Rae's Craft

Learn the unknown.

Being positive even if its hard.

Using past generations discoveries and making your own.

Don't wait for someone else to do something, get up and do it yourself.

Get Out There "Man is born to live, not to prepare for life." - Boris Pasternak Study certainly prepares us for life, but experience must follow soon after study, shouldn't it? The experience phase must not be delayed too long. Studying feels empty after a certain point. It is like watching a fabulous travel or cooking show-we are enticed, but then we want the experience for ourselves. Prepare well enough, then get out there and live. TODAY I WILL MAKE SURE I AM PREPARED,

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The Joy of Learning "With courage you can stay with something lone enough to succeed at it." - Earl Nightingale Few things come to us naturally. Take skiing, for instance: Does anyone ski effortlessly down the hill on his or her first attempt? Perhaps, but surely this is a rare occurrence. Most of us fall all over the place before we are steady on skis. But the joy such an activity can bring us is well worth all the imperfect runs. IF I AM DAUNTED BY ANYTHING TODAY, I WI

Thorough The Desert "Hold no man responsible for what he says in his grief." - The Talmud What thoughts go through our minds when we are grieving? I'll never get over this. I cannot take this. These are cries of desperation and despair. An old Jewish saying about behavior during grief was "he tore his garments." I used to think this was saying was very odd, but how descriptive! When we are blindsided by grief, we do want to just rip something to shreds; we are not in o

Choosing Your Path "Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." - William Jennings Bryan I do believe we choose our own destiny. Sure, there are forces that are beyond our control, but foe the most part, our choices determine the path our life takes. Go to college right out of high school or take a year off to travel the world? The rest of your life will be affected by that choice. Get ma

Creative Thinking "The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows." - Aristotle Onassis The secret of success is to figure out something truly special and make use of it. This takes a lot of work, study, and determination. We ponder things every day, though; did you ever think that maybe you just haven't looked at something in a practical way? Think of your day-to-day life; what is something you dread doing? Can you think of a way to make it easier, or think

Infinity and Beyond "If you wish to advance into the infinite, explore the finite in all directions." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Many aspects of our world are a mystery to us, and sometimes it can feel overwhelming. There will always be things out of our reach, but what we can do is explore anything and everything within our reach. As we do that, more and more becomes clear, and we find more and more happiness and satisfaction. TODAY I WILL MAKE PLANS TO VISIT A MUSEUM OR

Nobody's Perfect "When you are offended at any man's fault turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger." - Epictetus It's easy to get exasperated with others, isn't it? Most of us live in relatively close quarters, and thus there are a lot of opportunities to let our own needs get in the way of common courtesy and understanding. In addition, many news sources focus on stories about people who messed up, and we all take turns discussing the

Kindness Matters "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." - Mother Teresa Compliments make you feel good, and giving them feels just as good as receiving them. For example, if you compliment someone's cooking, seeing their pleased reaction leaves you with a good feeling. Compliments are contagious; after someone receives a compliment, he or she feels good and is more likely to compliment someone else. And the more you compliment othe

The Badge of Courage "I gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which I must stop and look fear in the face." - Eleanor Roosevelt When we are faced with difficult circumstances, our instinct is often to try to avoid them. Why use the energy to deal with them if you can just avoid them, right? Often, though, the circumstances keep coming back at you in different forms until you deal with them head-on. And difficult circumstances are often the ones that

What Would You Do in This Case? "Advice is seldom welcome, and those who want it the most always like it the least. - Earl of Chesterfield Most of us want to do things our own way. We make our own mistakes, and we learn from them- this is what makes each life different. It is important to learn from the experiences of others, though, because this is what creates progress. It would be silly for all o

Glorious Possibilities "The moment when first you wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the 24 hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that... absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't matters not one jot. The possibility is always there." - Monica Baldwin Today is a new day-it's a powerful statement, isn't it? It is simple, yet powerful and full of hope. Each new day is a do-over- a chan

Friendship Sparklers "At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person." - Albert Schweitzer Once my children were grown, I decided I didn't like cooking anymore. I worked out a nice arrangement with my friend Jack, who lives just 57 steps from my condo. He agreed to cook once or twice a week if I cooked once or Twice a week; the other days we would fend for ourselves, eat leftovers together, or go out to eat. Then I met Surinder, a delightf

Little Things, Big Results "The smallest fact is a window through which the infinite may be seen." - Aldous Huxley Have you ever noticed how pondering one thing leads to pondering numerous others? Take the time to really examine a beautiful flower, and your mind will come up with one question after another. What components came together to create this beautiful plant? Why does it look the way it does? It is amazing. Small things enlarge and excite our world. TODAY I WILL

Thrill of Discovery "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust Preconceived notions are dangerous, aren't they? When we have them, we miss a lot. Take your ride to work, for example. Do you look around on your way, or are you just focused on your destination? Do you have the mind-set of "Oh, I see this every day-it's nothing special"? Take time to look around you with the eyes of a newcomer. You will be a

The Blessing of One True Friend "If you have one true friend, you have more than your share." - Thomas Fuller Do you have one true friend? A person you just know you can count on no matter what? Someone you know would be there for you at your darkest hour or during a time of desperate need? Acquaintances come and go, but the spark and dedication of a true friend is a treasure. TODAY I WILL CALL MY TRUE FRIEND AND THANK HER FOR ALL SHE ADDS TO MY LIFE. #RaesBlog #RaesCraft