Hope To See Other Authors Soon-Elsewhere
I have been a member for several years. It has never been about generating income, although that would have been nice.
It’s always been about the sheer enjoyment I find in all forms of communication. I love to write, sing, dance, photograph, design, coach,& share information that might inform & inspire people.
As a lifelong nomad & eccentric, in every sense of the words, I must admit that submitting to anyone else’s set of rules makes me bristle. …
Especially Now
Life is a challenge even in good times. When things get sticky & a bit tougher, I always come back to something simple, free & extremely helpful.
Just breathing deeply for a few minutes, & trying not to think about anything else, can be amazingly refreshing & beneficial.
Most people don’t breathe deeply enough. Especially when stressed, we tend to gulp air in a shallow fashion, barely filling the upper chest.
The next time you feel panicked or anxious, or even just tired & spent, try this simple exercise.
Breathe in slowly for 4–8 seconds. Wherever you’re comfortable beginning.
Hold the breath for the same amount of time: 4–8 seconds. …
Why They Matter-How They Can Help
We’ve come to understand & appreciate how vital it is to mark & celebrate the milestones that matter to us. From birthdays & graduations to anniversaries & holidays, acknowledging events that are important to us is the very hallmark of feeling accomplished & grateful.
Harnessing the same concept is a great tool in your kit as you create new habits & routines, transitioning to a healthier lifestyle. …
Something To Soothe
We’ve all got something to be angry about. Definitely things to complain about. But somehow, it’s in these moments that the spirit of Rocky comes to mind.
No doubt because I am an ex-Philly girl, but it’s a way of responding to challenges that’s inspired everyone the world over. A way of facing insurmountable difficulties with optimism, resolve, & the commitment to do what we must.
Of course we have to handle our responsibilities, both personal & civic, but even more importantly, we need to draw upon that invincible spirit of Rocky that motivates our better angels. That kickstarts our lethargy. …
Mood For Thought
Today, I left the house with Mica for a nice, long walk. We both needed the outing, he on 4 legs, me on 2. It had been an annoying morning. He was a bit itchy with allergies, & I was a bit agitated with current events.
We both know from our 12 years together, that walking about in nature always resets everything. So we set out to comb the trails along the water to try & change the tone of the day.
As Mica chased ducks & squirrels, I noticed out of the corner of my eye-2 straggly-looking plants that had been discarded & left for dead. …
But Some Things Bear Repeating
There are too many images, graphics, quotes & memes to count on the subject of what it takes to get where you want to go.
This meme is one of my favorites. It’s a little less preachy, & a bit more revealing about the connections involved.
Whenever I have achieved something important to me, or impressive to others, I’ve heard people say “wow-you’re lucky.”
If I’m in a good mood-it makes me laugh. If I’m not, it annoys me.
I’ve written on the odd mix in life of luck, choices, destiny & such. But no matter what the combinations are, anything in life has to have both an intense desire for something, & an ability to put in the time & effort needed for almost anything of value you seek. …
So You Can Begin Again
Life is hard. Even when it’s terrific. It’s a constant dance of knowing where & when to put your foot next.
I’ve never understood, & will ask the gods one day, why our first instinct is always to hunker down & hold on? Even when we’re in pain. Even when we know it’s clearly not working.
I always imagine it as what happens when most of us fall on water skies. Logically, we should let go immediately. But inevitably, almost everyone holds on for dear life. Gulping water, scared & disoriented.
Learning how to embrace-even celebrate the end of something has been one of the hardest lessons to learn. Intellectually, I know it’s better for me. But most often, I spend a bit of time clutching the figurative railing, refusing to let go. …
Capture Your Joy
If I had a penny for every person who asked me why I still sing, dance & write, I’d be unbelievably wealthy. Somehow, in our modern society, we have come to equate money as the only measure of success. If someone hasn’t made millions from whatever creative pursuit they’ve been involved in, the suggestion is they should give it up because they didn’t “make it”.
The concept of success is defined differently, depending on who’s defining. Isn’t is short-sighted & silly to think we are not successful when singing beautifully, or writing powerfully, simply because we weren’t paid a fortune? The expression that leaps into my thoughts is the disparaging remark “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” George Bernard Shaw’s condescending comment is so far off the mark as to be absurdly dismissive of anyone who either wasn’t lucky or simply had a different value system. …
Ideas For Our Time
I left home at an early age. I had a vague sense that I didn’t belong, & a desire to explore what might be out there beyond my sheltered life. As I look back more clearly, I realize that from the time I was about 12, I began to feel a bit annoyed & impatient with the superficialities in everyone’s life that were taken as musts. It started small. Like wondering why you need to have 23 rooms to live in? Why someone was in the bathroom of a private club crying because another woman was wearing the same dress? Don’t get me wrong. I was born into privilege. A beautiful home on the Main Line, with lots of rooms & a car for each of us. A lovely garden & pond, & a guest-house garage next to an in-ground pool. I went to private schools, & to New York for culture & clothes from time to time. …
Finding A Balance That Works
In these violent times, I’ve been re-thinking my views on aggression. I’ve always known controlling it was viable & desirable, coming from an atmosphere riddled with people who indulged their aggression with glee & impunity. I definitely did not want to live that way.
In time, I’ve learned many ways to control my aggression. That doesn’t mean being abused, or negating my feelings. It means finding ways to control the situation, with my own machinations. It provides a greater sense of accomplishment than flying off the handle. Then, there’s also the adage “you get more with honey”, usually true.
The key is finding the balance between addressing what must be dealt with, walking away from what is ultimately unimportant, & making sure I’ve acknowledged my concerns without doing damage to myself or anyone else. It’s indeed a tricky wicket, but it’s a necessary evolutionary process. …
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