July Commonplace
COMMONPLACE
"Why is improvement hard? Part of the issue is everyone wants to improve, but nobody wants to destroy. Change often requires destruction. Or, at least, unlearning. Let's call it gentle elimination. You may have to leave little habits, update current beliefs, eliminate comfortable patterns. When you want better outcomes, your daily norms may need to change. The process of improvement is not just about adding things you like. Sometimes habits and patterns belong to who you were, not who you are trying to be. If you'd like something better, then a routine you are comfortable with may have to die." — James Clear
"When you ignore a problem that is small enough to handle, it often grows into a problem too big to manage." — James Clear
"All the water in the world cannot sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. All the negativity in the world cannot sink a person unless it gets inside the mind." — Mary Pickford, Actress
"The secret of being happy consists of knowing how to enjoy yourself—enjoy being at table, in bed, enjoy standing up, sitting down, enjoy the nearest ray of sunshine, the slightest bit of landscape: in other words, love everything." — Gustave Flaubert, French Novelist
"Plenty of growth can be found in removing your vices, but the real leaps are unlocked when you stop clinging to your comforts." — James Clear
"I ask myself: are defeats necessary? Well, necessary or not, they happen. When we first begin fighting for a dream, we have no experience and make mistakes. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times." — Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
"It doesn't make sense to continue wanting something if you're not willing to do what it takes to get it. If you don't want to live the lifestyle, then release yourself from the desire. To crave the result but not the process is to guarantee.” — James Clear, Atomic Habits
BOOK REPORTS
AUDIOBOOK: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
I don’t want to brag, but I have really nailed it with the Book Club selections so far in 2026. In my opinion, they keep getting better and better, and this book (set for our August meeting) was the icing on the cake so far.
It tells the story of a family working and living on a remote island when an encounter with a shipwreck survivor turns their whole world upside down. Each family member has a different perspective on their situation, and it was fascinating to hear the story in different voices. I listened to this book on Audible, and each character was in a different voice, and it kept me hooked for hours. The book had me invested in each character, and I didn’t want it to end.
BOOK: Separation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang
The current societal war of right vs. left can be found in more than just government politics. Over the last several years, a division in the Catholic Church has formed with people choosing sides that lean either more liberal or conservative. I am more of a moderate both politically and religiously. I think extremism on any subject matter is dangerous. Therefore, I don’t get too wound up about these issues, so I found this book absolutely fascinating, whereas some of my conservative friends might find it too liberal for their tastes. That’s not to say that I agree with everything the author writes, but he does bring up some good points. (And he’s hilarious too.)
If you struggle with organized religion (specifically Christianity) on any level, I recommend this book as an alternative perspective that might not be coming to you from the pulpit. Remember, it’s all commentary. We have to do the work ourselves to know what is truth. I have little tolerance for extremism/fundamentalism on either side of the aisle, but it’s taken me a long time to decipher my beliefs.
(Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)
TV: World War II with Tom Hanks - The History Channel
I’ve probably watched (at least once) every World War II documentary ever recorded. So when I heard of a new one, hosted and produced by Tom Hanks, I was all in. The show premiered Memorial Day weekend, and I’ve loved every one. Each episode covers a different subject matter about the war. The video has been enhanced, and the commentary is extraordinary.
