Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.

- John F. Kennedy.

Life appears to be an ever changing and unpredictable thing.  Finding a truly singular purpose that you can be proud of and strive for is truly a wonderful thing. 

Also as an aside, I love light houses.  This one was painted by Thomas Kinkade.  Check out his work!

Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.

-Chinese Proverb.

This is something I wrote a few months ago.  It’s short and simple, but I think it sums up things rather well, at least for now…

All of my regrets, all my failures, all my successes and wins, everything I've ever said, felt, every relationship and friendship, my feelings, thoughts, actions, desires and dreams, my experiences and perceptions make my life what it is today.  Although at times I might begrudge too harshly the negatives and underappreciate the positive, all of these things create the essence of who I am.  If I tug at the loose strings of the tapestry of my life, it would unravel into the chaotic turmoil of the unknown.  Who I am would be lost.  In its place would be a void.  Trite and fanciful fantasies of altering my life by rearranging my past only stands to cast shadow on my future...

We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.

- Winston Churchill.


Stories of survival against impossible odds, like this one, are amazing.  I often wonder, if I were in such a situation, how would I handle it and how would I react.  Sometimes there's just no way of knowing if we'll be courageous or cowardly, until the time arrives.  For now, I'll imagine myself on the courageous side, and hope to live true to my dreams, until the end.

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Abandoned places drive the Imagination

I've always had a slightly morbid fascination with old and abandoned things.   Stories like this one are almost irresistible.   There's something about seeing ships, houses, cars, and the like just sitting there, waiting for their oweners to come back, even though we know they never will.  The possibilities about what happened, why the items were abandoned, and the story behind the story is too much for me to pass up. 

People ask me all the time where my ideas come from for my short stories.  Well letting my imagination wander when it comes to lost and abandoned things is a perfect answer.  The possibilities of where a story can go are endless.  There's something about everyday recognizable items seen in such disarray or disrepair that is simultaneously intriguing and distrubing.  That's where the imagination comes into play.  It's not so much that I enjoy seeing abandoned hospitals or haunting ghost ships, but the realization that at any time, the life we know can turn on a dime, disappear and never return is so stark and real.  So true that is, if you've never heard the story of Centralia Pennsylvania, you might want to reconsider just how dramatically life can change.

To be sure, most of the things I've used as an example here are somewhat unsettling.  However, look at the bigger picture here for a moment.  With such turmoil and uncertainty in the world, such things make a great case for seizing the moment.  Waiting another day, or putting things off can only do one thing: Waste time.  Don't let that happen!  You'll only regret it in more ways than one.  Trust me.  Just remember that inspiration and creativity can come from almost anywhere, even an abandoned house!

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Cools songs just for the hell of it.

I thought I'd go a different route today and just post up a few videos that I liked, just for the hell of it.  This first one is a little out there, but for those of you who have ever heard of Daft Punk, I'm sure it's a favorite.

Pretty crazy, that little robot dude is cool and scary at the same time.

This next one is a classic from the 1980s.  If you remember hearing it on the radio you'll remember just how awesome it was to hear this song first the first time.

I love both of these songs even though they are totally different in comparison. 



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Sex Sells

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The Fascination of Inspiring Paintings

Paintings are an extreme visual representation of emotion.  The first time I saw this painting, I was mesmerized.

L'Ange du Foyer, by Max Ernst  

This painting is so striking and animated, yet the agony I seen in that creature is so articulated I'm somewhat stunned.  It never fails to capture my attention every time I see it.

The next painting that has always had my attention is this one.

Persistence of Memory

This paiting is by Salvador Dali  I'm constantly perplexed by the meaning of this painting.  Time is always such a strange subject, putting its essence into a painting seems to complicate the idea. 

I hope you like my selections.  Think about concepts and ideas that interest you and see if you can find paintings that represent those ideals.  You might be very surprised at what you find!

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

Buddha

What does it mean to have personal independence?  There’s a lot to be said to have a self-sufficient personality that allows you to make decisions, complete tasks, explore new opportunities, and just be able to think for yourself.  Being independent is easy for some, it comes naturally.  For others it’s a life long struggle to learn how to cope and manage, let alone thrive by themselves. 

I watch my daughter grow up and see the evolution of her character and personality.  At the same time I see her struggle for independence while still clinging to me for help and support.  I think it’s vital to foster her personal growth into a person that is capable and self-reliant.  Right now, in those formative years where she will become the woman she’s destine to be, I want to help her experience as much as she can to develop properly.  But what about those who didn’t have the right encouragement and direction, are they lost?  No.  I’ve known some people who unfortunately didn’t have very loving or nurturing parents.  But they took their situation as a motivator to improve and rise above the negative. 

Being able to depend on yourself is a gift that is hard to describe, but so worth the efforts in getting it.  If you find yourself clinging to others, unable to experience life on your own, you might want to try developing a new paradigm.  Independence doesn’t just happen, for some it takes a long time with a lot of effort.  Start out slow.  Pick an activity or task that you think you can accomplish with little help or supervision and try it.  Even if you fail, try again.  And keep trying.  Ask for advice if you need it while attempting to learn why you didn’t succeed.  Remember, I’ve always said there’s a success in every attempt.  So keep trying.  Some day you’ll be flying solo, and you’ll be proud of yourself and your independence

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We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Throughout my life, as I'm sure in yours, life has is small and large disappointments.  They can be bitter, stinging defeats, or they can be tools to help you recognize just how precious the good things are in life.  Keep hoping!

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I must lose myself in action, lest I wither in despair.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

  

There’s an old saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”  Now I know that sometimes busy people can look frazzled, disorganized, and totally unprepared to take on yet another task.  However, what you might not realize is, their action keeps them moving.  Their success at accomplishing tasks feeds on itself and perpetuates.  They thrive on action.  Okay, so it may be that the busy person you know might not be the most organized, or efficient worker you know, but what good is an organized, efficient loaf?  Really.  The action those busy workers take may seem stressful to the outside observer (and to the worker themselves), but don’t underestimate the power of motion.  It kind of reminds me of Newton’s Laws of Motion. 

I’ve learned enough about myself to know that when I have a lot of things to do and not much time to do it, I get things done.  Usually I get those tasks done better than if I had all the time in the world. But what motivates a person to action?  What drives them to get up off the couch and do something, be active?  If you don’t have motivation but feel a call to action, you might just sit there and feel frustrated.  For me, I need a purpose or goal to make my action meaningful.  I tend to think about what my life will or would be like if I did nothing; if I didn’t bother trying to improve myself or make a difference.  Having that realization of unaccomplished goals and untaken chances is usually enough to get me into gear.  Remember, I’m all about living up to my potential.  What about you?  Are you going to loaf around or take action?

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Songs of Emotion

Last time I did Songs of Inspiration.  This week I want to do a couple of songs that illicite emotion.  I think periods of strong and intense emotion can be inspiring if you direct that energy toward something positive.

The first song is Into the west, by Anne Lennox.  This song was featured in The Lord of The Rings, The Return of the King. (All rights reserved to the orginal artists)

Also, as you may know, Whitney Houston recently passed away.  The song, I will Always Love You, was originally recorded by Dolly Parton, but for my money, Whitney's version is the best.

Hope you find inspiration in these selections!


Also, here's a picture of a Lilly Pond at Balboa Park, San Diego.  I took this about four years ago, but it's still one of my favorites.

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