home And A Deepened Relationship: Guest Post At Minimalist Packrat
Hello and happy Friday! Guest post #6-in-a-row (yes, this ends the streak...I think!) comes to you via Minimalist Packrat, the site that celebrates writer Tanja Hoagland's journey from (you guessed it) packrat to minimalist. Which leads me to ponder: if I'd employed a similar "is living into now + used to be" fusion title for this site, it might read, "Peaceful Control-Freak," or "Brave Scared" or "Bold Writer Shy Girl." That last one kind of has a ring to it... 😉 Moving on. As you know, A Wish Come Clear's mission is to help you find meaning in your most ...
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Real Life Minimalists ~ Guest Post At Miss Minimalist
Readers, today’s post is over at Miss Minimalist. It's the latest post in Francine Jay's "Real-Life Minimalists" series. You can find it here: Real Life Minimalists: Caroline Garnet McGraw. I’m honored to be posting there. Miss Minimalist is all about "living a beautiful life with less stuff." Her recent book, The Joy Of Less, is a must-have if you're interested in downsizing and simplifying (I've read it multiple times.) Francine is a gracious, articulate writer (on both practical and philosophical levels) and her site is an excellent resource for simplicity-seekers. My post focuses on my experiences with simplicity within the ...
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Kick-Start Your Creativity: 4 Steps To My Brother’s Beat
I have a confession to make: I'm so excited to travel to New Jersey for a vacation next week. Before you start with the Jersey jokes, let me tell you why. I'm going to see my family and friends. I'm going to sit in my pajamas and have coffee with my dad. My mom and I will, inevitably, watch Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version, of course.) I'll see my friends Tammy and Niall (also known as Houseplay Designs and Houseplay Renovations) and hear about their growing, sustainability-focused business. My brother Willie and I will do puzzles and go for ...
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Do You Need Permission To Rest? (You Got It.)
Good morning, all, First, a brief update: I have another post featured on the S-O-S for Parents blog this week; you can read it here. Next, I want to share that the posting schedule at A wish come clear will alter slightly; in the coming weeks, I'll be posting on Mondays and Thursdays. The motivation behind this change is threefold: first, it reflects reading patterns on the site at present; second, it allows me to maintain the high level of quality content you desire; third, it allows me greater space for freelance work, guest posts and long-term projects. I welcome ...
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