Snow day in Colorado

All the kids in town are excited for today’s snow day. Since I had to be an adult and go to work it wasn’t as much fun for me. But I made it to and from work in one piece. Thank goodness. Of course tomorrow I’m going to need skis to reach the office. 

Tonight, I’m grateful to have a warm place to stay and food on the table. My kitty cats are snuggled up next to me and I’m sipping warm apple cider. It’s been a good day. What more can I ask for on a snowy winter’s night? 

Credit to the artist because I love it! 

The Undertaking of a New Action Brings New Strength – Richard L. Evans — The Seeds 4 Life

There is no denying the power of practice and the power of dedication. There is no denying that with consistent effort, we can all make progress. Every single time we step up to the plate and try our hardest to achieve our goals, we are making ourselves stronger. By never giving up, we are reminding…

via The Undertaking of a New Action Brings New Strength – Richard L. Evans — The Seeds 4 Life

W.O.O.T.

First day of a new year and I am inspired to get back to this blog. I’m working on lots of different projects and my plans for 2017 and beyond are growing. But I’m excited. This is going to be a great year and I am going to be grateful and celebrate all the blessings that I receive every day. 

This time of year there are always quotes floating around to help those who look for them find inspiration. The image above has stuck with me the last few days so I’m taking it as a mantra and meditating on it. At least for now.

In my efforts to be fierce and brave I’ve come up with a word of the day plan. I’m not sure if it will continue to be daily words or if some times the words will linger. Who can say what the year will bring? 

                            Today’s word:  W.O.O.T.

I don’t remember where I first found this acronym but it is appropriate for today and the fresh beginnings, adventures, and opportunities of 2017. So what does W.O.O.T. mean?

                            W – Willingness

                           O – Optimism 

                           O – Objectivity

                           T – Tenacity

I am willing to make the choices and changes that will take me closer to my goals. I remain optimistic that my dreams are attainable. I believe in myself and am objective, realistic, and inspired to make 2017 a phenomenal year. Finally, I have the tenacity to keep moving forward. I may only take tippy toe baby steps but I will continue on the path to reach my goals and live my dreams. 

I hope you will join me on this journey around the sun. And I hope that all your hopes and dreams come true this year as well.

Until next time, my fearless travel companions, enjoy the magic and wonder that appears in your day.

It’s winter in Colorado. If you like skiing or snow boarding this is a great place to be. If, like me, you prefer warm beaches and tropical sunshine, it’s a freezing cold doorway to icy hell.

Okay, I might be exaggerating, slightly, but snow and I are not the best of friends. I will admit that when it first falls and is white and fluffy it’s pretty. As long as I can remain inside with some hot chocolate and a great book.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stay that pretty. But I know that snow is not a bad thing so I am making a list of what is good about snow:

• It brings moisture to the mountains.
• Tourists love to come and ski or snowboard.
• Making snow angels.
• Snow ball fights.
• Building snow men.
• It reminds me of Mom’s favorite holiday movie “White Christmas”.
• Snow White & the Seven Dwarves (not traditional snow but one of my favorites!)

I’m sure there are other wonderful things about snow. I just can’t think of them right now – it’s time to go shovel the sidewalks.

 

A New Year – New Chances to Make Different Choices

On this New Year’s Day 2016 I’ve spent a good chunk of time thinking about what I want to achieve this year. Not resolutions, because I never keep those, but goals. What are my intentions for the 365 days that will make up this part of my life?

I haven’t got all the intentions figured out, yet, but I know one of them. I am going to spend time, every day in 2016, writing. It may be posts on this blog, or part of my new project – 365 Tiny Thoughts, or it may be focused on the novel I am writing. I have let distractions keep me from the page in 2015, and years prior, but I will never reach my goals if I continue to do that.  I must make the choice between what I “should” do and what I “must” do – and it’s time to choose “must” for myself.

This is going to be a challenge for me this year. And I expect that there will be days that I won’t want to choose. Days when I will want to be lazy. Or when I’m too tired or frustrated to choose myself and my goals. I am making plans to maintain my motivation and even more important, get myself moving when I wander off the path.

Today is a good start to becoming the person that I want to be. The person that I know I can be. And I’m going to take that momentum and get back to determining my goals for 2016.

Until next time, my fearless travel companions, enjoy the magic and wonder that appears in your day.

 

Goodbye 2015 & Hello 2016

It’s hard to believe but the year is nearly over. By the time midnight rolls around I imagine that thousands of drinks will be consumed; multiple resolutions made and simultaneously dismissed; families and friends will congregate to enjoy the final moments of the year together; and for some of us we will find ourselves alone – as always.

I will be the first to admit that I need the time alone. I am one of those individuals who loves to be with others in small doses, but I need to be able to recharge my batteries and for me that means being alone. The space and silence of being alone give me time to reflect and write. It gives me the opportunity to truly appreciate the time I spend with my family and friends and to realize how lucky I am that they can give me the space I require without a fuss.

As I think about the upcoming year and what I want to achieve I know that my goals for myself are aggressive. I have big plans I intend to pursue my dreams to the fullest extent of my spirit. Part of those plans, the toughest part most likely, will be the balance. I get caught up in the excitement of a new project, a new challenge, a new hobby or dream, and I sometimes burn out. I let other things slide and then I lose my way. So although I’m not making any resolutions for 2016 I am looking at my goals and working on the baby steps that will get me there. I hope that by this time next year I can faithfully report that I have made progress towards those goals and that I maintained a sense of sanity while I went about chasing them.

The funny thing about goals and plans and the idea of control is that we really don’t have any. Life has a way of kicking our feet out from under us when we think that we have it all figured out but I’ve noticed in 2015 that those were the times when I grew the most. Not to say it was always pleasant but it was the necessary step I needed to move towards my goal. Or to realize I had strayed off the path and needed to get turned around and headed in the right direction once more.

I am grateful for all the blessings that came my way in 2015. I didn’t always appreciate them the way that I should have but I can see how lucky I have been this year. And I am going to take the lessons I learned this year and keep applying them as we move forward.

I found the below online, I don’t remember where but I wish I could find it again so I could credit the author. I’ve looked at this list periodically and no matter what is going on in my life something on this list always applies. I hope that you find as much wisdom, strength, and motivation from it as I do.

Until next year my friends and fellow travelers. I wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope that in 2016 you not only join me on my journey but that you achieve all your goals as well.

Inspiration of Lists

This week has been filled with an overwhelming number of details, challenges, joys, and irritations. As I try to weed out the junk and focus on this post things keep popping back into my mind’s eye. Normally I enjoy the tangents that my mind explores but sometimes it’s just too much to keep up with. That’s when I find myself making lists. Lots and lots of lists.

Now, if you aren’t a list maker this may not make any sense but something about getting the words, ideas, images, and feelings out of my head and onto the page just makes my day flow smoother. I’ve made lists for everything under the sun at one point or another. Most of the lists are shuffled to the side and recycled the next day or the next week. But some of the common themes and messages from my Creative Genie appear often enough that I can’t help but notice.

For some people making a list and then not being able to check the items off the list as completed is a lesson insanity but for me, lists are a guide. A treasure map if you will. They give me a starting place on the adventure that my day will be. If things aren’t going the way I want them to, I just choose another item on the list to complete. And with that choice my whole day changes.

I have also learned that something’s I put on my list not because I want to do them but because I feel like I “should” do them. As I was reminded from reading Elle Luna’s book the decision of what I must do and what I should do is mine. So my list is now a place where I can weed out the “shoulds” or decide if it’s truly something I want to pursue. And as with all things, my needs, dreams, desires, and musts continue to change. It’s a struggle, sometimes, to accept those changes and let go of things that used to bring me joy, but I’m infinitely happier when I do.

What sorts of lists do you write? I have lists of writing prompts that I love and lists of one’s I’ve never used. I have lists of places I dream of going and books I want to read. I have lists of family members and lists of the paint colors that are on my walls. I have lists of character traits, character names, and stories I plan to write. And I have lists of movies I’ve enjoyed, songs I can’t get out of my head, and people who inspire me. I have To Do lists for this hour, tomorrow, this month, and this year. Hell, I have To Do lists that will never be complete. I have all these lists and if I sat here I could come up with many more, but that is not my point.

So what is my point? That lists are only as good as the action behind them. For some of us they are excellent organizing tools but the list should not be the end result. Remembering to take the next step, the leap off the cliff into the unknown, is where I sometimes get stuck. But this is my life. And the only one I’m going to get. So making the decision and taking the next step is what I am focusing on.

Taking action and making a change is what led me back to this blog. It’s given me a new outlook on my life and a new way of looking at how I intend to reach my goals. For a while now I’ve been drifting, letting other people choose my direction, and a simple list written on the back of a napkin at lunch gave me a new perspective. And the energy to take the leap.

So tonight, I’m going to dust off some of my old journals and take a look at the lists I wrote when I was younger. I know that I have not achieved everything I thought I would, yet, but I also know that what I want has changed. Looking at the bones of my old dreams will give me a chance to revisit those feelings. Embrace those emotions. Celebrate how far I’ve come. And plan for tomorrow’s adventure!

Until next time, my fearless travel companions, enjoy the magic and wonder that appears in your day.

One day closer

One day closer to my vacation. Thank goodness. I am so stressed out and exhausted. Of course, the exhaustion probably has something to do with only sleeping about 3 hours a night the last few nights. In the meantime work is chaos, family is crazy busy and I really just want to crawl into bed.

Instead I’m trying to find my balance. Making sure that I take care of myself, when I remember, and looking for the positive things that abound in my life. It’s easy to only focus on the negative, but I don’t want to see the world in the dark all the time. It’s time to look for the light – be it the stars, the moon, or the bright shining sun!

Family Time!

Some time with the family before work starts! It’s good to spend time with all of us – and Mom is having a good day. I’m very grateful for days like today – who knows how many more we will get. We need to stockpile these memories for the days ahead. Every day with Mom is a day we weren’t sure we would have so it’s definitely a blessing.