Art of Gracious Living

Art of Gracious Living #68 - Homeward Bound

Patsy Terrell — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:17:55 -0500

"A quote by Sarah Ban Breathnach in "Something More" was the springboard for this episode. It pointed out just how much we all long for, and seek, home.

"It doesn't matter where you live today - trailer, apartment, or a house. You may be rooming in a motel or seeking santuary in a safe house halfway between your past and your future. You may even be without a roof to call your own, camping out on a friend's couch or community cot; held hostage in a palace or pitching a tent on the
dark side of the moon. It doesn't matter. If you're reading this, you're homeward bound."

I believe we are all doing this very thing - heading home - in one way or another. And we need a place today that is home for us.

Art of Gracious Living #67 Priorities

Patsy Terrell — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:49:25 -0500

Finding time for all the things we want to do in life is always a struggle. It all boils down to determining our priorities and then living so that those are where we're putting our energies. In this Art of Gracious Living I offer some suggestions on how to achieve this.

Art of Gracious Living #66

Patsy Terrell — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 02:32:25 -0400

Consider all the things you are committed to and if some of them can be put on hiatus. Sometimes we all need to step back and refocus.

Throw a Tea Party - Art of Gracious Living #65

Patsy Terrell — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 23:52:29 -0400

Invite a few friends over for tea and you'll create the opportunity for true conversation. It's not as difficult as you may think to have a tea party and we talk about the details today. I even give you some recipes on the website www.artofgraciousliving.com. The important thing is to create the opportunity to make a real connection with others.

Art of Gracious Living #64 - Stories

Patsy Terrell — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:03:49 -0400

Our stories are how we connect with others. The Kalahari Bushmen believe a man's story is his most precious possession because it's the basis of culture and civilization. The same is true in modern society, but we're more likely to tell someone what we do for a living than what we care about, than who we are. When I thought about applying this to myself I was reminded of a piece I wrote a few years ago that I gave to some friends with driftwood I had collected at the confluence of the rivers near where I grew up. That is a place I return to repeatedly.

Art of Gracious Living #63 - Conversation

Patsy Terrell — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 19:25:54 -0500

Finding opportunities to have one on one conversation with others is something worth the effort. I recently had a five hour conversation with my nephew's wife, Cathy, and it was wonderful to connect with her in that way. As I thought about it later I realized that, because I live away from my family, I rarely have a chance to talk with any of them one on one - it tends to be in a group. Conversation is always different in groups than it is one on one. We must all look for the opportunities to have meaningful conversation.

Art of Gracious Living #62 - The Secret

Patsy Terrell — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The book and DVD, "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne has garnered a lot of attention lately. The book is all about the law of attraction, and that what we devote our energy and attention to is what we attract into our lives. The first time I read about the concept was in Napoleon Hill's book, "Think and Grow Rich." He summed it up by saying that whatever the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve. This is not a new concept. It has been around for centuries. One of the central beliefs is that we must be grateful for what we already have, which is something we've talked about many time on Art of Gracious Living.

Art of Gracious Living #61 - Wholeheartedness

Patsy Terrell — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 04:22:23 -0500

Poet David Whyte relates a story of being told that antidote to exhaustion is not necessarily rest, but approaching life with a wholeheartedness. I find great wisdom in this. So many people seem tired all the time - maybe because they're not living with passion. Maybe finding a passion, something they can be wholehearted about, will given them energy.

Art of Gracious Living #60 - How we want to be loved

Patsy Terrell — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 01:13:13 -0500

Each of us has life lessons to learn, and one of mine has been that people can only love you as they're capable, which may not be how you want to be loved. In this podcast I share a number of personal stories about how this lesson has been taught to me more than once. I'm thankful I have finally grasped this life lesson. People may not be able to love you as you want to be loved, but it doesn't mean their love is invalid.

Art of Gracious Living

Art of Gracious Living #59 - Happiness 4 of 4 - Forgiveness

Patsy Terrell — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

In the last of the Art of Gracious Living four-part series on how to be happier, forgiveness is the topic. I share some personal instances of forgiving people and why it was difficult and how I was able to do it. Forgiving others is something you do for yourself. It gives you all the power again.