Book Nook Cafe discussion

Point well made! I liked the image attached, as well. Thanks.

I agree! I stew about a lot of things which I need to let go of!

I read this in NY Times-

My second-grade teacher, Ms. Edson, told us: If something feels too hard to do, it just means that the first step isn’t small enough. So often when we’re struggling, we tell ourselves that it’s a sign that we’re broken or that something is our fault, and then we freeze. But when something is too hard in the moment, tell yourself Ms. Edson’s advice.

Becky Kennedy
Clinical psychologist, parenting expert and founder of Good Inside

Alias Reader wrote: "I read this in NY Times-

My second-grade teacher, Ms. Edson, told us: If something feels too hard to do, it just means that the first step isn’t small enough. So often when we’re struggling, we te..."

Great idea!

Julie, I really like the sentiment. It's not that the task is beyond your ability, you just have to start smaller. It's a great attitude. I wrote this one down in my journal.

What an excellent thought. I wish i'd known about that when raising our children. It's hard to watch young people become frustrated with a subject or topic, when this solution would help. Thank you.

madrano wrote: "What an excellent thought. I wish i'd known about that when raising our children. It's hard to watch young people become frustrated with a subject or topic, when this solution would help. Thank you."

I'm going to use this idea for myself, Deb ! LOL

It would fit so many things.

A classic book too difficult? Start with an easier classic and work myself up to the more difficult book.

An exercise is too hard? Break it down into smaller parts and work on that.

A room too messy ? Start with one draw.

On and on.

Your point about a messy room rings true here. I think we read/shared about a number of books about cleaning/purging together over the years. Starting small is always the best tip, in those cases.

The reason, for me, is that once i finally get that one drawer under my belt, i'm eager to do more.

In a way, it's not unlike trying to begin an eating or exercise regime, either. Start small & build up.

You gave good examples, thanks.

"People who rarely receive criticism often take feedback too personally and miss opportunities to learn.

People who frequently receive criticism get used to ignoring what others say and also miss opportunities to learn.

The thing to focus on is the pattern. If you hear something once, don't let it wreck your mindset. There are many ways to view the world and not everyone will agree with your approach.

But if you're hearing something repeatedly, think carefully about whether the feedback is right."

James Clear

“One of the great gifts of growing older is to discover the exquisite art of being alone.” What used to be an uncomfortable silence, is now a luxury. The house is peaceful, and I can dance in the kitchen without being judged or just doing nothing. My best company is myself, with a coffee, a good movie and the freedom to be, because solitude is not absence, it is fullness and peace of mind. "
~~~~ Helen Mirren
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_M...

Mirren sounds at peace with her life. Happy for her.

What a wonderful way to begin a novel. And didn't Dickens cover them all?

Thank you for both this & the Carl Sagan quote, Alias.

Thanks deb. I think they fit my mood for this coming week. ;)

Indeed!

Physicist and chemist Marie Curie on the connection between fear and knowledge:

"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."

Source: Madame Curie: A Biography by Eve Curie

Madame Curie A Biography by Eve Curie translated by Vincent Sheean

Healthy quote, if you ask me.

Thank you, Alias.

Indeed!

Here are some book/reading quotes to enjoy as you read this weekend.




"It is really hard to be lonely very long in a world of words. Even if you don't have friends somewhere, you still have language, and it will find you and wrap its little syllables around you and suddenly there will be a story to live in."
– Naomi Shihab Nye, I'll Ask You Three Times, Are You OK?: Tales of Driving and Being Driven


"Reading fiction is important. It is a vital means of imagining a life other than our own, which in turn makes us more empathetic beings. Following complex story lines stretches our brains beyond the 140 characters of sound-bite thinking, and staying within the world of a novel gives us the ability to be quiet and alone, two skills that are disappearing faster than the polar icecaps."
– Ann Patchett


"The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries."
– Rene Descartes

"I guess a big part of serious fiction’s purpose is to give the reader, who like all of us is sort of marooned in her own skull, to give her imaginative access to other selves."
– David Foster Wallace


"You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive."
– James Baldwin


"To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life." – W. Somerset Maugham, Books And You

James Baldwin's quote is excellent.

Thank you for these morsels, Alias.

I'm happy you enjoyed them. As readers, I think they really capture how we feel.

Zoologist and primatologist Jane Goodall on making a difference:

"The greatest danger to our future is apathy. We can't all save the world in a dramatic way, but we can each make our small difference, and together those small differences add up. Every single person makes an impact on the planet every single day. The question is: What kind of impact do you want to make?"

Source: Reason for Hope (paraphrased)

From the James Clear newsletter.

Poet and novelist Hermann Hesse on what we all can do:

"To hold our tongues when everyone is gossiping, to smile without hostility at people and institutions, to compensate for the shortage of love in the world with more love in small, private matters; to be more faithful in our work, to show greater patience, to forgo the cheap revenge obtainable from mockery and criticism: all these are things we can do."

Source: If the War Goes On...

From James Clear newsletter

Thank you for sharing these two thoughtful quotes, Alias. These are the times when it's wise to consider them both.

The prize is the pleasure of finding things out...
~~ Richard P. Feynman

Richard Phillips Feynman was an American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate. He was a key figure in 20th century physics, known for his work in quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, and particle physics. He was also part of the Manhattan Project team that developed the atomic bomb. Feynman's achievements include: Developing the first quantum theory of electromagnetism, correcting inaccuracies in earlier formulations.
Born Richard Phillips Feynman
May 11, 1918
New York City, U.S.

Died February 15, 1988 (aged 69)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard...

Lovely. And so true about so much.

Thanks, Alias.

madrano wrote: "Lovely. And so true about so much.

Thanks, Alias."

You're welcome, deb.

The quote is the epigraph to the book I just began

Source Code: My Beginnings by Bill Gates

“Nothing is so privileged as thinking history belongs to the past.”

Quote from
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green

Most excellent.

"Focus on the things you are for, not the things you are against.

Many people spend large chunks of their day thinking about what they hate. They are always telling you about something they dislike: this food, that subject, this political party, that coworker.

You are more than your frustrations. Build your identity around what you love."
James Clear

Novelist Robert Louis Stevenson on personal responsibility:

"Sooner or later we all sit down to a banquet of consequences."

Source: Old Mortality (1884)

Alias Reader wrote: ""Focus on the things you are for, not the things you are against.

Many people spend large chunks of their day thinking about what they hate. They are always telling you about something they dislik..."

Accentuate the positive!

Alias Reader wrote: "Novelist Robert Louis Stevenson on personal responsibility:

"Sooner or later we all sit down to a banquet of consequences."

Source: Old Mortality (1884)"

Yup.

madrano wrote: Accentuate the positive! ..."

That quote was a reminder for myself. I tend to see the glass half empty. And it's probably leaking too. :)

Alias Reader wrote: ""Focus on the things you are for, not the things you are against.

Many people spend large chunks of their day thinking about what they hate. They are always telling you about something they dislik..."

Good advice for stress relief too. You will be stressed all the time if you just focus on the negatives in your life

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: Accentuate the positive! ..."

That quote was a reminder for myself. I tend to see the glass half empty. And it's probably leaking too. :)"

I hear ya!

Indeed!

~~~Wiki bio
Japanese author and Buddhist monk. His most famous work is Tsurezure-Gusa (Essays in Idleness), one of the most studied works of medieval Japanese literature. Born Urabe Kaneyoshi
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yoshida...

Perfect image. Thanks for that, Alias.

Wonderful quote from Walter Cronkite about libraries. 😊

LOL!

Alias Reader wrote: ""

Yes. Today at the bookstore (featuring iced milk tea) it was both sunny AND rainy so I also got....A rainbow

Lucky you!

Denise wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: ""

Yes. Today at the bookstore (featuring iced milk tea) it was both sunny AND rainy so I also got....A rainbow"

They say rainbows bring good fortune and luck. I hope some is headed your way.