set your timer: For the next 15 minutes, write about a moment your life changed because of what someone said to you.
I will never forget the first time I saw this video by Kelly Corrigan, and to this day I will never tire from watching it. I was going through one of the toughest times I can remember...the year I turned 40. There were so many negative things going on in my life and I didn't have a clue as to how to save myself. I remember sitting in the doctor's office and crying as she hugged me.
That's how bad things were.
And then I saw this video and I knew things would get better eventually. I knew I had to just get up and go on with another day, trying to find something to cling to, and I did. I can't even tell you how many times I watched this video over and over again, and when her book, The Middle Place, came out I was delighted to find that a copy of this essay is printed in the back. So now I can read it too.
My friends have always meant the world to me, and the fact that losing a friend was able to tear me down so far speaks volumes to me. Today I looked through all the emails from that dreaded time of my life, and I am realizing that I am in such a better place in my life now, for so many reasons, but mostly because I moved on. I let go and moved into what was best for me. I am certain that I will never let anyone create so much havoc in my life ever again.
I know what works for me.
I know what makes me happy.
And I'm not afraid to ask for it anymore.
If you've seen the video before, I hope you enjoy it again.
To Kelly Corrigan... you saved me at a time when I needed it most, and for that, I thank you.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
harvesting words
set your timer: for the next 15 minutes, write about the words you love. Write about the words you hate. Write about words that make you think.
I'll be honest, there is a reason I skipped over this one 4 years ago when I had first started this project. While I love words, I'm not one who takes chances on using new or different words very often. On my iPad I have the Dictionary.com app that will send me a word of the day, every single day. Most days I'm curious enough to go and look it up to see what it means, but sometimes I just go about my day without needing to know. Yesterday's word was catawampus, which I thought was funny because I always just figured it was a word Toby made up. Although, he has always said kittywampus, maybe just the earlier version of the word?
I have found through writing various projects over the years that I tend to change the language or wording to fit the project. If I'm writing something for a young adult novel, the words I use will be different than those in an article for ten rules to happiness. I don't have a magic book that carries all my favorite words, but maybe I should. I will find the inspiration in a picture and create a whole post just from that. Perhaps I should try to do the same with the words I see. Perhaps... I do like that word.
A whole post on catawampus? Not so sure about that.
So, as Barbara has instructed, I will start to make a list of these words that intrigue me and make me want to learn more about them. I will star the ones I like, and the ones I don't like will stay in the dictionary forever.
For some crazy reason, when I started reading this chapter I was reminded of the movie Elf with Will Farrell. "Francisco...Fran-Sis-Co...Francisco... that's fun to say."
That is how my mind works. Welcome to my world.
I'll be honest, there is a reason I skipped over this one 4 years ago when I had first started this project. While I love words, I'm not one who takes chances on using new or different words very often. On my iPad I have the Dictionary.com app that will send me a word of the day, every single day. Most days I'm curious enough to go and look it up to see what it means, but sometimes I just go about my day without needing to know. Yesterday's word was catawampus, which I thought was funny because I always just figured it was a word Toby made up. Although, he has always said kittywampus, maybe just the earlier version of the word?
I have found through writing various projects over the years that I tend to change the language or wording to fit the project. If I'm writing something for a young adult novel, the words I use will be different than those in an article for ten rules to happiness. I don't have a magic book that carries all my favorite words, but maybe I should. I will find the inspiration in a picture and create a whole post just from that. Perhaps I should try to do the same with the words I see. Perhaps... I do like that word.
A whole post on catawampus? Not so sure about that.
So, as Barbara has instructed, I will start to make a list of these words that intrigue me and make me want to learn more about them. I will star the ones I like, and the ones I don't like will stay in the dictionary forever.
For some crazy reason, when I started reading this chapter I was reminded of the movie Elf with Will Farrell. "Francisco...Fran-Sis-Co...Francisco... that's fun to say."
That is how my mind works. Welcome to my world.
Pen on Fire, back in action
Set your timer for 15 minutes and explain yourself:
Years ago I had other digs at Blogspot and had started that blog by going through Barbara Demarco-Barrett's book Pen On Fire. It was one of my favorite writing times because everything I wrote was fresh and had a purpose. I won't lie to you... sometimes finding things to write about can be downright exhausting. So when I had an entire book of writing prompts, I was in Heaven.
But for some reason, I never completely finished the book, so I think it's only right to go back through the book and finish it for good. I have my book and my trusty timer on my phone, so I am going to do this.
Thankfully, for my 40th birthday, Linda had printed every post ever done on that first website. Even though it was deleted online, I still have those first years in a binder. For years she has told me, 'make a book with them,' and I never really thought anything of it until yesterday when I started to read through them again. When I got about half way through it dawned on me that I might actually be able to make a book out of these. I don't know if anyone would buy it, but to have it all in one place would be amazing.
So I am going through the book and completing the ones that I never finished back then. I will set my timer and have at it. To have this come back into my life at this time is such a blessing and reminds me of why I write.
I simply love it.
End of story.
Love your day :)
Years ago I had other digs at Blogspot and had started that blog by going through Barbara Demarco-Barrett's book Pen On Fire. It was one of my favorite writing times because everything I wrote was fresh and had a purpose. I won't lie to you... sometimes finding things to write about can be downright exhausting. So when I had an entire book of writing prompts, I was in Heaven.
But for some reason, I never completely finished the book, so I think it's only right to go back through the book and finish it for good. I have my book and my trusty timer on my phone, so I am going to do this.
Thankfully, for my 40th birthday, Linda had printed every post ever done on that first website. Even though it was deleted online, I still have those first years in a binder. For years she has told me, 'make a book with them,' and I never really thought anything of it until yesterday when I started to read through them again. When I got about half way through it dawned on me that I might actually be able to make a book out of these. I don't know if anyone would buy it, but to have it all in one place would be amazing.
So I am going through the book and completing the ones that I never finished back then. I will set my timer and have at it. To have this come back into my life at this time is such a blessing and reminds me of why I write.
I simply love it.
End of story.
Love your day :)
love and marriage
Usually, these two words go together like a couple, hand in hand. I have actually come to realize they mean two different things. I believe that love is the heart-thumping, giddy, romantic feeling we have when we meet that person. Love is that feeling of seeing those two meet at the end of the aisle. Love is in the moments of vows, kisses, and beautiful dresses. Marriage, on the other hand is something completely different. It is the day to day life you will build together, knowing that at the end of each day, no matter what happens, someone's got your back.And every wedding I attend, like funerals, I find they make me reevaluate and analyze my own life and marriage. Here is what I have come up with:
When they say 'Do you take this person for better or for worse, in good times and in bad...' they mean it. On any wedding day, it's impossible to foresee life unfolding with its ups and downs, and know how much those two words will challenge you: I do. Wedding days are very similar to a baby being born. The moment is magical perfection, full of hope, promise, and of course, love. The amount of hard work, dedication and commitment is not brought up. A marriage cannot survive if you can't take that person and still love them on their "worse" days. I used to have a saying when I coached that when a skater took a test, they should be able to pass that test even on their worst day. That's the same with a marriage. You want to still love that person even on their worst days. You must take the good with the bad and accept them, flaws and all. And then you drop to your knees and pray they do the same for you :)
So what it comes down to is this... these words DO belong together. One cannot exist without the other. Without love, there would be no marriage. Some marriages never make it out of the gate because as soon as that giddy feeling is worn off, there is a whole lotta work. Some days are good ones. Some need a little attention. It's life.
I hope you enjoy your day...
this much I know is true
Clarity, if you will.
It's the most wonderful feeling after weeks of turmoil, confusion and loss. Summer does this to me every year, and I have to learn compassion for my self and the others around me. Maybe changing everything about my life isn't the answer I need right now. Maybe learning to accept (and love) what I have at this moment, and know that God will change things when He thinks I need it is what I need right now.
Sometimes the answers are right in front of you too.
Life is so much more than work and making money. Sure, we can't live without them, but at some point we have to make sure that the life we are living is about love rather than obligation. I know I've written about this before, it's a recurring theme in my life, and yet I so easily get off the path every single year. It's as if the fork in the road is taunting me now. Damn path.
So while I was walking I was making a mental list of things I needed to love my life...and here is what I came up with.
- family
- friends
- writing (and backing it up)
- faith
- health
- iPad :)
Work is just that... work. Don't make it your life. And trust that you are exactly where you are supposed to be right now.
Now, head outside and go on a long walk. You'll be glad you did...
Friday Reads
This blog is going to be a combination of the two things I love... writing and books. I have come to figure out that I can't go too long without either of them in my life, and days are considerably better when I have both. For a long time I had two blogs, and now I feel like the one is a perfect picture of who I am. I still have the Bitter Party of One moments, but forgiveness is a powerful thing and I choose that.
Every Friday on Twitter, I will see post after post of what everyone is reading (this happens when you mostly follow writers) under the hashtag #fridayreads. I have always loved to see what others are reading and why. What's a good book and which ones to pass on. I thought, what a perfect way to honor books like this. However, I'm going to post in my own way, and hopefully pass along some good books along the way.
After suffering through Laura Hillenbrand's book, Unbroken, I needed some much needed relief. And by suffering, I mean I went through the war with her. I felt beaten, battered, and renewed at the end. The book is beautifully written, brutally honest, and filled with faith. I recommend it only to the thick skinned. It will stick with me for a while.
So back to the lightness.
I picked up a book I have been wanting to read for months, but just had never gotten. Okay, I'll be honest, I didn't really want to spend the money on it, but when I saw that BN Nook offered it at almost 50% discounted, I went for it. The book is Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe. I started it a couple days ago, and it is just what the Doctor ordered. Apparently, he's not just a pretty face. The boy can write too.
So I will plunk myself down in a cozy chair this weekend and finish this book. It reads almost like an issue of Us Weekly. It's a who's who of Hollywood Royalty. I love a good story.
I hope you find yourself reading something good as well...Have a fabulous weekend!
Every Friday on Twitter, I will see post after post of what everyone is reading (this happens when you mostly follow writers) under the hashtag #fridayreads. I have always loved to see what others are reading and why. What's a good book and which ones to pass on. I thought, what a perfect way to honor books like this. However, I'm going to post in my own way, and hopefully pass along some good books along the way.
After suffering through Laura Hillenbrand's book, Unbroken, I needed some much needed relief. And by suffering, I mean I went through the war with her. I felt beaten, battered, and renewed at the end. The book is beautifully written, brutally honest, and filled with faith. I recommend it only to the thick skinned. It will stick with me for a while.
So back to the lightness.
I picked up a book I have been wanting to read for months, but just had never gotten. Okay, I'll be honest, I didn't really want to spend the money on it, but when I saw that BN Nook offered it at almost 50% discounted, I went for it. The book is Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe. I started it a couple days ago, and it is just what the Doctor ordered. Apparently, he's not just a pretty face. The boy can write too.
So I will plunk myself down in a cozy chair this weekend and finish this book. It reads almost like an issue of Us Weekly. It's a who's who of Hollywood Royalty. I love a good story.
I hope you find yourself reading something good as well...Have a fabulous weekend!
Life is too short
So a few years back, Linda and I would play email tag with the topic of Life is too short to...
And we would fill in the blank. We would go about our day and when we thought of a good one we would send an email back. At one point one of us thought a book should be made, but of course that never happened.
This past week has been a Life is too short week. With the passing of an amazing dad on Father's Day, sometimes you just have to sit back and realize why we really are here. And then you have to figure out what needs to be in your life and what doesn't. Here is my list for today:
Life is too short to...
You get my drift. What is on your list?
And we would fill in the blank. We would go about our day and when we thought of a good one we would send an email back. At one point one of us thought a book should be made, but of course that never happened.
This past week has been a Life is too short week. With the passing of an amazing dad on Father's Day, sometimes you just have to sit back and realize why we really are here. And then you have to figure out what needs to be in your life and what doesn't. Here is my list for today:
Life is too short to...
- not write that book
- be on a diet.
- get mad at your son for deleting 2 blogs :(
- read a book you don't love
- not see the beauty around you
- stay in a job you hate
- not go after what you want
- not do something because you never have
- think that it won't happen to you
- do a 30 day shred
- watch The Bachelorette (I mean really?? Bently???)
- get stuck in the past
- not have a cookie... out of the oven
- waste on things you don't love
- get mad at people who JUST DON'T GET IT
You get my drift. What is on your list?
Beginning again...
To say I was devastated would be an understatement.
I can't even relate it to anything, because nothing like this has happened to me before. I know you're thinking "who died?" (and sadly, someone did, but not because of this), so you'll probably think I've gone off the deep end when you realize that I'm this upset over losing my two blogs from over at Blogspot. To me, it feels like a death.
I had the Write Away blog for 5 years and really, it's how I found my voice. I had recently updated it to be more of a Books I've Read kind of site, and now it's gone. The Words To Live By (blogspot version) had been up and running for a year now, and I was just at a point where I felt that I could share it with everyone (not just the trusted few) and had even registered it on Facebook with their networked blogs. I'm ready to share what I have to say, and more importantly, I'm not worried about what they think any longer. I loved that blog, and now that's gone too.
I'm not sure what happened. I posted yesterday morning about, oddly enough, the book Unbroken. Ironic, I know. I'm not worried about trying something new, and actually I kind of like the change. What makes me sick to my stomach is that all my writings are gone. I am trying to get them back, but my hopes at this point are not high.
So, please bear with me as I try to muddle through the changes of getting used to a new site. I will keep writing, because at this point, I couldn't not write. George Santayana once said "Wisdom comes by disillusionment," and I can only hope that at the end of this drama, I'll be wiser.
Let's start a new road together...
I can't even relate it to anything, because nothing like this has happened to me before. I know you're thinking "who died?" (and sadly, someone did, but not because of this), so you'll probably think I've gone off the deep end when you realize that I'm this upset over losing my two blogs from over at Blogspot. To me, it feels like a death.
I had the Write Away blog for 5 years and really, it's how I found my voice. I had recently updated it to be more of a Books I've Read kind of site, and now it's gone. The Words To Live By (blogspot version) had been up and running for a year now, and I was just at a point where I felt that I could share it with everyone (not just the trusted few) and had even registered it on Facebook with their networked blogs. I'm ready to share what I have to say, and more importantly, I'm not worried about what they think any longer. I loved that blog, and now that's gone too.
I'm not sure what happened. I posted yesterday morning about, oddly enough, the book Unbroken. Ironic, I know. I'm not worried about trying something new, and actually I kind of like the change. What makes me sick to my stomach is that all my writings are gone. I am trying to get them back, but my hopes at this point are not high.
So, please bear with me as I try to muddle through the changes of getting used to a new site. I will keep writing, because at this point, I couldn't not write. George Santayana once said "Wisdom comes by disillusionment," and I can only hope that at the end of this drama, I'll be wiser.
Let's start a new road together...
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