A few weekends ago, I drove myself to the beach. No partner. No dog. I walked alone for hours. As I walked, I photographed the beach, full of emptiness and light. Standing at the thrashing eclipse of continent and ocean, I photographed myself smiling at nothing and no one. Until my beloved Machi died eight months ago, I had never … Read More
Are you building a cathedral?
In one of my favorite allegories, a traveler in medieval times comes upon a stonemason at work. He asks, “What are you doing?” The man looks weary and unhappy. He responds, “Can’t you see I am cutting and laying down stone? My back is killing me, and I can’t wait to stop.” The traveler continues on his way and comes … Read More
We’re better together
Writing is commonly thought to be a solo activity. But I believe that a sustainable writing life takes a village. When we feel connected to community and are engaged in collaboration, our productivity and satisfaction can exponentially increase. When we gather to share our work, explore our ideas, and declare our intentions, we increase our odds of success. {tweet it} Why? … Read More
Are your writing goals big enough?
“I kept hearing advice, like ‘just get out of bed, just make pot of coffee.’ If my goal is only to get out of bed, I’d never accomplish anything,” she said. Her advice to others coming out of a difficult situation? “Set goals impossibly big — look at the big picture.” The headline got my attention: “Single mom builds 3,500-square-foot … Read More
Yes, no, and what really matters
It’s that time time of year when many of us are reckoning with how 2016 went down while also anticipating what 2017 will be. Here at Sage Headquarters, I’m appreciating a practice I’ve adopted this year that makes this process a bit more streamlined than usual. It started like this. When I turned 47 this year, I promised myself that … Read More