Writer’s Notebook

January 2011

Love Versus Hate• Love and hate are sometimes

described as the two most powerful forces in the world. What do you think?

• Freewrite for 10 minutes on the topic of love versus hate. Consider the following questions: What kinds of images and phrases represent these two ideas to you? Which people and institutions embody love and hate, and how have they influenced our world?

Time for New Beginnings. . . . . . . . . Taylor Addison, Blue Mountain Arts, 1989

• "This is a time for reflection as well as celebration. As you look back on the past year and all that has taken place in your life,– Remember each experience for

the good that has come of itand for the knowledge you have gained.

– Remember the efforts you have made and the goals you have reached.

– Remember the love you have shared and the happiness you have brought.

– Remember the laughter, the joy, the hard work, and the tears.

Time for New Beginnings. . . . . . . . . Taylor Addison, Blue Mountain Arts, 1989• And as you reflect on the

past year, also be thinking of the new one to come. Because most importantly, this is a time of new beginnings and the celebration of life."

• Using the above quote, remember 2010.

Possibilities

• “The Old Year has gone.  Let the dead past bury its own dead.  The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time.  All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!” ~Edward Payson Powell

• Describe the possibilities of the coming twelve months for you.

Criticism

• “Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”

• How do you feel about criticism whether you are the giver or the receiver of it?

Your Example

• “It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.”

• What kind of example are you trying to live out? What kind of person do you want to be? Why?

Perspective

• “A foolish man tells a woman to stop talking, but a wise man tells her that her mouth is extremely beautiful when her lips are closed.”

• How does the way we say things change the reaction of our listener? Why is this so?

Daring to Be More

• “Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.”

• What is the point of this advice? How could it change what you think, try, and do if you were to follow it?

Old Age

• “I’ve learned that the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.”

• What have you learned from an elderly someone? What wisdom has been passed on to you?

Mistakes versus Perfection

• “No one is perfect . . . that’s why pencils have erasers.”

• How do you feel and react when you’ve made a mistake? What can mistakes teach us about ourselves, others, or the world?

Volunteering

• “Volunteers are not paid – not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.

• How do you feel about volunteering? What experiences have you had with volunteering? How did this experiences impact your life?