Friday, September 19, 2014

Celebrate Little Victories - Lisa Sugarman's LIFE: IT IS WHAT IT IS

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Each Saturday, I feature "Celebrate Little Victories" - a term coined by Mary Gramlich, The Reading Reviewer (link).  She inspires me with her ability to juggle a full time job, blog about books, and play with her grandchildren.   Mary reminds me that we take one day at a time.  

Today I celebrate Lisa Sugarman's LIFE: IT IS WHAT IT IS:

We expend massive amounts of energy in pursuit of perfection. If only we could never make mistakes or encounter unpleasant obstacles, oh, wouldn't life be just perfect? Maybe, but it would also be static, unfulfilling, and really, really boring.

Humorist Lisa Sugarman knows that life is a work in progress. She knows what we all suspect-life is at its best when it's fluid, unpredictable, and gloriously imperfect. And if this means life sometimes turns ugly and unpleasant, it only makes the good times that much sweeter.

Author of opinion column "It Is What It Is," Lisa embraces reality, not perfection. We're supposed to be imperfect. We're meant to screw up, make bad decisions, and lose our way. We can't control everything that life throws at us, but we "can" control how we react to it.

With the right attitude and a little guidance from Lisa, anyone can be happy and fulfilled most of the time. Her collection of funny, inspiring, and sometimes poignant columns reminds us that life is not a straight line, even on the best of days, and it's the twists in the road which make the journey so beautiful.


Lisa hails from Marblehead, Massachusetts - a quintessential small town steeped in American history but one that is overshadowed by big brother Boston.  Perhaps that is why she is pragmatic.  From her bio (link),

Lisa received her bachelor of arts with honors from Salem State University in 1991 and attended Emerson College's MA in Writing, Literature & Publishing program. Since 1991 she has written for a number of Boston-area newspapers, including: the Canton Journal, the Randolph Herald, the Hingham Journal, the Cohasset Mariner, the Swampscott Reporter, the Jewish Journal, the Sharon Advocate, and the Stoughton Journal. Most recently, she has authored the semi-regular opinion column It Is What It Is for The Marblehead Reporter and other GateHouse Media, Inc. publications since 2009.

LIFE: IT IS WHAT IT IS is a refreshing reminder that we succeed in our busy lives when we take one day at a time.  Lisa draws from her column to offer practical advice for self improvement. Recommended read for those who enjoy humorous musing that may lead to a new attitude.   I am giving away a print copy of LIFE: IT IS WHAT IT IS to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Share a positive saying (if you can think of one).

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, September 27, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Saturday, September 28.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City 

Follow Lisa on her blog, IT IS WHAT IT IS at this link.   

A teeshirt we spotted 
in Lexington, Massachusetts

12 comments:

  1. “If you say you can or you can't you are right either way”
    ― Henry Ford

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    1. I hadn't heard that one before ... but it's a good one!

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  2. I've always loved this one:

    "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

    Abraham Lincoln

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  3. If you can't say anything nice then don't say anything all all.

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  4. Don't put the key to happiness in someone else's pocket. ~Author Unknown

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  5. Your desire for success must be greater than your fear of failure. Bill Cosby

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  6. Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day. Author Unknown

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  7. "The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see." Alexandra K. Trenfor

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