"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror, I can take the next thing that comes along.' - Eleanor Roosevelt
There are many things that will occur throughout our lives that will either throw us into a tailspin or send us flying to new heights. Each comes with its own sets of challenges and each involves change.
Read MoreAll men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible. - T.E. Lawrence
I always wanted to be a writer when I grew up. As a Junior High student, my friends and I would produce comic books that I would write and others would illustrate.
Read More“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” ― Albert Einstein
I have made my fair share of mistakes; some would argue that I have made more than my fair share of mistakes; but for the sake of this post, let's just say I have made my fair share! I would guess that all of you, my very fine and appreciated readers, have made your fair share of mistakes as well. Some of you will recover nicely from them, others, maybe not so nicely.
Read MoreMaybe I am just finally getting older and as I age, I become more conservative. Maybe I just notice things more and I have a harder time shutting out some of the minutia from everything around me. I am not sure, but I do know this. An 'R' rated movie is rated 'R' for a reason.
The MPAA (The Motion Picture Association of America) defines the 'R' rating as follows:
R — Restricted. Children Under 17 Require Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian. An R-rated motion picture,
Read MoreIt's funny, our American society has become obsessed with our pets. Whether you are a dog lover, cat lover, fish lover, bird lover or even a rodent lover; our obsession with our pets seems to have grown amazingly over the past several years. Now this may be due in large part to the pet industry itself; with such titans as Petsmart and Petco both vying for our wallets it is in their best marketing dollars interest to pump life into a growing obsession.
Read MoreWe all have this, people in our lives that we just don't understand. We don't understand why they do or say the things they do. Why they are so steeped in negativity. We try to be their friends or we try to be the best friend we can, yet in most cases, we are either stepped on or simply ignored and we are left wondering what we did wrong.
Read More"A person can succeed at almost anything for which they have unlimited enthusiasm.”
– Charles M. Schwab
"Passion, it lies in all of us, sleeping… waiting… and though unwanted… unbidden… it will stir… open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us… guides us… passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love… the clarity of hatred… and the ecstasy of grief.
Read MoreWell, it's now the second day of 2013 and I am very sure that many of us have already tucked away the slips of paper with our resolutions on them! Resolutions are a funny thing - they are filled with the best of intentions and we always look at them with inspired vim and vigor; yet for practical purposes, they always seem to fall on the wayside. Now, you may have one or two that might actually stick, if you try hard enough;
Read MoreThe wonderful thing about a new year, besides the celebration, is the new opportunities that lay before you. It is a new year, a fresh start, the calendar begins again and really, so should we all! It's a time for a renewed sense of purpose, for refocusing our attention on the things that matter. We all make resolutions that we never follow-up on or we start off with the best of intentions but falter as time wears on. The new year gives us an opportunity to once more try to drive ourselves forward.
Read MoreIt's funny, as I browse the various Facebook posts, tweets and blog postings from those I follow, they review 2012 as if it was the worst year ever, quotes from 'I can't wait for this year to be over' to 'Here's hoping that 2013 will be a better year' and more. I have to admit, in the past, I was one of those types that posted much of the same. And I almost did again this year - then I had a revelation this morning...
Read MoreCommitting to the process of writing - hell, committing to any process is tough! I spent most of my morning thinking about what the heck I was going to write about today. What is going to be interesting that I can write about that may make someone new read my writing. After all, lets face it, the only people who are really reading are family and friends (and perhaps not even them!). Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate their support, but I would like to build an audience beyond family and friends (who are probably getting sick of me!).
Read MoreOuch! Getting back into the work-out grind can be especially tough - especially for those of us pushing 50.
Yes, I said that, pushing 50!
It's not so bad you know, I feel good and I have been having the time of my life lately. There is something about pushing 50 that seems exciting. I don't feel old, but I do feel a little wiser and I am starting to enjoy the smaller things in life a lot more.
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