Wisdom ~ Sept. 22, 2011

I know I picked wisdom for my topic today; but change is what I really want to talk about.
I tend to resist change; I like my routines and the comfort of things being they way I expect them to be. While I admit that change is inevitable and we are changing daily, that isn't always easy for me.  So the recent changes to Facebook have caused changes to my usual routine. I don't like that.

The control freak in me though is really enjoying some of these changes.  I can now pick and choose what posts I want to be my top stories. I can pick what posts I want to see from my friends.  And most especially I can pick which posts I don't want in my feed at all.  It may take a little time to go through all of my friends and individually choose which types of post I want to subscribe to, but it is certainly better than some computer program deciding what I might be interested in.

I mean really, did that program think I didn't want to see the posts of my husband or daughter?  Did it really think that posts related to farmville, hatchlings, adventure world or mafia wars was more important than them?  Seriously?  I'm making the best of these changes; how about you?  What are you doing to make the new Facebook fee work for you?

Quotes

Make me strong in spirit,
Courageous in action,
Gentle of heart,

Let me act in wisdom,

Conquer my fear and doubt,
Discover my own hidden gifts,

Meet others with compassion,
Be a source of healing energies,
And face each day with hope and joy.

~ unknown

Perhaps the highest human potential is only realized when we no longer require the world to conform to our fantasies of how it should be. ~ Earon Davis

~ I really liked this quote when I read it this morning.  I had some really wise words to go along with it too . . . somewhere between this morning and this evening those words went away.  Procrastination is not my friend.

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. ~ Gandhi

Blog Posts

Why Curiosity is the Way to a Better Life ~ "Life is a constant state of learning. You learn by being curious. When you were a toddler, you learned about the world around you by being curious and getting your hands dirty. Get involved with the society around you and don’t let it tell you what to do all the time. Get on a plane and go somewhere that you’re not comfortable with (where they don’t speak… *gasp* ENGLISH!), and see how they do things."

Unplugged

Recently I've read several blog posts about unplugging from facebook, email, texting etc., for at least one day a week.  The posts have talked about how this will help us connect more with the people we love and the things we love to do.

I'm on the computer probably more hours a day than any one person ought to be.  It is one of the first things I do in the morning and one of the last things I do before I go to bed. I use it for entertainment, for communication, for reading, for business . . . in fact today I have already been on the computer for about 3 hours (it's 11:30 am right now).  I will most likely spend the majority of my work day using the computer. Checking email, maybe doing some actual work (I'm my own boss . . . most of the time) and probably just passing the time; playing games on Facebook or watching something on Netflix. When I get home from work I'll probably fire up the computer again for more games on Facebook and probably some blog reading (There were a lot of posts written while I was unplugged for a few days).

For the Christmas Holiday this year we spent 4 days away from out home. Spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our family in the big city (Seattle, we live in a small beach town on the coast of Washington, pop. 4,000).  Then after that we drove to Canada and spent a couple of days in Vancouver.  I chose not to take my computer. At first I wasn't sure I'd make it without it (one of the first things I do in the morning is fire it up). I didn't cheat once and use my hubby's or any of other family members'.  

It was nice taking a break from it. Not sure if I can choose one day a week to just unplug, but maybe I can spend a little time everyday not watching the computer screen. I made it 4 days I can make it a couple of hours, right?

Can you imagine how much more you could accomplish if you just left the computer off? You'd have some time for exercise, maybe you could learn something new (I've only had the guitar for about 10 years, just never had the time to learn to play it), you could bake something from scratch or play a game of Scrabble to prove once again why you are the Scrabble Queen.

This post is part of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I am going to really get this blog going. So I decided I'd join the Challenge. The goal of the challenge is to post 31 posts in the month of January and to get more traffic to my blog and to other blogs. This is post number 1. For more info or to join the challenge check the link below.

The Ultimate Blog Challenge

I started this blog with good intentions. I have not done a very good job of keeping at it. I'm going to remedy that by participating in the Ulitmate Blog Challenge beginning January 1, 2011. 

My goal is to make 31 blog posts in the month of January. It is going to be a challenge for me. I have a hard time sitting at the computer and writing something. I find it hard to stay on topic and tend to ramble . . . A LOT. But I'm going to try do it anyway (as Master Yoda says "Do or do not; there is no TRY.").

Any of you who have a blog and would like to join this challenge simply go to their website http://ultimateblogchallenge.com/ and sign up.  You'll get daily updates with ideas for future posts. This challenge is also a way to get more readers to your blog, since part of the challenge is to read and comment on other people's blogs. 

I hope this will be a fun way to make blogging a habit for Be Positively Inspired rather than an afterthought. I'd love to hear your comments and have you follow me here or on our Facebook Page. 

Gratitude

I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for for being a part of this page.  It is an honor to have you all here and I appreciate each and every one of you.  I am thankful that you share my posts with others and that you invite your friends to join us here.  Thank you for allowing me to share.

Quotes

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink. ~ G. K. Chesterton  

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~ Marcel Proust 

You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you. ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach  

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. ~ Albert Einstein 

Take full account of the excellencies which you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not. ~ Marcus Aurelius  

Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted–a paved road or a washing machine? If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul. ~ Rabbi Harold Kushner 

When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness, and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer. ~ Wilferd A. Peterson 

Sankalpa

I learned a new word today. The Sanskrit word sankalpa. It means resolve, intention, will, purpose, and/or determination.

From the Sanskrit Glossary ~ Sankalpa: “Will; purpose; determination.” A solemn vow or declaration of purpose to perform any ritual observance. Most commonly, sankalpa names the mental and verbal preparation made by a temple priest as he begins rites of worship. During the sankalpa, he proclaims to the three worlds what he is about to do. He intones the name of the Deity, the type of ritual he is about to perform and the present time and place according to precise astrological notations. Once the sankalpa is made, he is bound to complete the ceremony.

From the Yoga Journal ~ POSITIVE POWER A Sanskrit word, sankalpa means "will, purpose, or determination." To make a sankalpa is to set an intention—it's like a New Year's resolution with a yogic twist. While a resolution often zeros in on a perceived negative aspect of ourselves (as in, "I want to lose weight, so no more chocolate chip cookies or ice cream or cheese"), a sankalpa explores what's behind the thought or feeling ("I crave chocolate chip cookies or ice cream or cheese when I'm feeling stressed or sad. I will set an intention to become conscious of this craving and allow my feelings to arise and pass, rather than fill up on fats"). ~ check out the link the full post on this topic is great.

This post at 5 Seed was the inspiration for this post.  Check out her other blog A Green Spell.

P.S. When I started this blog my intent was to post at least once a week. Its now been a bit over two since my last post. There is no excuse . . . just a seemingly ongoing quest to find Balance between the things I "have" to do and the things I "want" to do. If you all have any tips on finding Balance I'd love to hear them.

Peace in your heart

Quotes: 
May you have warmth in your igloo, oil in your lamp, and peace in your heart! ~ Eskimo proverb

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live. ~ Flora Whittemore

The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it. ~ Marcus Aurelius

My daughter posted this as her status ~ "When you're struggling with something, look at all the people around you and realize that every single person you see is struggling with something, and to them, it's just as hard as what you're going through." -Nicolas Sparks (Dear John...such a good book =])


Other Blogs:
From the Positivity Blog ~ 11 Quick and simple ways to spread positivity around you today  
From the Positivity Blog ~ How to do Something Even When you Don't Feel Like it 

Sorry post is a bit short this week. Started a new journey and still working on finding a balance between all the things I do. Hope you have a Great week!

Positivity in the New Year

I've been an avid reader for years. I read to relax and I read to learn new things. While in my teens I started to collect quotes from the books I read . . . Many of the early ones I collected have been lost. I began posting quotes on twitter (I've got 2 profiles . . . neither have been active recently; but I will soon use one for this blog).

I was posting quotes that I found inspiring, motivational and inspiring. Things to remind me, that even though the people around me may have a negative attitude or outlook on life, that I can choose to have a positive one.

The Be Positively Inspired page on Facebook is meant to remind me and others to maintain a positive attitude. I love finding new quotes, videos and blog posts to add to the pages. I find a lot of things I'd like to share, this blog is a way to share more of those things and to share them with a wider audience.

I hope that you enjoy. Thank you for reading