Tag Archives: Inspiration

Imagine…


Alex Povolyashko

 
What a blessing our imagination is.

With life being what it is, the craziest at times, consumed with fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, where hatred and violence strive to consume, it’s no wonder some of us just want to crawl back into our imagination and stay there…

Stay where we can create our own world, one that is safe from harm, one that is full of love and laughter.

And then we woke up.

On December 8th, 1980.

The day John Lennon died.

Thirty-seven years ago today.

In writing this, the thought did come to mind that lots of you weren’t even born yet. However, I don’t think that matters because if you’ve listened to a Beatle song or a solo by Mr. Lennon, then you know that you were in the company of a master.

Yes, we were still in recovery from the Vietnam war. Yes, we were still in recovery from Civil unrest. (And sadly still are.)

Nevertheless, it is music that has had the ability to transcend above it all.

And that is what John Lennon tried to achieve.
 

So in commemoration, here are a few of his most famous quotes.

See if they don’t give you a little inspiration.
 

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.”

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”

“Love is the flower you’ve got to let grow.”

“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”

“If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliche…, that’s his problem. Love and peace are eternal.”
 


Let your imagination soar!

“All we are saying is give peace a chance.”

Imagine…
 

So what do you think? Where were you when John Lennon died? What has his loss meant to you? How does his music make you feel? How do you think he would feel if he were alive today?

Cheers everyone! I hope that life is treating you well. And as always, thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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Shine From Within

(Photo curtesy of Withdrawal)

 

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.”

Maya Angelou.

 

Well, as you can see, my light has not been shining much around here lately.

My light, it seems, has diminished. However, it has not gone out completely.

At least not yet.

I’ve still been writing. Just not blogging.

Truth be told, I teeter between the blogging and not blogging.

I mean, am I really a blogger?

Does what I think or say really matter?

Does my light shine from within?

When I say “shine from within,” I’m not speaking about an inner glow or an outer radiance that may illuminate my eyes and facial expressions.

What I’m referring to is confidence.

Confidence in my own abilities. Confidence in the talent of others. A confidence so strong, it will not only inspire myself, but others—invoking strength from within.

Because, quite frankly, I don’t know if I’m all that inspiring.

Yet, isn’t it inspiration that lights us up from within?

It is said “our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate…It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.” ~Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles.”

Interesting. So does this mean we are frightened of our own success?

That would make sense, because if we’re frightened of success, that would only play havoc with our confidence.

Maybe we should ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant? Who am I to be gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who am I not to be?”

When “we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

That my friend is inspiration!!

You inspire me, I inspire you.

That’s the beauty of letting our light shine from within.

And nothing can dim that light…If we don’t let it.

But we must share it!

Because if we don’t, our light will fade, just like mine.

No blogging, no light. At least not here.

So remember…

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.”

Keep shining your light my friends and I’ll shine mine!!
 

So what do you think? What are some things that keep you inspired and motivated? How do you keep your light shining from within? How have y’all been? And please share your latest endeavors!

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Insanity: 30 Degrees East

Facebook blog photo
 

I quit.

Famous. Last. Words.

But yes, I wanted to quit.

You have no idea how close I came to closing the door. Poof, gone, voila. The hosting for my website came up for renewal. It had been two months since my last post. Two months since I typed a single word for that matter.

But why? What had happened to cause such inactivity?

I moved. I had packed up my belongings, threw them into a U-Haul truck and landed thirty degrees east, in the desert. And when I say thirty degrees, I’m talking Fahrenheit. Let me tell you, this is so not the beach!

Insanity.

Yes, moving is insane. I had all the negative sentiments that all of us have during the process. There were lots of boxes, wrapping, packing and unpacking. Needless to say, I was not a happy girl. Not one bit.

Then I began to mope. And I do not look good in that color. You know, mopey is not all glitter and sparkles. It’s dingy, dull and downright ugly.

Thus I decided to take a closer look at “insane” and see if I could rise above the insanity. After all, just because I feel a little crazy doesn’t mean I have to be unreasonable and senseless. That would be ridiculous, right?

Here’s what I found:

I- Inspire

There is no better way to be inspired than to make a move. Especially if you’re forced to move, you have little choice in the matter. There is no time for procrastination. So why not look at it as another avenue for creativity. ☺

N- Novel

Breathe in the prospect of new possibilities. Think fresh, think innovative! Think of all the new things you’ll experience firsthand.

S- Serendipity

Find value in the gift of discovery. This is a chance to fall into like with somewhere new. Will all our problems go away? Well, maybe. Maybe not. But it’s an opportunity to push the restart button. So go for it!

A- Adaptable

Embrace the change. This may mean we need to accept and embrace whatever comes our way. It’s part of the unknown, yet isn’t that what makes life so interesting?

N- Neat

I chose this word because this is one of the most challenging things about making a move. There is a certain discomfort in letting go. It’s familiar; it’s what we know. Yet, it can be liberating and make all the difference in our new world.

E- Enjoy

Did you notice that joy is part of the word Enjoy? The prefix “En” means to surround itself within the route word. So are we surrounding ourselves with joy? A move can be a successful experience, beneficial and enjoyable, an insane gift with greater opportunities.

11063915_1637918536429305_6785733640930812113_n
(Courtesy of Memories Facebook Community)

So while I adjust to the thirty degree change east in the desert, I have decided to embrace the insanity and celebrate it for everything that it is. And why not? I think I’m beginning to adjust to all the craziness that goes on in my life.

How about you?

What do you think? Have you cleaned out the garage or moved lately? Have you ever gone a little crazy with spring cleaning? Do you find it uncomfortable to unload those perhaps unnecessary items? Or do you feel relieved? What do you do to keep yourself inspired and sane?

Cheers everyone! I hope that life is treating you well. And as always, thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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Unbroken and Undefeated

Worry is a waste of time
(Courtesy of Jill Blakeway)
 

We are at the threshold of a New Year.

2015.

Already?

I know. Where did 2014 go?
 

We say this every year and yet we still ask the same question. It seems that time goes by too fast. Then again, I guess this thought could be argued depending on what kind of year we’ve had. If it was a good year, it probably did speed by. But if it wasn’t, if we were forced to deal with a lot of difficult challenges in our life, time may have lagged on. As in, “Will this year ever end?”

Nevertheless, we have little choice in the matter. It doesn’t help to worry about the things that we weren’t able to achieve or the little idiosyncrasies that took over our hopes and aspirations. Either way the change is going to happen. So we might as well buckle up and enjoy the ride.

It’s a brand new year and a fresh slate—a chance to hit the restart button! An opportunity to take on a positive view or perhaps set new goals for a brighter future.

Are you feeling inspired? After all, inspiration is the spark that can set our new goals on fire. If you’re looking for a little encouragement, let me share with you something that I know you’ll find inspiring.
 

Unbroken and Undefeated.
 

What do these words mean to you?

First impression may tell us they mean the same thing. But if we take a closer look, we find that even though these two words share a parallel meaning, they embrace a whole different significance unto their own.

When we think of Unbroken, we think of someone who is constant, steady, undying, someone who has run the race with endurance. Someone like Olympian and war hero Louis Zamperini, for which the book and new movie was written about.

On the other hand, Undefeated can take on a whole different meaning, that of someone who is unbeaten, invincible, determined and steadfast. Someone who is resilient, a survivalist, someone like author Laura Hillenbrand.

Why do I say this?

It’s not like Laura Hillenbrand has written a plethora of novels. Quite the opposite actually. She has written only two.
 

Seabiscuit and Unbroken.
 

Equally successful, both books revolve around subjects whose lives were found Unbroken and Undefeated. Both were stories that told an unforgettable journey into extremity, a testament to the resilience of both animal and man.

But what some of you may or may not know is that Laura Hillenbrand suffers from a very debilitating illness. It is what’s kept her from writing more than two books thus far. No telling what the results would be if the woman was healthy.

Laura suffers from what is now known as ME or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. For her, most days are considered a success if she manages to take a shower on her feet. Even during a two year period while writing her current novel “Unbroken”, which took her almost a decade to write, she never left her home. In fact, for several of those months, she never left her room.

Yes, in the carefully calibrated world of Laura Hillenbrand, every reaction has an equivalent and opposite reaction. For an example, she might agree to an interview but skip a shower. Her energy is finite, and she typically has enough for one activity per day. Yet, her writing has been a riposte to anyone who had ever associated CFS with laziness.

Many journalists have been quick to point out the irony of Ms. Hillenbrand’s work: “A woman for whom walking around the block constitutes a marathon writes about the finest specimens of physical endurance.”
 

A woman who has proven to be Unbroken and Undefeated.
 

And therein lies the story behind the stories: Laura Hillenbrand’s unique ability to tune into each of her characters and show how they overcame the many tragedies in their life. They say to write what you know. If that is true, I think Laura Hillenbrand’s example is a wonderful source for true inspiration!

So worry not my friends. Do not hold back. Hit the reset button. Go after those new goals with passion and enjoy the ride!
 

So what do you think? Are you ready for the New Year? Have you set new goals for the future? Have you read one of Laura Hillenbrand’s books? Do you remember watching the movie “Seabiscuit”? Have you had the opportunity to see “Unbroken” yet?
 

Cheers everyone! I hope that life is treating you well. And as always, thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

 
 

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Advice From the Ocean

Advice from the Ocean
(Picture by Shadow Text.net)

A couple of weeks ago, I found this on my Facebook feed. Personally, I think Murphy had something to do with it. I never know what that Pelican is up to.

When at first glance, I thought it was a nice play on words. After all, it involves the beach. And let’s face it, who of us doesn’t like to change our focus to a place we would normally go on vacation.

But, as I looked closer, I noticed this was more than just a mere clever attempt in making a statement. These were words of advice, a real life savor, an ocean full of guidance and counsel to give real meaning to our lives.

So, I began to meditate on what was said. I placed my blanket down on the beach, settled my belongings, dug my feet into the cool damp sand, then took a deep cleansing breath and peered out at the refreshing blue body of water.

Ah yes. I felt the stress roll off my entire body.

Yet, what did this all really mean?

For each one of us, it might mean something totally different. But since this is my post, I thought I’d jump in and take a stab at it. I hope you’ll share your viewpoint in the comment section below. 🙂

Be Shore of Yourself. Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle with this one a lot. I think it goes with the territory of being a writer. I try to appreciate my own strengths and abilities, but it’s hard to be confident on a daily basis when I think that what I just wrote is a piece of rubbish. I definitely have to work on this one.

Come out of Your Shell. This one’s a biggie too. And I’m not sure if this has anything to do with being an extrovert or introvert. I guess it could. But for me, it’s a matter of trust. If I’m the one that’s sticking my neck out, I want to make ‘shore’ that someone’s not going to bite my head off. So far, so good! But that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. I’ve been known to put my foot in my mouth. I know. Shocking!

Take Time to Coast. Well, since I’m sitting on the beach, breathing in the fresh salt-infused air, meditating, I’m putting this one into practice. But who of us doesn’t struggle with this? It’s not going to happen unless we schedule it in. We all have so much to do, in any given day. But there are times when we just need to coast. We need time to relax and recharge our minds and bodies or our ability to create will suffer. To be honest, it really affects every aspect of our life. So this is a must do. Somehow, SOMEHOW, we must find the time and give ourselves permission to coast. Even it it’s just for a little while. Yes, Relax and breathe! 

Avoid Pier Pressure. Let’s face it, we all like to be accepted and appreciated by our friends. But even as adults, we sometimes struggle with feelings of inadequacy—that we just don’t quite fit in—that we may not meet the standards or requirements that others may expect of us. As you can see, the pier is connected to the shore. And we can find ourselves in deep water if we don’t stop comparing ourselves to others and come to appreciate our own strengths and capabilities. We all ROCK in our own way, you know?

See Life’s Beauty.
Appreciate Life

The cool thing about this is, no matter where we live, there’s beauty. It can be in the smallest of things that will fill our hearts with joy and laughter. Yet, for us to truly gain appreciation, we must make the time to coast!

Don’t Get Tide Down. I think this is related how we spend our energy. As I sit here and watch the tide, I have to admit, it has a very strong pull. It can be high or it can be low. If we’re tide down too much, it can be a waste of our energy. And who of us has extra energy these days? So, balance seems to be the key. It’s what keeps a surfer on his board, right? If we keep balanced, we will not allow ourselves to be tided down with all the negativity and we’ll be able to perform at our best!

Make Waves! Yes, yes, yes! Don’t just stick your toe in it. Jump in and make a big splash and enjoy the ripple effect in everything that you do! I’m still working on this one. How about you?
 

So what do you think? Do you like to stand at the shore or jump in and make waves? Do you like to take a walk on the pier or would you rather stay in your shell? What kind of beauty has life thrown in your direction lately?
 
 
Cheers everyone! Thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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