(1) Exercise is meant to be a form of self-care . I learn this, then forget, then learn again. It seems to me, the more you can view the treadmill as a means of self-"pampering", the better off you are. The alternative is feeling impatience and self-disgust, i.e. WHY AM I NOT SEEING RESULTS RIGHT NOW? That doesn't get me far. (2) Guy de Maupassant wrote novels. Who knew? I thought it was just short stories. One of his novels, "Like Death," is creepy and sad, and also lets you imagine the kind of wonder with which GDM likely viewed the world. (That said, GDM died young, having attempted suicide at least once, and he was plagued by complications from syphilis.) (3) If you're making a stir-fry, less is more. The bell pepper bits need only 1 minute. Just 1! (4) An apology is a wonderful thing. Yesterday, I spoke sharply to my spouse, which was not a big deal, but then in my head, I thought and thought about how tightly-wound I am at Christmas, and how a...