Six Steps to Optimism: Day 2

“Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power.”—William James
It might seem like there is a big divide between pessimism and optimism. Often, they’re polar opposites. We’ve all heard the “glass half-empty, glass half-full” analogy before, or “seeing things in black and white,” or any number of other metaphors for the two viewpoints.
But as far apart as [...]

Six Steps to Optimism: Day 1

“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”—Henry David Thoreau
How many people dou you know who, when asked, say something like, “Oh, I wish I could … “ and then follow whatever their wish is with, “But …”?
Millions of people spend their days working at [...]

The House That Ruth Built

The first game played at Yankee Stadium took place on April 18, 1923. The last, barring some miracle, was played Sunday, September 21, 2008. Between those times, 151,959,005 people have attended baseball games at “the house that Ruth built”.
The ceremonies Sunday were full of pomp as well as class, as such things usually are. There [...]

Beyond Fine China and Heirloom Crystal

Yesterday, I walked through my grandmother’s house for the last time. She died in August of last year. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of her. Right now, I’m missing her a lot. Not that I don’t understand that she’s with me always in spirit. But I miss the physical [...]

The Magic of Chambord

It’s funny how a little liquor can dramatically change your perceptions.
I have a recipe for chocolate chip cake that I’ve been making for years. It’s made in a Bundt pan, and is pretty much fail-proof. It’s one of those recipes I fall back on when I need to bring something to a gathering and don’t [...]

Consider the Butterflies

I don’t think many of us consider, when we first find our life’s purpose, what we will be like at the end of our journeys. I know that, when I first consciously said to myself, “I’m choosing to be a great pianist,” and then began to actively make decisions that moved me closer to that [...]

I Have More Than More Than Enough

I’ve come to a conclusion. I set limits for myself. This is fine when it comes to wine and chocolate, but in the realm of the mind, what we think we can’t do or shouldn’t have become powerful antidotes to our success.
I have seen this over and over, but still, I don’t practice it one [...]

Birthday Music

I remember, growing up, that on my birthday, my godmother would always call and sing to me.
Sweet, you say, and yes, it was … except she couldn’t sing!
One year, when she was in her eighties, she called and sang to me. Then, when she had finished and I’d thanked her, she said, “Oh, you’ll be [...]

September Song

I feel the slow turn of the seasons as the nights become cooler and more still. Our house, though it sits along a busy road that is used by many people as a convenient shortcut between two cities, is surrounded by woods, so in spring and summer, we are serenaded by tree frogs, crickets and [...]

Where Does Inspiration Come From?

Yesterday, I wrote about how the universe “conspires” to help us as we follow our hearts toward our dreams.
As a composer of music and of written words, I’m also keenly interested in “inspiration”. Where does it come from? How do we get “chosen” (if we do indeed get chosen) to receive it? If we don’t [...]