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 |   Theses are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call life. |
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These are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call Life. I blog with these groups:     "Blogging Circle of Friends "  [E] 
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| Playing catchup today.... Blogs: 30 Day Blogging Challenge - July 22 Fun Fact Friday! On this day in 1926, legendary baseball player Babe Ruth caught a baseball at Mitchell Field in New York. The ball had been dropped from an airplane flying at 250 feet. Have you ever done anything extraordinary that no one else you know has done? Or, do you have any kind of weird/unique talent that your friends can't do? I don't think I have done anything that no one else can do. I don't have any kind of wired or unique talent that my friends can't do. I can raise up one of my eyebrows and leave the other straight, but many people can do that... my friend Michelle can't. 30 Day Blogging Challenge - July 23 Creation Saturday! Invent a new dance move. Tell us in detail how to do it...does it include shoulders, hips, arms, knees, etc.? Feel free to add some music you'd show off your new moves to. I am not feeling overly creative at the moment.... it is so hot and humid.... I am thinking, I don't want to move, let alone dance. So my dance is stationary. Standing in front of a large oscillating fan. Occasionally, I wave my arms up slowly to shoulder high then let them slowly fall back to my sides. This is repeated until I feel some semblance of cool.... which I fear will be never. There is no music to this... only the pulsating hum of the fan as it spins its blades.  Blog City - Day 867 Hard to believe it's almost time for the summer Olympics. Where did the time go? What do you think about the Olympics being held in Rio? Is it really safe for the athletes with zika, or with the drug lords? Do you think there will be a terrorist action with the rising amount of violence lately in our world. I think security will be high because of recent terrorist attacks around the world. Terrorists seem to thrive on large venues where many deaths are news worthy. The Olympics is going to be a target so they'll need to be on guard and vigilant. Zika is frightening, but I am sure precautions can be made. I would think each countries Olympic team would consider the situation and handle it in a way that keeps all their athletes and teammates out of harms way. I am looking forward to the Rio Olympics. It will be interesting. A chance to show our Canadian pride and cheer for our athletes. It will also put something interesting on television.... when summer shows are all in reruns. Love Louder - Amplifying My Life I have decided as part of my blog to comment on each of Preston Smiles's ways to Love Louder. He has written an intriguing little book or 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. The full title is Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. Day 21 - Becoming Versus Revealing "The question is not about becoming, the question is about revealing." This means that we must stop looking elsewhere for the diamonds of our life. We must see the gems in ourselves. We sometimes "get blinded by what we think they're supposed to look like." Smiles believes questions about getting rich or becoming more attractive are a trap.... because we end up chasing an elusive carrot that we never seem to attain. He also thinks that when we concentrate on having to become something, we miss the brilliance of who we are already. We are perfect right where we are; we are beautiful right now. We don't need to have anything else to BE amazing. The diamonds are within you. You must seek to reveal them.... not go beyond yourself to find something elusive. #LOVELOUDERCHALLENGE List off ten things right now that are amazing about YOU. Over the course of the week repeat the mantra: I AM THE DIAMONDS. 1. I am caring and loving. 2. I am sensitive to the needs of others. 3. I am generous. 4. I write for self reflection and hope that my words touch others and help them in their own journey of life. 5. I am spiritually minded - connected to the greater good. 6. I am healthy. 7. I am mostly content with my life... even in this time of upheaval. 8. I am positive energy - trying to keep things light and carefree when others are stressing. 9, I am funny - I can laugh at myself and bring a smile to others with my sense of humour. 10. I am loyal and dependable. When I read over this list I think.... I am a dog! Golden Retriever. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge The Wildcard Round! Today's winner, selected by Virtual Dice, will receive a Medical MB! (I know...I still have to get to last week's winner... .) What is the best (or worst) non-medical advice you've ever received for an injury or an illness? I'm not even sure about this one. Hot water and lemon for a cold. Oil of oregano to keep colds at bay. That one seems to work and I can still take it when I take my blood pressure medication. I took effervescent Vitamin C tablets to kill off a really bad cold in only a few days. It was a wing dinger of a cold. It worked like a charm. Two days and I was back up and functional without having to take a lot of that other medicinal crap. Drinking water to keep my body hydrated and everything moving, if you know what I mean. Blog City – Day 865 Prompt: If you had a chance to sail the seven seas on a yacht for a year, who would you take with you? What countries would you stop to visit? Would it be a peaceful trip? Write about this anyway you want. I'm not sure if I would like this or not. A boat in the middle of nowhere. I like seeing land and not having to deal with bad weather that could potentially sink us... but this is hypothetical and in that no bad things happen. If all was well... where would I go and who would I take? I would say an experienced sailor... of none I know, but in keeping with no mishaps. I would probably take my friends - Candy and Michelle.... maybe Debbie as well. We'd have a lovely cruise. See the sites. Where would we go? I would say someplace warm as I like to swim... and not have to go in cold water.... the Caribbean, I think. explore all the islands. Love Louder - Amplifying My Life I have decided as part of my blog to comment on each of Preston Smiles's ways to Love Louder. He has written an intriguing little book or 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. The full title is Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. Day 20 - Powerful Questions Call For Powerful Answers "If you' are not inspired by life you're living, it may be because you're not asking yourself high-quality questions...Quality questions create a quality life." This is not something I even considered until I read this chapter and came to understand. "Loving louder is about consciously asking questions that push us forward, challenging us to see through a different lens." Whenever you ask a question either out loud or in your mind, your 'mental computer' responds with an answer based on a key set of words. So a disempowering question like, "What's wrong with me?" will look for all the ways and reasons that supports that question - giving you the ways and reasons for what is wrong with you. According to Smiles, you can ask questions that reinforce negativity, pessimism, and a victim mentality or questions that empower, energize, and replenish that untapped well of positivist inside of you, which in turn creates opportunity and possibility. Here are some examples of empowering questions: MORNING QUESTIONS What am I most grateful for right now? Whom do I absolutely love? Who loves the crap out of me? What am I most excited about in my life right now? MIDDAY QUESTIONS What am I committed to right now? What's my intention for this moment? What am I most proud of in my life right now? END-OF-THE-DAY QUESTIONS How did whatever I experienced today (whether positive or negative) serve me? What worked and what didn't work today, and how can I improve? TOUGH SITUATION QUESTIONS What is my sight now allowing me to see? What good is here that I presently cannot see? What would love do now? What's the highest choice in this moment? Will this matter three years from now? Am I taking this too seriously? Am I present right now? I love these questions. They put.a positive spin on your thoughts and keep you present and accountable. Your are taking responsibility and ownership for your thoughts and they are propelling you rot action. Preston Smiles suggests making these part of your daily routine and post the questions up where you can see them everyday. We can be empowered or disempowered by the questions we ask ourselves each day. By being present and aware of our self talk we can stop the disempowering flood of questions and rework them to be empowering. Preston believes "you'll open yourself up your capacity to love louder, bringing more excitement, joy, harmony, and gratitude into your life." And who can't use a little more of that? |
30 Day Blogging Challenge War Chest Wednesday! From a previous challenger... Is there something wrong with always having to be right? Yes. Living with someone who is like that is stifling in a way. They never make an rash moves.... researching until they are blue in the face before they buy something - yes, that can be a good thing, but it takes some of the fun out of shopping. The spontaneity is lost. The real problems come when it is there way or the highway. You cannot win an argument... and even if you feel you are right they will not deem it as acceptable because they are never wrong. I have spent many years agreeing to disagree in my head.... knowing I am right yet letting him think he is... it keeps the peace. In general, I find that always wanting to be right stifles the person because they are not open to alternative ways of doing things. Keeping an open mind is difficult for them and they steam roll over others.... that is an extreme case, but that is often the case as that person gets older they get more set in their ways. This makes getting along with others more of a challenge as well. I have times when I have my ways and believe them to the right way... we all have bits and pieces of this... but I have found that I can bite my tongue and let things go if it will help the situation. That doesn't mean I let the other person rule completely... I just carve out areas for my own sanity. I have a tendency to restack the dishwasher or the cupboards if they bother me too much.... I can this my 'autistic tendency' as I work with children with autism and often see them focused on areas and having to get them just so. Blog City – Day 864 Prompt: Plan your work. Work your plan. Does this sound like a plan to you? Write about it. I plan my work and work my plan, but I also try to stay flexible within the plan to let any unforeseen avenues unfold. Staying strictly on plan makes life unfofilling. There is no spontaneity, no interesting tangents. You miss opportunities that could have taken your life or the experience in a far better way.... or a more challenging way, but staying open allows for possibilities. Too much structure and things remain flat.... in writing and in life. Love Louder - Amplifying My Life I have decided as part of my blog to comment on each of Preston Smiles's ways to Love Louder. He has written an intriguing little book or 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. The full title is Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. Day 19 - Attention Goes Where Energy Flows: Focus Pocus "Where your attention goes, energy flow. This means that what you focus on, you give life to. Your thoughts and feelings are literally a magnet, attracting to you what you put your attention on." According to Preston Smiles, this principal applies to everything, even the things you don't want to have happen. Being in a situation, like a job interview, and thinking that you are not going to get it will draw that to you like a self fulfilling prophecy. But, it also works the other way as well - no matter what negativity you are experiencing, you can shift your thoughts, words, and actions toward the positive and you will attract more of that. "Energy is neutral; it goes where you direct it. Therefore you get what you focus on." I have a horrible time with interviews. I have been trying to get into the school board as a contract teacher for a long while. Interviews scare me and I let my nerves play in and destroy my chances. I did have one interview that went really well, but it was for the secondary school board, which I am not part of. I knew I was not going to get the position, as I was not on the 'right' supply list, so I let my worries go and rocked that interview. The principal loved me. He told me they needed more teachers like me... but he was unable to convince the school board to let me work for the six week position. I came away form that experience knowing I could do it.... so long as I did not let the worries of not getting the position cloud and hurt my chances of getting it. By focusing on positive intention and outcome, I got incredible results.... now I just need to take that to my other interviews and rock them.... I would probably have a teaching position in no time.... Confusions said, "He who sys he can, and he who says he can't, are both usually right.". This means that your mind will always find a way to prove you right. So whatever you are focusing your thoughts on, the universe will match your reality. Loving louder is about understanding that you are the artist of your life. No matter what happens, you have the power to shift your life by shifting where and what you put your attention on. #LOVELOUDERCHALLENGE What's one area of your life that you continue to experience negative results in? Knowing that what we focus, we get more of, what subconscious thoughts do you believe have attracted these circumstances in your life? What are the positive counter-thoughts you could focus on that would attract a new set of circumstances?  ** Image ID #1855238 Unavailable **   |
30 Day Blogging Challenge – July 19 Talk Tuesday! What do you do to make yourself happy, while knowing it irritates others? Well, I have been known to write to the point of burning a meal... or forgetting to start one altogether. I loose track of time when I write and others don't understand what the interest is or how I can spend so much time 'playing around' on my computer. Writing makes me happy. I am also inclined to talk out my stories when I hit a part that is troubling me... the aural component helps me put things in a clearer light and listening to the various options clarifies the way I should go... this talking out loud is usually done when I am alone... often walking nature trails, but occasionally I get overheard and worry that I might be seen as odd.... that feeling quickly goes away... as I know this method works for me and my process. Singing or whistling.... I have been known to do this without even realizing it. In Teacher's College, I had one guy comment that it must be the end of my day because I always came back to my locker humming some tune. He thought it quirky and fun... but I am sure others thought it odd. Who cares! I love doing it. Blog City - Day 863 Let's try an example in perspectives. I've provided two and you take it from there with which ever one works for you. 1. A young woman not ready to die Sadie sat motionless. The doctor's words reverberating over her like cymbals clashing or thunder rumbling and roaring like a tempest. She could not wrap her mind around it. Cancer. A death sentence. Only months to live. Get your matters in order. She raised her eyes to his and noted the concern that registered there. She had not heard incorrectly. She made her lips form the word and say it again. Her voice barely a whisper and he nodded, slowly, calmly as she felt the tears well. He moved to get her a Kleenex, but she blinked rapidly, forcing the tears to hold. Fighting to regain composure. She dragged in a breath, feeling it catch and forcing it out over the threatening sob. She would not cry. She would not let it win. She straightened her back and pulled in another breath, steadier now. "There must be something.... anything...." she began, but he merely shook his head and lowered his gaze. She'd get a second opinion. This could not be the end. She was only twenty-seven. Life was only getting interesting. 2. An old man who is ready to die Lying in bed, Arnold waited. He waited for the end. For the pain to stop, for his body to find its way out of the perpetual cramps of old age. To release life. He was ready to go. He had had ninety-seven years here on this earth. A full life. He glanced at the photos over by his bedside. Family smiled back at him. Three sons and their wives. Grandchildren in various poses. Each capturing their personalities and whimsy. He could feel the love emanating from those photos. He could remember the times each held. Memories bathed him in a glow of a cherished love. Beyond his door he could hear voices and he knew his loved ones gathered. He could feel their pain, mixed with his.... it was like a tonic. He knew his going would bring them pain, but it was the kind that would lessen over time... fade into memories and good times remembered. It was nothing like the full body ravaging that he felt now. This one grew, as each day moved ever so slowly into the next he felt himself battling to breath and stay, but he knew their would be peace if he let go. Not wanting to see their pain of loss he prayed one final prayer. Asking to come home. Asking to release the pain and agony that gripped his weakened body. He asked that his loved ones not see him go, but that they found peace in his going. He kept his eyes closed and slowly felt his life shrink from this earth. With each breath, shallower than the last, he lifted from his body and floated up. He felt the pain... let go... felt it release him. Thank you, he thought then turned toward the light. Love Louder - Amplifying My Life I have decided as part of my blog to comment on each of Preston Smiles's ways to Love Louder. He has written an intriguing little book or 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. The full title is Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. Day 18 - Leasing With An Option To Buy: Ownership "Until we take full responsibility for ourselves and our actions, we leasing our lives with an option to buy." To love louder, "we must release ALL excuses and take ownership - acknowledging and accepting the choices we've made and the consequences of those choices." We may not be able to control the circumstances but we can control our interpretation of them and how we react and our view of our part in them. To go into blaming mode, puts us as the victim and it gives whoever we are blaming the power over us. Finger pointing gets you nowhere. By taking ownership, we are able to take back our power and that allows us to DO SOMETHING about the situation. "Whatever you are experiencing in life is based on you and nothing else. Your decisions can generate either great rewards or unwanted consequences. You can be the problem or you can be the solution; the difference is the choice to take responsibility for your life." #LOVELOUDERCHALLENGE Identify an area of life that needs attention because you are unhappy with it. Write down three ways you caused it to happen or allowed it into your life. Then write one action step you're commented to completing within the week to begin the process of taking ownership in that area. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge Motivational Monday! One of my all-time favorite quotes is from Hunter S. Thompson..."Buy the ticket; take the ride." For added context, go here . How much does "Buy the ticket; take the ride" apply to you? Are you a "get what you signed up for" type? Or someone else? The full quote is: “No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride...and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well...maybe chalk it off to forced conscious expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten.” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Interesting quote Fivesixer   . A darker author than I usually read, but this is worthy of a great prompt.This to me is about living life... a harsher version of the non fiction book I am currently working through - Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. I have a feeling Mr. Thompson has taken a more cynical view of the world. You bought the ticket, you take the ride and deal with whatever happens to you. Life is not easy. It can get rather difficult and challenging at times, but we can't check out. We bought the ticket... we are all in.... unless you choose to huddle in a corner and not participate in your life. By living our life, and dealing with those more unsavoury moments, we are learning from those experiences. We probably learn more from the harder parts of our life than the easier parts... but life gives us both, whether we want them or not. Thompson seems to think, that life beats you... and in the fact that we all die in the end, I suppose he has a point, but I would prefer to keep things lighter.. keep things more positive, even when the going gets rough. Dealing with pain and hardship does not have to suck the lie right out of you... it is all a matter of choosing your attitude. Kick but and take names. Put your faith in a Higher Power and pray. I agree that you must 'tune in'. I agree that there are times to 'freak out', but I want to hold off on the idea of being 'beaten' beyond the deathly end. For me, I have come to find peace with my spirituality - looking to God and putting my faith in front of me... hoping things will all work out for my good as I make my way through the world as it is. In doing that, I am not saying I will not experience the harsh aspects of life... but I will view them as less detrimental and more hopeful... as a way of teaching me what I need to know so that I can help others experiencing the same kind of thing. It also makes me more compassionate to others, and makes me see my purpose as one who must reach out to others. We cannot do this life alone. We need others; and that's what makes life not so forlorn or scary. Blog City – Day 862 Prompt: What kind of experiences or thinking makes a person change his ways, either from good to bad or from bad to good? A person adrift in the world, feeling alone and scared will probably be more inclined to blow wherever the world carries him or her. Having no faith or 'North Star', nothing to believe in or anchor them, will blow them off course. If you don't stand for something you will be... how does that saying go? If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. http://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/02/18/stand-fall/ I think if a person has beliefs and attitudes and a group of supportive friends and family, they will stay on course, but if they falter... let life have its way, they could experience something that has their world shaken and interpret it as negative and soul sucking. Those who have experienced great loss can go either way... it all depends on those attitudes and support system. Alone and without faith, you falter; finding faith and a supportive, caring circle of friends can bring a person back into the fold. I think the key is to have faith or belief in something greater than yourself and have friends and family who love and support you through the good and the bad things that come our way as we make our way through this life. Stay strong and carry on. Love Louder - Amplifying My Life I have decided as part of my blog to comment on each of Preston Smiles's ways to Love Louder. He has written an intriguing little book or 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. The full title is Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. Day 17 - Get Off The Fence And Jump! Go Hard Or Go Home "All the best fruit is out there on the skinny branches. Those who go big, risking all, open themselves up to the possibility of gaining it all. Those who sit on the sidelines, commenting on those who are risking it all, are destined to live a life of what-ifs." Which one do I want to be,... well, I can tell you I have been living a sidelines life for a long time and I am ready for a change. I don't think I have been commenting on those risk takers... but I have been a little envious of there achievements... and wishing those things for myself. Making the change is a scary thing... but worth it if I want a life I can feel proud of and feel accomplishment that I revel in. Not taking the risks... and you never know what you are capable of. Loving louder is about recognizing the voice of our dreams beckoning us forward... and acting on what it is calling us to do. "It's about giving up the safety of the herd and pushing into the unknown zone, where dreams can become a reality." Hear the call, feel the fear, but move forward regardless. Going after anything in life... anything worthwhile, you may stumble and fall, you may look stupid and make mistakes... that is part of the process of achieving. Don't be afraid to make those mistakes or look a little stupid... the success that eventually comes is worth all that. Preston Smiles writes that the "comfort zone is the place where dreams go to die, and where vitality goes to die with it." He says to put yourself our there. "What imprisons you also points to your freedom; do that thing you have always been afraid of, and you will open yourself up to that feeling of freedom." I have acted at times, taken a risk to reach out and make a call or spoken to something thinking they will reject my request... only to be rewarded with a full sense of amazement when they agree to my request - the world open up and smiles at me when I do that and I realize my fears were trapping me and keeping me paralyzed into a place that anxiety lives and breeds. I want freedom from that place.... "If your going to fall, fall forward, going after your dreams. The destination will always change, but the person you become on the way is priceless." That is what I want for my life. #LOVELOUDERCHALLENGE What's the one thing you've been afraid to do or say for years? DON'T DIE WONDERING WHAT-IF. Do it NOW. Take the action that moves you forward. Make the call, write the first page of your novel, send the email.... whatever it is. Do it now! |
30 Day Blogging Challenge – July 16 Creation Saturday! The comeback of your life begins with... The novel I am working on for Camp Nanowrimo.... and last years Nano novel, Fractured Dreams is based on this premise. A late thirtish woman is starting over after the breakup of her marriage. She is choosing to follow dreams she put on hold while being married.... dreams she had been keeping on the back burner, slowly simmering. Now she is forced to find her way... single after many years. Years she devoted to a man not really her soul mate.... a man she changed for to keep the peace, only to find she lost herself in the process. Now she must find that person again. Parts of this novel are autobiographical... but to make things more exciting than real life I have added in other components and had my character, Taygen 'grow a pair'. Her husband's infidelity sparks her to find her more assertive side... and though she keeps things civil, she begins taking action for herself in ways her ex is seeing a little unsettling. 30 Day Blogging Challenge - July 17 The Sunday News! This week, Microsoft said they won't be able to meet their goal of having 1 billion Windows 10 users . I use Windows 10 and it's fine for everything I do; others feel passionately different. What's your take? Is the operating system important, or do you not care as long as the device itself still works? I am not a big fan of Windows 10… in so far as it keeps wanting to download onto my computer. I have Windows 7 on my big laptop and Windows 8 on my Surface which is a touch screen. I like that the two divices thave different screens – it helps me remember which divice I am on…. Otherwise I would be touching at things on my laptop and being frustrated that it doesn’t work that way. I simply want things to work and I have heard there have been issues with Windows 10… with a free download until July 29 I also worry that there may be something more…. Like a take over of human systems. I know that sounds crazy, kind of a movie kind of thing, but I remember that happened in I Robot – free robots given to people who could not afford them and they the robots turned on the people and tried to run the world… I am not into that… so I decline the download…. Besides I don’t want a computer screw up. Things are working right now why mess with something that is not broken just to have the latest thing out there. It doesn't mean it’s the best… just different. I need food. Time to head back up to Cottage #1 and see if Mom is awake yet. I need to save this first. Love Louder - Amplifying My Life I have decided as part of my blog to comment on each of Preston Smiles's ways to Love Louder. He has written an intriguing little book or 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. The full title is Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. Day 16 - When Shift Hits The Fan: How To Shift Into Neutral "All events are neutral events. It's our interpretation of them that makes them 'good' or 'bad'. 'right' or 'wrong'. A key component of loving louder is shifting into neutral as much as possible." By starting in neutral we can stop ourselves from immediately leaping to conclusions and reacting to situations that may in fact not be so controversial. Preston Smiles believes that "cultivating a practice of STARTING in neutral - as opposed to starting in defense, anger or judgement - will give you more perspective on the situation at hand" He writes of mindfulness - a practice of observing your life from a nonjudgemental, compassionate, and accepting attitude. My being mindful,you are bringing awareness to the situation - paying attention to your experience moment by moment. Smiles learned that by doing this he was able to see that his emotions, thoughts, feelings, and body sensations were transitory - moving through us like a summer breeze. Neutrality helps you make wiser choices because your are not operating on automatic; you are not reacting to negative thoughts or swimming in your emotions. You can bring a sense of calmness to the situation, thus diffusing it or deflating it. #LOVELOUDERCHALLENGE Pick a situation or a person that you have had difficulties with in the past. Stay neutral for one day as you interact with that person or in that circumstance. Speak to the person from a neutral space making it clear that you would prefer to move forward. If its traffic you get into, you get to choose an interpretation that lifts and propels you to be positive instead of frustrated. For me with traffic, I breath deeply and turn up the radio. I make a conscious decision to enjoy the music and let the frustration go. I may even sing and sway in my seat, not caring who sees me or what they may think. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge – July 15 Fun Fact Friday! On this day in 2006, the social networking service Twitter was publicly launched. Do you use Twitter? What are your thoughts on it? If you don't, tell us how you feel about social networking in 140 characters or less. I did not join Twitter until... well, I think it was Nanowrimo that eventually sent me into that realm. I am not a huge fan. Saying things in 140 characters is a bit confining... I do find it interesting though. I read what others post and often repost things I find intriguing. Rarely do I comment myself, but I am sure I have done so... Blog City – Day 859 First of all, I want to say my heart goes out to all the families involved in the barrage of violence happening around the world. Please take a moment to discuss something that is trending right now in your area in your entry. Are they important or trivial? I know when I glanced on MSN and saw the list, my first reaction was ... Seriously! Where is our world going? So here is a trivial news bit: http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6769182-ontario-quickly-turns-down-toronto-s-r... This is just common sense - don't walk and text. There should be no need to even bring this up in a city council meeting... but apparently some people are just so into their phones they are brain dead or simply stupid. If I need to send a text, I either wait until I am in a safe spot to do so or I walk out of the way of the people flow - against a wall - and do my text, before moving on into the flow again. I need to be present in my surroundings. It drives me nuts that people are so focused on things not in their immediate environment. Love Louder - Amplifying My Life I have decided as part of my blog to comment on each of Preston Smiles's ways to Love Louder. He has written an intriguing little book or 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. The full title is Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. Day 15 - Trust Your Intuition: Intuition is the GPS of the soul "At some point we've all heard that small voice whispering guidance from within." According to Preston Smiles these are signals that we get on a daily basis, whether we're tuned in or not. It could be your gut telling you to not go somewhere or do something. Heeding that advice is a good idea. Not heeding it can lead to trouble. Most of us have been taught to look for answers outside ourselves, but Smiles believes, everything we need is already within,,, the intuition. Some call it your gut instinct, others say it is the voice of a Higher Power - God. Whatever you call it, it is worth paying attention to. Trusting your intuition is about trusting yourself. Doing this increases the love to give to yourself and others. It is that first thought that comes... the one that comes before the second, third and fourth thoughts that have you doubting yourself. Intuition can come in many forms: a gut feeling, an aha moment, a body signal, or a flash of insight. It can unfold slowly like a movie. It is usually subtle and appears differently to different people. To Smiles it is one of the most powerful tools when you chose to tune in to it. To use it, you must exercise it. Smiles gives 4 ways to activate your intuition and use it to love louder: 1. Go within yourself or you'll go without. We are so much more than our thoughts, once you learn to quiet your mind, you can access your intuitive intelligence. He recommends twenty minutes - a kind of meditation - focusing on slow breaths to relax your body, focusing your attention on the inhale and exhale, letting thoughts be like clouds that pass by as you watch them, then refocus on your breathing. 2. Take action on all AHA moments. When you hear the call from within, answer. Pay attention and act on intuitive moments. The more you do this the more of them you will get. Intuition is activated when you put it to use and trust it. These moments can be awesome guides once you chose to trust them. 3. Question and journal. This is similar to Julia Cameron's Morning Pages... letting stream of consciousness open up and guide you. Smiles suggests asking questions iu a journal and then waiting for the answer. Being active in the communication, asking questions and making a habit of listening and writing down the answers. Cameron's Pages allow you to write these questions and as you are just letting the words come, the answers will come as well. You kind of get out of your own way, in a sense. 4. Listen to your body. Your body has its own wisdom, catching everything and sending signals along the way. Notice which people give you energy and which drain you. By using your body's signals you can create a team of energy givers, and begin to limit you time with energy drainers. I find I listen to my body and move away from my mother when she is feeling darkness and her emotions are dragging her down... this usually happens when she has had a little more wine than usual. It does not mean that I abandon her.... but I don't try to pick her up at those times - like I used to as a kid, I wait for the wine to go, she she has a clearer head... and the morning is fresh and new again... she is more receptive then. I have gotten very good at sensing my mother's moods over the years. As a child it was a coping mechanism.... now, it just makes good sense and I am grateful for the more sensitive radar. I feel I have been listening to my inner voice a lot lately. Listening to that still small voice as it tells me to go back and help, to use my cell phone to call 911 when a grandfather and his grandchildren had found a man who had fallen into a ravine. To go out and be neighbourly when a package arrived next door. Moments I listened to and felt good about myself afterward for putting myself out there and making things a little better in my corner of the world. Noticing these sparks of intuition make me feel in tune with myself and that makes me feel lighter and useful. |
| Catch up day.... 30 Day Blogging Challenge - July 12 Talk Tuesday! What bad habit (or habits, if you're feelin' feisty) do people have that make you wish you could inflict severe punishment upon them without incurring any punishment of your own? Driving issues and throwing cigarettes out onto the grass.... sometimes I would love to walk up to someone doing these stupid things and haul of and whunk them upside the head in the hopes of knocking some sense into them. Blicker signals on your car are not an option.... use the dang things. Don't rely on the car telling when to change lanes or backing up... look for yourself. Stop driving by my house at unbelievable speeds... there are children here.... stop at the stop sign or go around on the main street and sit at the traffic light. Eat that cigarette... I dare you... we don't want any litter around here and we certainly don't want a forest fire starting up because of your stupidity. How's that for bad habits that drive me snakey. I am sure there are others, but today those are the top ones. 30 Day Blogging Challenge - July 13 War Chest Wednesday! A prompt from a previous challenger... You're with your significant other and a song comes on that reminds you of an ex. What do you do? I am not a huge fan of this prompt... but if it did happen, I probably won't say anything. What's past is past. I'd still enjoy the song... unless it brought poor memories - then I would subtly change the station to something else. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge - July 14 The Wildcard Round! Today's winner, chosen from all eligible entries by Virtual Dice over the weekend, will receive a History Merit Badge! It is often said that history is written by the victorious. How true (or otherwise) do you believe this to be, and why? Oh, I so agree with this... It is very true. How much do we not know of the other point of view... I think, it is lost or if anything, it is shared by members of the losing side by word of mouth to keep the embers of the idea alive.... until it cools and fades, forever lost. Voices of both sides need to be heard, but in our world victory get the speech. Victory has the upper hand and so paints the battle with its view of the situation. It will make it like they are the best of the best. There is an egocentric predominance that pervades our world. Only those who choose to do the research may find the other side... and learn about the things untold... and some of those things are brutal and cruel and paint the victorious as not so 'perfect' and 'wonderful'. My mind swirls with examples... but I will go with a less controversial one - sports. This past weekend Andy Murray won Wimbledon. As the winner, the media focused on him... and Milos Raonic was quietly forgotten, except for those of us wanting to know how our Canadian boy did in his first ever tennis final... this is a first for Canada ever. So for Canadian tennis fans, this is what we wanted to know. The news swam with Murray's victory... and the British considered him a wonderful British citizen... if he had lost, he would have been just that Scottish lad. I am also not sure how much coverage this got in the States as they were not represented... and I don't want to step on toes here, but if a country is not involved in something it has even less interest in the outcome. On a more controversial not.... because I cannot help myself... movies based on the 'truth'. I have not seen the movie Argo... and I have no interest in it... but many Canadians don't appreciate how our role in that situation was down played and the American role was up played... just saying.... This is the write up for the movie: On Nov. 4, 1979, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, taking 66 American hostages. Amid the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge with the Canadian ambassador. Knowing that it's just a matter of time before the refugees are found and likely executed, the U.S. government calls on extractor Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) to rescue them. Mendez's plan is to pose as a Hollywood producer scouting locations in Iran and train the refugees to act as his "film" crew. What happened in our newspapers: I really had to search to find this.... most of the stuff is American - CNN - and most of that stuff does not even mention the Canadian involvement in the situation Here is a little bit from Wikipedia: The occupiers bound and blindfolded the Marines and staff at the embassy and paraded them in front of photographers. In the first couple of days, many of the embassy workers who had sneaked out of the compound or had not been there at the time of the takeover were rounded up by Islamists and returned as hostages.[50] Six American diplomats managed to avoid capture and took refuge in the British Embassy before being transferred to the Canadian Embassy. Others went to the Swedish Embassy in Tehran for three months. In a joint covert operation known as the Canadian caper, the Canadian government and the CIA managed to smuggle them out of Iran on January 28, 1980, using Canadian passports and a cover story that identified them as a film crew.[51] The "Canadian Caper" - that doesn't even sound great compared to the American's "Operation Eagle Claw" - though both sound hokey. Who names these things? Here is one of our Candian sources: http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/argo-iran-hostage-crisis-film-fiddles-with-the-facts-1.... I am only using this example as a way to show how the news colours the story. I was young when it was actually going on... but if your going to call something the 'true story' you best get your facts straight.... that's all I'm saying.... Blog City - Day 858 Prompt: Collect moments, not things. Do you agree? I would agree... but I have a tendency to collect things to help me remember the moments. Some things are remembered from a photograph... even an odd shot of an uncle looking at something makes me smile and remember he was watching a bee that got stuck on the fly strip that my Gramzie had hung over the kitchen table in their farm house... this memory triggers many others - all of which related to that family reunion when my grandparents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Living in the present is a great way to collect moments - a kid toppling over when a frisky puppy runs by and accidently bowls him over. The laughter when you know he is only crying because it was a shock... no actual hurt had happened. Giggling when the same little boy trips on the grass as he tries to make his way across the lawn on unsteady feet - no crying that time. Enjoying a sun shower and the look on the cat's face as she meows to get back inside - out of the rain. Everyday there are these gifts of moments. All we have to do is pay attention and stay present and they will flood over us... bringing laughter and tears. The fullness of life. High emotions also imprint moment memories - remembering my aunt and uncle telling me that my Dad had died (he had cancer and was in the hospital). I can still hear my uncle telling me 'I could cry now' after they had told me. I could also remember my Grandfather say 'Did they tell her yet?' and my Grandmother hushing him in a way I have heard many time before and since. The colours and voices are still as clear today at they were that February 3, 1979 - over 37 years ago. Love Louder - Amplifying My Life I have decided as part of my blog to comment on each of Preston Smiles's ways to Love Louder. He has written an intriguing little book or 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. The full title is Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. Day 14 - Blue Frog Moments: Why You Should Pay Attention To What Pisses You Off "If someone calls you a blue frog, you would laugh and not take it personally, because you know you're not an amphibian. but if that same person called you a liar, and it stings and cues up defensiveness, bingo! That's where you work lies." When someone calls you something or says something about you that get you upset and defensive... that is when you need to consider the truth of that accusation. It is a tool Preston Smiles uses to gauge where he still needs to work on himself. In my conversations with my ex, he expresses how he has paid for everything and in its implication I feel he is telling me that I am a user of him - that my contributions are minimal. He covers this by saying I am a good person with a loving heart, but it bothers me to think that he really sees me as a user of all he has put into our marriage. Am I really? When I think of myself as a user of others.... and it upsets me that I could be considered that way... that is something I need to work on. I need to find a way to stand on my own two feet and not be dependent on others... in a way that makes me act in ways that pleases them so that I don't know who I really am anymore. Does that make any sense? #LOVELOUDERCHALLENGE Scan your life for those times when a comment toward you really ticked you off. Ask yourself if it was a blue frog moment. What lesson is in this for you? What did this trigger for you? |
30 Day Blogging Challenge Motivation Monday! Author E.B. White, who was born on this day back in 1899, once said, "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." What's your take on this? If given the choice between only being able to do one, would you rather save the world or savor it? Oh, I love this quote. That is how I feel this morning... in a way. You wake each morning with a fresh new day... and what do you do... the things you love (savouring) or the things you need to do (saving yourself and the world, in a way). We'll see how the day plays out. I love E.B. White. I can see a lot of this quote in the underlying theme of Charlotte's web - a fresh day to save the world... written in a web message for a pig. Charlotte didn't rest... but she also did what she was able to do using her skills the best way she knew how... combining what she loved with saving the world... now that is the ultimate! As it is I slept in this morning, but as I was fixing my morning cup of tea I noticed the neighbour and his daughter rollerblade by; moments later a FedEx truck pulled up at their house. I went out to tell the FedEx guy to wait, that they would be back and I saw them coming. I told the guy he had a package and then stood out on the road to stop a car so that his daughter, new to this rollerblade thing, could get across the road without getting hurt. Just following my intuition and being neighbourly. Now I am able to go downstairs and write my blogs. Am I saving the world with these? I don't know about that, but I hope I bring a smile and lighten someone's day with what I can impart. No matter what you do today... enjoy it! Blog City – Day 855 It is said that everything outside our warm, safe circle is our blind spot. Do you sometimes think that you are blind to what’s in front of your eyes or that your subconscious has blocked something from your immediate knowledge of it? Oh, heavy stuff this morning. I find I have a tendency to bury my head in the sand at the slightest hint of conflict in romantic relationships. I see a heated conflict as 'it's over', even though it may not be that bad... the thing is, by ignoring the small stuff, it gets big and overwhelming and though I know, on an intellectual level, that is a bad thing to do, I can't help hiding at the emotional level. I was blind to the pain I was causing in our marriage. I was hiding and hoping to pretend it would go away or mend itself.... well, it's gone away... and now I am alone. I am living back with my mother... trying to tell myself I am only helping her out, when I am not so sure I can make it on my own. This ‘adulting’ stuff sucks. I saw my parent's marriage breakdown. I was unaware at the time that infidelity had been the breaking point. What I, in my seven year old heart, saw was that arguments and discontent lead to the end of what we as a family had. I did not know the adult stuff. I did not know marriage was work and that two lives do not just seamly fall together... I saw they could be irreparably ripped apart. I saw my parents lack of communication and though I wanted to avoid it... I let myself recreate it in my own marriage - feeling paralyzed to do anything about it. I picked partners I really didn't want to spend the rest of my life with... and felt the pressure of social expectations when I was asked to marry. I feel I have wasted a great deal of my life and I so want to change... but can I? I am trying to stay aware; to learn from my mistakes and to force myself out there whenever I feel the need to hide. Living my life means showing up, it means getting messy and it means listening to my inner voice and acting on what guidance it is offering me. I will move on from this... things will get better. Love Louder - Amplifying My Life I have decided as part of my blog to comment on each of Preston Smiles's ways to Love Louder. He has written an intriguing little book or 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. The full title is Love Louder: 33 Ways To Amplify Your Life. Day 13 - Can You Hear Me Now "One of the keys to loving louder is listening louder." Stephen Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, wrote, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Stop thinking about what you're going to say in response... just listen to the person... really hear what they are telling you. To actively listening you need to be present in the moment, You need to be curious, engaged, and enthusiastic about what the other person is saying to you. Be moved and effected by their words, tone, message and body language - everything they are conveying without spouting your own opinions or rebuttals. "Listening is one of the highest forms of caring; it shows that you are truly there for someone and value what they have to say. When you give people you full attention - not waiting to talk, not reloading, not judging, but being fully present with them - you end up in an exchange that is ripe with possibilities." #LOVELOUDERCHALLENGE Ask someone this question and set an intention to actively listen to them. What was the happiest time of your life, and why? (if it is your parents they cannot say your birth). Keys to Active Listening 1. Breath deep into your belly. 2. Face the speaker, making eye contact. 3. Don't judge yourself if / when you check out. Active listening is exhausting and takes practice. 4. Do your best not to think about YOU during this time. Engage naturally without being self conscience. Have fun and be you! |
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