open and closed hands
* Michelle Thoughts

Love People. Use Things.

Originally written: August 2022

We’ve been in the midst of a distressing situation that I’ve been thinking about a lot recently. It has led me to reflect on the following philosophy (or theology) behind the situation, and I wonder if it rings true for anyone else:

I believe we are meant to *love* people and *use* things.

You might say, “I love pizza.” But that’s just semantics.

Do we want what’s best for the pizza? Do we care that the pizza flourishes in the future? Do we need to protect the pizza’s heart and soul?

No.

We want to consume the pizza. We want to use it for our pleasure and our sustenance.

We use the things. We love the people.

Continue reading “Love People. Use Things.”
* Michelle Thoughts, Intentional Living

How can I live out LOVE? An analytical introvert’s quest

LOVE (verb): To want what is best for another. Willingness to serve another’s wellbeing without reciprocation.

Indeed, the pitch we were meant to live at is love. Life never feels quite right unless love is the best and greatest part of it. … Once we are awakened to love as the lifelong purpose of our hearts, then feeling love for all the world becomes the meaning – and greatest joy – of living.

David Richo, The Sacred Heart of the World

This year, as I came to the 40 year mark in my life, I felt compelled to investigate Love. Specifically:

What does it mean for me (an intorvert, INTJ, Enneagram 5) to live out God’s Love in this world?

Continue reading “How can I live out LOVE? An analytical introvert’s quest”
* Michelle Thoughts, Intentional Living

30+ Life Lessons From 40 Years of Life

Life lessons, reflections, and observations from my 40 years on Earth

I’ve always appreciated learning what wisdom others have gleaned from their experiences, and I hope perhaps something here might be helpful to someone else’s journey.

40 is a lot of things so I’ve started with what I have and may continue to add more as this year progresses…

Continue reading “30+ Life Lessons From 40 Years of Life”
* Michelle Thoughts, Intentional Living

My Favorite Quotes Collection

Hat tip to author and blogger, Tsh Oxenreider, for the Commonplace Notebook idea. This is my own digital collection of inspiring and meaningful quotations about intentional living, faith, achievement, work, life, and more.

Please check back as I’ll continue to update this page…

Comparison is the thief of joy.

T. Roosevelt

If you really want something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.

Jim Rohn

There are no great acts, only small acts done with great love.

Mother Theresa
Continue reading “My Favorite Quotes Collection”
* Michelle Thoughts

The 6 Best Decisions I Made in College

I wrote this a few years ago, thinking about all the high school graduates out there who are moving on to college. These are a few words of advice from my own experience in college.

Jedd and I graduated from our (separate) Universities in 2005. Looking back, six things stand out in terms of the decisions I would make again in a heartbeat. Everyone’s experience in college is unique, to be sure, but hopefully these thoughts will connect with a few people and help them find their own way in this pivotal time of life.

1) Studying Abroad

Continue reading “The 6 Best Decisions I Made in College”

* Michelle Thoughts, Intentional Living

Reflective Journal Prompts for Intentional Living

I’ve kept a personal journal fairly regularly since grade school. Being a practical person, most of my journal entries have simply been records of what happened.

In high school, I tried a different approach. I bought a big, textbook-sized journal and began processing concepts, trying to grasp new ideas by wrestling them onto a page in my own words. It was something I referred back to often and enjoyed immensely.

Recently, I’ve kept up a personal journal to record significant happenings and check in with my own well-being. I average making an entry once or twice a week, but I try not to worry about the timing. I’ve also used a combination of real notebooks and Evernote on my laptop to take notes on the various things I’m learning from books, workshops, etc.

Then, once a year, Jedd and I take time to do some intentional reflection during our Annual Review. This takes place every December. We look back on the previous year to analyze what went well, what we could do better. From there, we plot out our goals for the year to come.

The Annual Review has become such a useful and impactful practice. I realized I was craving more of that deep reflection throughout the year. 

Even though I continue to journal fairly regularly, I haven’t actually been using the journal for deeper reflection. It’s been more of a quick record-keeping practice. As an introvert who processes thoughts internally, journaling is an under-utilized tool for better self-awareness and personal growth.

So I decided to be more intentional about journaling. I thought I’d share my new plan, in case it’s helpful to anyone else. Continue reading “Reflective Journal Prompts for Intentional Living”

* Michelle Thoughts, Intentional Living

All is calm. All is bright: Advent 2018

“All is calm, all is bright.” It’s a delightful sentiment, though not typically how I’m experiencing the world these days.

That’s why I’m making it my motto for Advent.

Advent, the time leading up to Christmas, tends to hold a lot more anticipation and magic in childhood. These days, I struggle to find ways to make it special.

To me, Christmas has a “true meaning” indeed. It has nothing to do with Santa, giving or receiving presents, and it’s definitely not about shopping.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. A real live baby boy who changed the world. God walking on Earth. The man who was persecuted, whose body couldn’t be found in his tomb three days later, and who appeared to hundreds of people – people who became martyrs in dedication to his kingship.

It’s world-shattering stuff.

Worthy of pause. Reflection. Introspection. Action.

Every year I struggle with how to do this.

I don’t particularly enjoy tradition and ceremony for its own sake. It’s too easy to go through the motions.

I want to be intentional about Advent. But how?

I heard of the idea of Continue reading “All is calm. All is bright: Advent 2018”

* Michelle Thoughts

Michelle’s 35 Things Update

It’s been an eventful year so far – we both turned 35 and celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with an extra dose of travel. With roughly 2 months left in my 35th year, I wanted to take another look at my “35 things to do in my 35th year” bucket list.

I was able to complete most of the things on my list without a problem. But I found that there were a couple things I resisted. One thing I’ve recently learned about myself, thanks to Gretchen Rubin’s 4 Tendencies, is that I am a Questioner. That means I only meet expectations that I have rationalized to myself are important. So I expect that the reason I resisted the 35 thank you letters task is because 1) I’ve never really appreciated the tradition of thank you cards in the first place, and 2) it was a popular birthday activity for others that I felt like I should do even though I wasn’t excited about it, and 3) it was overwhelming to choose 35 people and write 35 letters.

So I may end up replacing that one if I can’t find a way to align it better to my own style and personality. There are a few others I might need to adjust as well. Here is my current progress Continue reading “Michelle’s 35 Things Update”

* Michelle Thoughts, challenges, Intentional Living

Turning 35: Michelle’s Birthday Bucket List

I promised myself that I wouldn’t actually be old until age 75. But turning 35 means I’ve left my “early thirties” behind, which makes me feel that I no longer fit in the “young adult” category. I’m doing my best to accept this shift in identity without dragging my feet.

I confess that one of my biggest fears about aging is that life will somehow go downhill. I realize that the physical obstacles will increase – I’ve had chronic pain and headaches since my mid-twenties, so I don’t have much hope of anything getting better in that regard. But my real concern doesn’t involve bodily functions.

I remember as a Continue reading “Turning 35: Michelle’s Birthday Bucket List”

* Michelle Thoughts, Intentional Living

When You’re Not Saving Money at That Sale

Sale prices. Who doesn’t like to save money and get big shopping discounts? You walk into your favorite store and see a bright sign above some nice T-shirts: “45% off today only!” You may think to yourself: “That sounds like a good deal; I don’t want to miss out.” But I wouldn’t be so sure.

Unfortunately, sometimes those sale prices aren’t actually saving us money.

Intentional Spending

Being aware of how we spend our money is a big part of intentional living. Continue reading “When You’re Not Saving Money at That Sale”