Tonight

We heard bang bang bang bang (pause) bang bang bang bang (equal spaces in between). We looked at each other and said, "that sounded like gunfire." The police showed up then fire dept + ambulance. Then the yellow crime scene tape blocked off the street.

Be Real

“A moment of truth is very powerful. Instead of smiling to be polite, just frown. Instead of laughing when you are nervous or uncomfortable, just speak your truth. Instead of acting like everything is all right, proclaim it isn't alright, and talk about your feelings! Honor your truth. Honor yourself. Be real.”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

Before

“Who were you before the world told you what you were not?”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

Within

“Within you, you will find everything you need to be complete.”
― Bryant McGill, Voice of Reason

The Worst Bullies

“The worst bullies you will ever encounter in your life are your own thoughts.”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

Calm Mind

“Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax.”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life.

Collect Hope

“Your past is like a bag of bricks; set it down and walk away. Quit collecting every painful word, memory and mistake. Collect hope.”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

Consumers

“We believe we are the consumers, but we are the consumed.”
― Bryant McGill, Voice of Reason

The Storm

“The storm is out there and every one of us must eventually face the storm. When the storm comes, pray that it will shake you to your roots and break you wide-open. Being broken open by the storm is your only hope. When you are broken open you get to discover for the first time what is inside you. Some people never get to see what is inside them; what beauty, what strength, what truth and love. They were never broken open by the storm. So, don't run from your pain — run into your pain. Let life's storm shatter you.”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

Hurt, Pain, + Suffering

“We are all damaged. We have all been hurt. We have all had to learn painful lessons. We are all recovering from some mistake, loss, betrayal, abuse, injustice or misfortune. All of life is a process of recovery that never ends. We each must find ways to accept and move through the pain and to pick ourselves back up. For each pang of grief, depression, doubt or despair there is an inverse toward renewal coming to you in time. Each tragedy is an announcement that some good will indeed come in time. Be patient with yourself.”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

“Your suffering needs to be respected. Don't try to ignore the hurt, because it is real. Just let the hurt soften you instead of hardening you. Let the hurt open you instead of closing you. Let the hurt send you looking for those who will accept you instead of hiding from those who reject you.”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

“If you can sit with your pain, listen to your pain and respect your pain — in time you will move through your pain.”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

Freedom

“There is something beautiful in you seeking freedom.”
― Bryant McGill, Voice of Reason

The Roots

“If you do not like a certain behavior in others, look within yourself to find the roots of what discomforts you.”
― Bryant McGill, Voice of Reason

Listening

“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”
― Bryant McGill

“There is no greater intelligence than kindness and empathy.”
― Bryant McGill, Voice of Reason

Bryant McGill Quotes

“No one is more insufferable than he who lacks basic courtesy.”
― Bryant McGill

“Good manners are appreciated as much as bad manners are abhorred.”
― Bryant McGill

“Stop holding-on to the wrong people. Let them go on their own way; if not for you, then for them.”
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

“Toxic relationships are dangerous to your health; they will literally kill you. Stress shortens your lifespan. Even a broken heart can kill you. There is an undeniable mind-body connection. Your arguments and hateful talk can land you in the emergency room or in the morgue. You were not meant to live in a fever of anxiety; screaming yourself hoarse in a frenzy of dreadful, panicked fight-or-flight that leaves you exhausted and numb with grief. You were not meant to live like animals tearing one another to shreds. Don't turn your hair gray. Don't carve a roadmap of pain into the sweet wrinkles on your face. Don't lay in the quiet with your heart pounding like a trapped, frightened creature. For your own precious and beautiful life, and for those around you — seek help or get out before it is too late. This is your wake-up call!”
― Bryant McGill

Katie Manning

8yo: When I'm eating, I like to think about how the food isn't food any more when it's in my body. It is me.

5yo: I want to be a taco that nobody eats.

Katie Manning
@iamkatmann

Neighbor's Squeaking Roof Vent

The sound is so loud I am tempted to hire a hit man for the roof vent. I went to twitter and punched in "squeaky roof vent." There are people all over the world having the same problem.

"My neighbor had a squeaky spinning vent on his roof. One night I shot it off from my window." @TrueTorontoGirl

John Thorne

Traditionally, Matt and I get Chinese takeout for Thanksgiving, a holiday I actively dislike. Despite its name, Thanksgiving is really the Family Holiday. Even Christmas pales beside it: that day's focus is on giving and receiving even more than togetherness. Strangely though, being alone on Christmas is to be almost hauntingly empty; you feel like a ghost. But being alone on Thanksgiving is rather wonderful, like not attending a party that you didn't want to go to and where no one will realize you're not there. At Thanksgiving, you gather with your family and stuff yourself with food as if it were love—or the next best thing —then stagger back to your regular life, oversatiated and wrung out. Christmas, however, creates expectations that are never met, so you leave hungry and depressed, with an armload of things you didn't want and can't imagine why anyone would think you did.
-John Thorne

Picking Up Trash

Today I fished garbage out of the shrubs using the grabber--it was like urban Yoga! Then I went swimming and it was fabulous!

Kitchen Prep

I just baked a bunch of mini sourdough (+yeast) semolina oat rye corn wheat loaves and painted them with olive oil for color. They are beautiful. The smoke alarm only went off twice. While the bread was baking I chopped up broccoli and carrots to go with the big batch of hummus I made yesterday. I was a prep chef for many years. The way for me to not have performance anxiety is to prepare foods in advance. I get panicky anyway but feels better to be ahead of the curve.

Zen Proverb

“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day – unless you're too busy; then you should sit for an hour.”
– Zen Proverb