In this post, I gave the Blog with Heart Award to some of my favorite bloggers who continue to put themselves out there for the sake of being real and sharing their love with the world.
I would love for you to come see who received this award and also pass it along to anyone you know who continues to write from their heart.
Okay, we all have them in our closet … those clothes we SWEAR we are going to get back into one day … and they are still collecting dust in the closet, on the shelf, in the boxes, etc. Whether they have sentimental value or you just can’t get yourself to pass them on to others; whatever your reasons are … it’s time to do something with them. Today, I’m going to give you some ideas.
While sitting in the teacher’s cafeteria Friday, nibbling happily on my meatloaf and mashed potatoes, a conversation at one end of the table caught my ear. One of the language arts teachers was relating an event in her classroom that warmed her heart. Apparently, she showed one of her classes a short video of her son wrestling another boy at a meet.
The incident surrounding the construction of “The Door” proved to be an irreversible turning point in my partnership with Chef. I can say in hindsight that it proved to be substantially more divisive than the now infamous hair affair.
I love books that are not only a great read but actually give me practical ways to apply their principles. In my latest blog entry, I talk about "The Intimate Life" and "The Path of the Yoga Sutras", both from Sounds True Publications. To learn more, check out my blog.
A smile can do wonderous things. It can brighten the day of someone feeling low. It can brighten your own day. I'm sure you've heard it said that it take muscles to frown than it does to smile. A smile can cheer even the lowest person. A smile can brighten even a dull day.
Smile more. Frown less.
You'll find your world changing for the better with a smile. You'll be emotionally healthier and thus physically healthier.
In a funk? Feel as if nothing is working for you? Feel like everyone is plotting against you?
What if the tide was about to turn? Sometimes when we are at our lowest point is when the next big thing breaks.
Don't give up. Don't pack in.
You may just discover what everyone already knows. That you're on your way. When inspiration strikes be ready to grab on, hold on tight and don't let go.
Even though I've been sick for a week I still look for the blessings. Thinking about all the positives has a direct result on how fast we improve our health.
--I have the best group of friends I've EVER had. --My Family lives close by and I can count on them when my friends are otherwise occupied. --The weather cooperated one day when I was scheduled to work.
"I stood before the one I loved. Tears had stained what I could see of their red puffy face. Their whole body was shaking. They were petrified to tell me this secret of theirs, this secret that was haunting them, weighing on them, crushing them...."
I'm embarking on the 52 Weeks of Blogging your Passion journey and the first step in the process is developing your blog's mission statement. The mission statement serves as the focal point of your blog and all posts should be written with the umbrella of the mission in mind.
So what's my mission? In a nutshell, to support, promote and spread the word about indie designers, handmade artisans and independently owned brick and mortar shops and businesses.
So, what's your mission? How do you carry it out in your blog?
Do you take time to appreciate the little things in life, or are you too busy to take notice of them? Sometimes it's these simple little pleasures that allow us to enjoy life in a new way. Are you someone who smiles when they see birds hopping on the sidewalk or when you turn to the cold side of your pillow? These are the little things we need to acknowledge every day...
After reading an article about 101 Simple Pleasures to Enjoy, I made a little list of my own and I found that it's a great way to really simplify life.
Am I grateful for my depression? Definitely. I can't imagine where I would be in life right now if I didn't have this illness. It's a curse and a blessing - I don't know how else to describe it. I certainly don't want to make it sound like depression is like winning the lottery and that everyone would be lucky to live with it - but since I DO have to live with it I've decided to stop fighting it and learn from it instead. Our life is a journey in self-discovery. My depression has led me this far - and led me to wonderful people and places.&n
What is creativity? Where does its magical flow come from? I think back to times in my life where I have felt the most creative. Without blinking I know it is when I am driving. On a six hour drive from Midland to Ft. Worth streams of ideas flow through me. By the end of the drive I am as exhausted from the creating that has consumed me. For most of my life I believed it was the magic of Midland, or the west Texas roads that go on forever and take my mind with them.
If you had one chance, one opportunity to go back sit down in face to face with your 21 year old self, what would you do? What kind of advice would you give to YOU?
I’m a big fan of NPR … National Public Radio. I consider time spent listening to NPR is my time to become enlightened, educated and entertained (not always in that order). Today was no exception.
Somebody once told me that in ancient Chinese art, the great artists almost always included a deliberate flaw in their work. It made it human, authentic. What if the same kind of thing applies to creative writing? Maybe a little "messiness" or something that is just a little "off" in our creative work is not a bad thing. Maybe it's a really beautiful thing. Maybe it's what makes it uniquely our own.
I received information that the average blogger is anything but carbon neutral. In fact, annually, a blog can generate an average of 8 lbs. of carbon! So, I am working to make this pretty, pink blog a greener place to read. I am joining the "1 blog, 1 tree" movement and having a tree planted to neutralize the carbon emissions caused by my blog.
What do you do to minimize your carbon footprint? How can you improve?
An inquiry to writers about inspiration, the thought processes that go along with it, what drives me and/or causes me to write and a little of what I know, thus far.
Why do you write? What is it that inspires you, that drives you to put pen to paper, finger to keyboard and pour out your words? Is it a choice, or are you compelled by something deep inside to capture your words for posterity?
There are many reasons writers will edit/censor their work, and I am guilty of doing the same… For example Fear of being politically incorrect Personal issues that may be too clear and might expose something you’re unwilling to share Worry of what someone might think; touching on sensitive subjects or it just makes you uncomfortable And the worst mistake any writer can make… Trying to appeal to everyone; Playing it safe Are you guilty of censoring your pen for the sake of status, personal opinion and/or judgment?
This is a guest post written by Meagan, of The Illustrator's Wife, about the creative process and the obstacles every artist may face . . . with the following encouraging advice:
So don’t be afraid to try. Don’t be afraid to fail. And don’t be ashamed if your stuff really, really sucks at first. You’ll get there. Just keep swimming… Just keep swimming…
normally i don't like this kind of thing,but since joining pinterest i've found several lovable quotes and thought i'd pin them into a blog post.. : happy reading : .
As children, we all had those favorite books or movies, characters or stories that inspired us to write. These are the things that stick with us even as adults, and the things we look back to when we need encourgement or a reminder as to why we write what we write. Mine was comic books. What about yours?
Whether your're dealing with depression or not, many of us care too much what other people think of us and therefore it holds us back from being who we truly are.
There are thirty-one types of happiness, and this article offers one type of happiness for each day and a little commentary on how to give your life and marriage a happiness boost!
