After a dinner of potato-leek soup, salad and roasted vegetables, I curled up in the library, thinking about the conversation my daughter and I had on our drive home. Last week while she was in oral surgery I was reading The Art of Possibility. There is a chapter that presents the concept of giving everyone an “A”, even if they don’t seem to deserve it. Look for the good, the possible, the contribution that each life presents or can be if they saw themselves that way.

We can have such low expectations of people sometimes, and certainly of loved ones who have not treated us how we believe we should be treated. There were several stories of adults being disappointed with their fathers because they had never seemed to show them love or understanding. After they were presented with idea of giving their parents an “A”, they were surprised to recall memories of tenderness or to find an endearing letter from the supposedly heartless father. Since I read that, I’ve been looking at my people differently, as humans with possibility for beauty, kindness, and love. Will I be still be hurt? Sure, but I can move forward with an open heart and look for the best.

Don’t we need to release people from our low expectations, our presumptions and assumptions? And just see them with fresh eyes, no limits and full of possibility and wonder.

So Ella and I talked about family matters, about how much she enjoyed her recent weekend with her dad’s side of the family, and she expressed the qualities about their family that she wishes everyone could experience: acceptance, kindness, respect and love. I agreed. “It’s so rare,” she said. (All the more reason to be thankful for her good fortune to belong to such a family.)

I’ve felt myself returning to a jaded view of human nature after a few negative experiences this weekend. You know what? I need to move on.Who knows what will happen tomorrow? I can learn and choose to look at everyone in my life as possessing the ability to communicate clearly and meaningfully.

If you have wonderful relationships, then Thanksgiving is a perfect time to celebrate them. If there is tension and disappointment and lack of communication in your circle, try giving everyone an “A” and celebrate all the good waiting to be discovered.

Mondays are the days of fresh workloads, new lists and new challenges. I have to shop for groceries for the week, pick up Christmas decorations that I cannot make myself, and most likely pick up my daughter after school and bring her home with me to spend the night. And I need to practice Christmas music for our concert Saturday, plus do some sewing for a Christmas order.

Does having a lot on your list make you antsy if you’re sitting or resting for a while? It’s super hard for me to relax when I have so much to do. But at the same time, that sense of too much to do weighs me down and makes me feel panicky. What to do?

This article was helpful. The best common sense idea was you can only do one thing at a time, so focus on that one and do the best you can. The other was to pick a high impact item off your list rather than accomplishing many small unimportant tasks. And on medium, this article reminded me of what I know is true: Find some quiet time each day just for you. Also, say no to everything that is extraneous.

So no matter how antsy I feel taking a break, I need to. Step away and breath, pick up an instrument, talk with my kids, take a walk, watch something funny, read for an hour. The rest does renew my willpower to keep working. And while I am working, I won’t think of other things I have to do, but will stay present and be here with the people I’m with, working with focus and living the moments I’ve been given on this Monday.

Are you feeling the challenge of this Monday, of this week? Let’s all encourage one another to do good work, enjoy our actual lives and be thankful this new day.

Here is where I share links to sites and articles I’ve read this week that have encouraged or inspired me. They may be new or just new-to-me, but I’ve followed curiosity’s path and here’s where it led me.

From IntrovertDear.com is an article about INFJ children. If you have one or were one, you will likely nod your head and possibly learn from it.

Here’s an article about people that don’t just choose to do one thing, but are interested or talented in several areas.

I’ve been re-examining my eco-friendly habits or the lack thereof and am revisiting the no-paper towel/napkin/ziploc idea. Or at least cutting back on those expensive one-use, throw-away items. Here are a few links to move me in the right direction: About kicking the paper towel habit. Here’s one for replacing paper products in the kitchen. Here’s another for making your own reusable food wrap. I’ve done this before and it’s super easy. I’m going to make a bunch more in the next couple of weeks. If you want a real kick in your green pants, check out Bea Johnson’s website. And one more is this how to on Furoshiki, which is Japanese fabric wrapping. I want to wrap gifts this way!!!

And last of all, gluten free, dairy free recipes for Thanksgiving. My daughter and I don’t eat meat, but the rest of the household does, so I ignore those recipes, but there are a lot of good ones. This one by Williams-Sonoma has a fennel soup I have to make. Here are a bunch from Jeanettes’ Healthy Living and from Gluten Free and More. One more from Go Dairy Free.

Happy Weekend and Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Do you fantasize about creativity in your weekly schedule? Time to do what you dream of doing while you’re doing all the everyday things you’d rather delegate to someone else?

A friend recently commented that it would be so nice to have time to spend writing and I recognized the wistfulness of her words. When you’re busy with unsatisfying-but-necessary work, errands, chores and responsibilities you might fantasize about being able to do anything creative that would get you out of your busy, boring rut.

You want a change of pace, a breath of fresh air on the horizon of your days and nights that seem to repeat with no variation, no inspiration. And your hobbies–that instrument you’ve always wanted to learn to play, that novel you’ve thought about writing, etc.,–the “other” you remains dormant while the grown-up in you carries on the business of living.

But who will give you the permission to try something new, take up that interest that’s been nagging at you, if you don’t? It’s terrifying, I hear you, to take those first steps away from the familiar and find yourself happily lost in a new direction. But I encourage you to go in that direction. Start by carving out short chunks of time in your schedule to make your real life look like your dream life. Give yourself permission. Pick yourself, as Seth Godin always tells us.

A painting afternoon with girlfriends, a candle making evening, a photography lesson, a free writing workshop at the public library, an introductory yoga  or dance class, or joining a birdwatching club or writers’ group.

Make that appointment with creativity. You’ll be so glad you did!