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[PicLits] Inspired Picture Writing

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:49:21 +0000

PicLits.com
Great site! You can also email your PicLits to friends for inspiration.

Searchers by James Kavanaugh

Erica — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:22:14 +0000

A very beautiful message, and for the “searchers” in life, it will have an especially profound impact! Enjoy!

“Some people do not have to search – they find their niche early in life and rest there, seemingly contented and resigned. They do not seem to ask much of life, sometimes they do not seem to take it seriously. At times I envy them, but usually I do not understand them – seldom do they understand me.

I am one of the searchers. There are, I believe, millions of us. We are not unhappy, but neither are we really content. We continue to explore life, hoping to uncover its ultimate secret. We continue to explore ourselves, hoping to understand.

We like to walk along the beach – we are drawn by the ocean, taken by its power, its unceasing motion, its mystery and unspeakable beauty. We like forests and mountains, deserts and hidden rivers, and the lonely cities as well.

Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as is our laughter. To share our sadness with the one we love is perhaps as great a joy as we can know – unless it is to share our laughter.

We searchers are ambitious only for life itself, for everything beautiful it can provide. Most of all we want to love and be loved. We want to live in a relationship that will not impede our wandering, nor prevent our search, nor lock us in prison walls.

We do not want to prove ourselves to another or compete for love. We are wanderers, dreamers and lovers, lonely souls who dare ask of life everything good and beautiful.

For wanderers, dreamers, and lovers, for lonely men and women who dare to ask of life everything good and beautiful. It is for those who are too gentle to live among wolves.”

– James Kavanaugh, There Are Men Too Gentle To Live Among Wolves

An inspiring woman… Elizabeth Gilbert

admin — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:46:15 +0000

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of one of my favorite books, Eat, Pray, Love gave a talk at the TED 2009 conference. She is a magnificent writer and… amazing speaker too! She inspires me with her life, her confidence, her intelligence, her creativity!

2009

Erica — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 05:30:36 +0000

The start of a new year is always exciting because I highly value ‘fresh starts’ and recommitting myself to my goals and values. For me, it’s a time to set aside past failures and look to the future. It’s a time to reflect on the lessons I learned and reevaluate what really matters to me.

I have a rather extensive list of goals and areas for self-improvement, but my primary focus areas in 2009 are:

Simplify!
Commitment to nutrition/fitness.
More clarity and balance in life.

More inspiration…

Erica — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:41:39 +0000

I’m on vacation, so I have a lot of time on my hands to surf the internet and read great and inspiring blogs! The article I discovered is from Pickthebrain.com and it’s called, “7 Ways to Discover Deep and Lasting Happiness“, by Seamus Anthony. The main points that really inspired me were regarding finding your purpose in life, work towards that goal, but the catch…. then you must remain detached about attaining that goal, essentially. I’ve not seen it put quite this way.

Some experts from “7 Ways to Discover Deep and Lasting Happiness” by Seamus Anthony:

Decide What Your One Thing is and Stick to it

You must search your heart and discover (or re-discover) what the one thing you want to do with your life is, and then you must stick to that at all costs.

….Opportunities abound – but if you do not choose a single definite major purpose then you will simply bounce from shiny-thing to shiny-thing without ever making any real progress. And this will leave you unfulfilled.

For some reason it is important to your mental and spiritual health to feel that you are working towards a goal that for you holds meaning AND that this work is also meaningful along the way so that you can …

Get Your Head Out of the ‘Future Fantasy’

….Embrace the paradox. Choose a goal that you absolutely must achieve and work your butt off towards attaining this goal and meanwhile completely detach from the result and you will experience the form of deep lasting happiness that is called ‘flow’.

That’s why you must enjoy doing your One Thing along the way. You’ve got to love the work itself, not just pin your hopes for being happy on attaining the result.

Because results don’t always bring happiness, and when they do, they tend not to last. And results themselves tend to fade, which means they will require constant upkeep so you must enjoy the process of working towards your goal.

The way to do this is by getting your head out of the Future Fantasy. Don’t think “I’ll be happy when …” because you won’t. The only time you have to be happy is NOW and being happy now takes practice and is not determined by external factors alone.

….Get your head out of the Future Fantasy.

Quote: Happiness

Erica — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:16:57 +0000

Happiness is like a butterfly: If you chase it, it flies away, but when you turn your attention to other things, it comes and quietly lands on your shoulder. -PickTheBrain Blog

Re-Center

Erica — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:04:33 +0000

I came across this line in a post from one of my favorite websites, zenhabits.net, and it provided me with some reassurance about my own life.

“It is only when you are blind to your misdirection that you should be worried.” -Eric Hamm

The article was about re-centering ourselves when we get off track. The point of the quote above is that we don’t need to get too discouraged when this happens, as long as we have self-awareness and can then ‘re-center’ to make the necessary corrections to get back on the path we desire.

Keys to Success

Erica — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:53:05 +0000

I read a great article today on the “10 Traits Of A Successful Human Being” posted on the inspiring blog PickTheBrain. It was a very insightful article, which argues that success is less about what you “do”, and more about who you are. The impact lies in our daily decisions and naturally formed habits.

The key traits according to the author, Eric Hamm:

1. An Independent Nature
2. Self Confidence
3. Persistence
4. A Big Imagination
5. A Thick Skin
6. Clarity of Self Understanding
7. Clarity of Intent
8. Focus
9. Optimism
10. Passion

So my question is whether having 7 out of 10 traits can still lead to a life of success. I need to further refine my self confidence, as I often allow insecurities to overshadow my inner confidence. Depending on the circumstances, I would not always characterize myself as having ‘thick skin’. And lastly, I don’t approach life with a ‘big imagination’, instead I am rather cautious at times and focus more on being realistic and practical in my endeavors.

This article gave me more to ponder as I evaluate my New Year’s Resolutions for 2009 and the areas I want to focus on for self-improvement.

Website: Desktop Wallpaper Site

Erica — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:45:17 +0000

I discovered a great website for high-quality desktop wallpaper: http://www.socwall.com. I personally like the abstract designs for my own desktop.

A few sample thumbnails of the amazing designs below.

Tips for a Positive Life: Reframing

Erica — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:48:59 +0000

REFRAME: The act of taking a negative situation, then changing the way you look at it, “reframe” it with a positive slant, and possibly even view the situation as an opportunity.

Webcast by Tim Brownson, A Daring Adventure, Life Coaching