Deanna Davis

A Bulls-eye from a Literary Sharp-shooter

Lisa Kogan has always been one of my favorite writers, partly due to her unparalleled "real-woman-wit" and partly because of her marksman-like ability with words.  Give her any topic, from any distance, and she consistently hits a bulls-eye.  She may be best known for her wry sense of humor, marrying the ordinary and absurdity of life in observations about everything from mattress quality and late-night television to the often unanswered dilemma of appropriate volumes of lasagna consumption (how much is enough, how much is too much to indicate one has lived well?) 

 
But I personally love her spot-on commentaries about life, both in her O Magazine column and in her new book, Someone Will Be With You Shortly: Notes From a Perfectly Imperfect Life.

While many (and I mean MANY) of Kogan's quotes have made me stop to laugh out loud over the years, an equal number of them have made me stop and think.  Consider the following:

• "You make the choices you make based on what you know about yourself and what you think you know about the world. And sometimes the world will turn around and break your heart, but other times...the reality of what you wound up with will suddenly seem like the only possible choice - it just couldn't have turned out any other way."
• "Sometimes I think being middle-aged isn't about learning a lot of new lessons so much as learning the same old ones again and again."

Oh, to be treated to such a memorable combination of laughter and learning.  Kogan is truly one of today's great literary sharp-shooters.  Consider treating yourself to a copy of Someone Will Be With You Shortly today.  And to make the process of learning and laughing even more fun, invite some friends to join you.  Download this handy list of book group questions to spark your conversation today! 

Lean Forward Into Your Life...Begin Each Day As If It Were On Purpose

 
In one brilliant sweep of her pen...and her wisdom, we are called to be in this moment...to be intentional with our lives. 

In Lean Forward Into Your Life: Begin Each Day As If It Were On Purpose, Mary Anne Radmacher has gifted us with a truly stunning book, one as thought-provoking as it is action-inspiring, and as practical as it is lyrical. 

During this time of endings and beginnings--the end of one year, the beginning of another--we have the option of living "on purpose" if we choose, and this book offers us the framework on which to build that life of intention.

A gifted artist and powerful writer, Mary Anne provides readers with a joyous nudge to lean forward with the inquisitive nature of a child and the peaceful assurance of a wise mentor, all the while realizing that both of these beings exist within you.  Enjoy this book yourself and share it with those you love during this season of giving and the next season of "fresh starts." 

Enjoy the following brief excerpt from the many treasures in this book:

"in each moment seize the opportunity to experience grand wonder . . after the wonder, joy comes in.

there is a song so deep within the soul it is only heard as laughter. from the fountain of our beliefs come the graces of our lives.

hope flies on its own wings,
carried on winds of laughter,
it will always find its way to the
heart it calls home.

laugh. it is the quickest bridge between strangers and the finest path between friends."