I had posted a funny short film called Piper for you to watch this morning, and then it won an Academy award. Unfortunately, when my post went live this morning the film was no longer available. I apologize for that. In its place I’m posting another video which is called Post-It®. I hope you enjoy it.
Has anyone helped you out of a negative place? Or have you found a great way to encourage people?
Thanks for watching and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Posted in Miscellanea
Tagged attitude, being positive, compliments, film by Michael Evans, making friends, Post-It, short film
It’s time to work out my funk. Sometimes things pile onto me and all I can easily see is problems and frustrations. It’s clear I have to adjust my attitude. I have to remind myself that I have so much to be grateful for, and I really, truly am grateful. With an attitude like that the blues and self-pity can’t stick. So … be gone negativity! This is a new day.
I was just now reminded of a scripture verse I particularly appreciate: This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it. – Psalm 118:24
In light of that, today I am sharing with you a video you may have already seen and hopefully will like to watch again. It’s a spoken word poem by Natalie Patterson, as you will note below.
Enjoy!
Sending you hugs.
How do you pull yourself out of a potentially down day? For what are you grateful?
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Posted in Miscellanea
Tagged attitude, attitude adjustment, grateful, Gratitude, Natalie Patterson, Psalm 118:24, scripture, spoken word poem, video
In this post I am sharing a few quotes about change, since this is my year of change. 🙂 Perhaps they will speak to you or remind you of another quote that has been meaningful to you.
The above quotes are inspiring and encouraging. One thing I want to add is that what I’ve found in my own life is that my efforts to change myself usually end up as a source of discouragement and disappointment, which I think is what often happens to many people who make new year’s resolutions. However, if I let the Lord change me it becomes a reality. A heart change is a real change. It may seem as if I have changed myself when it is the Lord changing me. I like that.
Do you have any inspiring quotes to share about change?
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
PS: Please remember to pass on the word about my 2nd giveaway of 2016 offered in my January 21 post; draw February 10. Watch my countdown calendar!
I’ve stated it publicly. I am determined to achieve it. I am committed to accepting it. (Thanks, Darlene, for that last point.)
For me, change means stepping beyond myself, my comfort zone, my place of safety. Even if that step is only a baby step, it is a step forward to my goal.
I am not saying I want to change everything about myself, or that I want to make drastic changes in my life. What I mean is I am working on my attitude and beliefs about my God-given abilities, talents, gifts, creativity. And fear – I am making baby steps away from the fear and toward the reality of who I am as a creative and what I am capable of doing.
My goal, which I’m sure you all know by now, is to write children’s books for publication. The changes have begun for me to achieve this:
The biggest change for me is my private outlook, my self-talk, what I believe about myself. Change in those will bring about the most change in me and how I approach my writing.
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”
Yes, 2016 is my year of CHANGE, the follow-up to and continuation of POSITIVITY – my word in 2015.
I am determined. I will need reminders. And energy. And focus and refocus. (That’s not a negative already, I know how it’s been and I’m needing to not go there.)
My life as caregiver will continue as it has been, with the change being in me, in how I use my other time. There’s no progress in wishing things were different.
“Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself.” – Thegoodvibe.co
This could be an exciting year, a challenging year, a surprising year.
2016.
My year of change.
* If YOU are interested in writing children’s books, it is not too late to sign up for 12×12. Just follow the link I provided above in my point #4.
Can you relate to the struggle of staying the course? What are your goals and determinations that you know will make a remarkable change for you? (Or put that in past tense, what were your goals … and how did you manage to meet them?)
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
This is my last post of 2014. It’s been a good year for me in blogging, despite the difficult times when I was not able to muster the energy to keep up my schedule. (I’m still trying to break through one of those phases.) As we close out the old year I have a few thoughts and questions for us to consider together.
Do you meditate on the past year and lament your losses and mistakes, therefore forgetting to celebrate your successes and good efforts? or do you remember the good stuff and ignore the not-so-good events? or are you one who celebrates it all … the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the gains and the losses … as stepping-stones along your way?
This quote was in my mailbox this morning:
I believe that our attitude has a great deal to do with how we view life and what comes our way. It affects everything from our mood to our health. We are not only what we eat, we also are what we think.
Yesterday marked the seventeenth year since my dear mother passed from this life; seventeen years ago December 30 we sat with her as she released her last breath. Yesterday held a sadness for me because sometimes I miss her so much it hurts, but that day in 1997 was a day my mother was set free from the cancer that was attacking her body. I can look at it as a day of loss – which it was on a deep personal level – but I can also look at it as a day of celebration for her as, with an expectant heart, she went Home to our Lord. I will see her again and I do look forward to that.
In the meantime, I have a choice to make. I can let reminders of grief pull me down, I can live in that sad place and dwell on the negative hard places that naturally occur all along the way, or I can remember with an inner peace and joy how she lived her last days and died with such grace, never once complaining about her lot and suffering! (Seriously, it was amazing.) I can make it my goal to be more like her in that way, taking what comes with grace and dignity. That’s not an easy thing to do.
This was one of Mum’s favourite Scripture portions, especially verse 13:
Philippians 4: 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Through experience I have learned that my attitude affects everything. If I think sad, negative, angry, discouraging thoughts all the time, if I choose to live with regret, I get mentally and then physically pulled down. It does work that way. I get anxious, moody, sad and ill. If I think positive, hopeful thoughts and try to be cheerful, if I let my spirit soar above the problems, I feel better and make life more comfortable for everyone around me. My motto is “I live in hope”, meaning I try to keep looking to the better day, the better situation, without letting go of the progress I’ve made and the good I have now.
As the new year comes in …
I truly want to make a difference – first in my own life, and then in the lives of those around me and beyond. I’m a bit of a recluse so the latter is really hard for me unless I can be anonymous (a joy of mine) and not have to face the masses or even a small group. But when the Lord moves me … that’s another thing.
So now, as we close out 2014 and open the door for 2015 to sail in, let’s agree to live the positive upbeat life and not allow the negatives and past regrets to pull us down.
Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Something I would love to have happen in 2015 – starting now – is more chat between us, so I truly HOPE you will leave a reply to my final questions of this year.
Have you experienced such hard things in your life it’s been a struggle to rise above it? What have you learned from how you face life, how has your attitude made a difference? What advice do you have for others … as the new year comes in?
My sincere wish is for the best year yet for you – a year of successes and accomplishments! I look forward to hearing about them.
See you in 2015! Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Just a quick question for you tonight — How do you handle criticism?
How do you handle criticism? With maturity or with ego?
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Can you believe this is “the year of our Lord, two thousand thirteen“? 2013! To me, that seems a strange number; it feels different somehow.
I think the beginning of a new year always brings with it that ‘starting fresh’ feeling, the way the outdoors looks after a fresh fall of snow — all sparkly and clean. The new year comes in like that — sparkly and clean with nothing marring it or tracking it up. We want our new year to be that way … unmarred with no tell-tale tracks. We want to start fresh, leaving the mistakes and disappointments behind.
Have you made any resolutions? For the past several years I have not recorded or purposely written a list of New Year Resolutions. The many times I fell short, and then felt guilty about failing, led me to give up that emotional self-abuse.
Or are yours more like “hope to’s”? What I usually do is simply think about what I want to try to change in the new year, which is sort of making resolutions but it often happens less deliberately. It could be called my list of “hope to’s” instead.
My goals this year are centered around reading, writing, and attitude – none of which should be a surprise to you. 🙂
Perhaps I have set resolutions for 2013, but I prefer to call them goals … goals that I hope to achieve – not just in 2013, but as positive long-term life-affecting choices.
How about you – what resolutions or ‘hope to’s’ have you made for 2013?
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
"The odd thing about people who had many books was how they always wanted more." - Patricia A. McKillip
Polilla Writes 