Category: Uncategorized
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Bookends
At this time two years ago, I lived in a world, we all lived in a world, where the concept of a pandemic was only known through the pages of a book. History pages laid dormant the terrors of plagues past. Little did we know a new bookend was starting to form in late 2019 […]
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“Tend and Befriend” to Tear Down Your Pandemic Wall
The “Tend and Befriend theory” is an amazing scientific encapsulation of the positive well-being phenomenon we experience when we take care of our family and friends (tend) and reach out socially to others (befriend).
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Collection: Thrive Global
Thank you to Thrive Global for publishing these Keen Living articles. To make the articles more easily accessible, links will be collected and listed here at Keen Living with the most current article first. If you haven’t subscribed to Keen Living at www.megandaviamikhail.com yet, please do, and you will receive articles as soon as they […]
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Building Resiliency
Resiliency is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as, “the ability to recover from or adjust easily to adversity or change.”
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Maria Shriver: Exemplifying Keen Living
“I’ve always seen myself as the kind of person who puts my heart and soul into whatever is before me. It’s something that has always made me feel alive and given me purpose, identity, and meaning. I’ve given my all to my mothering, my family, my work, and my service.” Maria Shriver. January 24, 2021. […]
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Persevering with an Exercise Routine
Last year around this same time, I posted on Keen Living about how I started an exercise routine and how to start your own – see January 16, 2020 post for more. What a difference a year makes…no longer am I a gym member due to the restrictions of COVID-19, and at some point these […]
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Comparative: Ann Patchett’s “Commonwealth” and “The Dutch House” – Part 2: Forgiveness
In part two of this comparative, the theme of forgiveness will be discussed. Ann Patchett has written these two novels, summaries below,[i] to deal with sibling relationships. What sibling relationship doesn’t have the element of forgiveness woven intricately throughout it? Of course, this process can be dealt with in different ways, and Ann Patchett recognizes […]
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Comparative: Ann Patchett’s “Commonwealth” and “The Dutch House” – Part 1: The Sibling Bond
When I first started reading Ann Patchett’s writing, it came from the buzz surrounding her books, specifically, “State of Wonder.” I felt like the people I spoke with who had read her books were filled with excitement when they spoke about her. Without hesitation, the response from a reader of hers is a response of […]
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Comparative: William Kent Krueger’s “This Tender Land” and “Ordinary Grace” – Part 3: From Innocence Springs Truth
Welcome back if you have read parts 1 and 2, and welcome if you have not! I will include two short summaries[i] of the books below in the footnotes, if needed. In this series, I am focusing on the intersection in both books of the following themes: the history and treatment of Native American Indians, […]
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Comparative: William Kent Krueger’s “This Tender Land” and “Ordinary Grace” – Part 2: Disabilities and Abilities
Welcome back if you have read part 1, and welcome if you have not! I will include two short summaries[i] of the books below in the footnotes, if needed. In this series, I am focusing on the intersection in both books of the following themes: the history and treatment of Native American Indians, characters with […]
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Three Lessons Learned From The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Growing up, I dreamed of becoming an attorney, even a judge. My dreams were wide open, and anything was possible I was told. I succeeded throughout high school and college and ultimately had the opportunity to attend law school. I had no fear of gender bias going to law school; I had never thought about […]
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Comparative: William Kent Krueger’s “This Tender Land” and “Ordinary Grace”- Part 1
The author, William Kent Krueger, is incredibly talented. I am so happy to have discovered his books. Based on a book list for summer 2020 and buzz about “This Tender Land” I read that book first. Followed very quickly after (as soon as my request came through in hard copy from the library!) I read […]
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A Comparative: Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale” and “The Great Alone”- Part 3: Love
If you are reading this comparative for the first time, I recommend reading through parts one and two to give more background. For a quick synopsis, reading Kristin Hannah’s, “The Nightingale,” piqued my interest to read more by this amazing author. I was so impressed by her writing abilities. She created a mesmerizing and eye-opening […]
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A Comparative: Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale” and “The Great Alone”- Part 2: Identity
If you are reading this comparative for the first time, I recommend part one to give more background. For a quick synopsis, reading Kristin Hannah’s, “The Nightingale,” piqued my interest to read more by this amazing author. I was so impressed by her writing abilities. She created a mesmerizing and eye-opening world of Nazi occupation […]
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A Comparative Book Review: Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale” and “The Great Alone” – Part 1
Reading Kristin Hannah’s, “The Nightingale,” piqued my interest to read more by this amazing author. I was so impressed by her writing abilities. She created a mesmerizing and eye-opening world of Nazi occupation in France during World War II and two very strong female lead characters, one of whom is the narrator. I went in […]
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