Getaway To The Waves. The Sea. The Shore.

Waves splashing. Seas rough. Birds chirping. Softly. Quietly. Then louder as if composing a song. As if complaining … oh why so rough?

Now they fly. They soar. They meander. Still chirping high above beneath the sky. The white clouds embrace.

Waves calm down. Storm’s afloat. Passes by the outskirts as if to say, I’ll stop by next time…whenever that is. Behind it leaves weeds on the shore. Washed up. All aghast.

She Reads By The Sea

Book in hand she reads by the sea. Listening. Listening to the sounds of the waves. The birds. People shouting indistinctly in the distance. Soaking up the sun. Then softly covered by the clouds. Be still my soul.

Trees. Palm trees sway softly. Tenderly. Hear the birds call. The sun shines brightly against the afternoon’s wave.

The Right Time To Write

‘Tis the right time to write. To pray. To listen to the still small voice. Speak. Help me listen. Help me hear you. Don’t let me miss what you must say.

Peace.

If You Do Not Travel…

If you do not travel,

You start dying slowly

If you do not travel,

If you do not read,

If you do not listen to the sounds of life,

If you do not appreciate yourself.

You start dying slowly

When you kill your self-esteem;

When you do not let others help you.

You start dying slowly

If you become a slave of your habits,

Walking everyday on the same paths…

If you do not change your routine,

If you do not wear different colours

Or you do not speak to those you don’t know.

You start dying slowly

If you avoid to feel passion

And their turbulent emotions;

Those which make your eyes glisten

And your heart beat fast.

You start dying slowly

If you do not change your life when you are not satisfied with your job, or with your love,

If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain,

If you do not go after a dream,

If you do not allow yourself,

At least once in your lifetime,

To run away from sensible advice.

~Martha Medeiros

Hope this speaks to you as it did to me. Hope it inspires you to step out and do something different today. Something that you have been delaying. Something that you have been putting off. It’s time,

Thanks Miss World Runner-Up Yendi Phillips for sharing. I couldn’t resist.

Cheers!

15 Things To Do By Yourself…

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Spending time alone is one of my absolute pleasures. I’m sure I’m not alone. You may also like to do that as well.  A few years ago I shared that I had some planning to do and decided on a whim to jump into my car and drive to the beach. A few hours later, I had mapped out plans for my top goals for the rest of the year! yea! I left feeling totally satisfied to get things done! What seemed like an drilling exercise turned out to be quite productive, in a serene atmosphere.

Self-Care

Jo Chunyan shared a list of things do alone. I decided to pull my top 15 to share.

  1. Journal. Write up a list of things you would love to do. Declare your dreams and intentions or simply empty out all your thoughts into your notebook.
  2. Spend a day at a museum or art gallery
  3. Meditate – sit. Be still and devote time to listen to your spiritual thoughts. Breathe.
  4. Have dinner on your own in a nice restaurant – take time to really enjoy the food
  5. Go for a walk and enjoy breathing the fresh air
  6. See a film at a cinema on your own
  7. Rearrange your wardrobe and discover old clothes again.
  8. Donate old clothes, books and furniture. Make room for the new by clearing out the old.
  9. Go somewhere in the city where you have never been
  10. Give yourself a mini retreat weekend…eat healthy food, go for a massage, spoil yourself and really relax!
  11. Sip a cup of tea and look out the window
  12. Be Athletic. Go for a jog or walk on the beach. Breathe in the salty sea breeze and watch the waves lick the shore.
  13. Study. Sign up for an online course in any topic you have an interest in and learn something new
  14. Take a photo to depict each hour of your day
  15. Travel on your own. Learn something new about yourself.

Can you add any? Do share!

Cheers!

Register now to attend Writers Retreat and boost your writing project

Read. Write. 27 Things I Like…

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As I look over the circus of things I like, I realize that though I enjoy them and they bring me satisfaction, I find myself not doing them as much and in some cases at all. For over two decades I have been caught up in work, work, work. So this prompt helped me pull away and ponder the things I once enjoyed, or get to enjoy on a rare occasion.

But even as I finalize the list I realize that life’s not promised, so I intend to start doing the things I like and stop leaving them for …one day soon.

Watch The Waves By The Sea

That said, the things I like are:

    1. People watch
    2. Explore the world
    3. Simple things
    4. Enjoy a good laugh
    5. Acting | Participating in drama presentations
    6. Wearing a smile
    7. See people mentored achieve their best potential
    8. Watch movies
    9. Write, ponder, reflect
    10. Decorate the house
    11. Go shopping
    12. Watch HGTV | Travel channel
    13. Learn new things
    14. Read
    15. Cook
    16. Enjoy the company of my two young adult kids
    17. Dream of Venice | Alaska
    18. People watch in downtown Disney, Washington DC Parks
    19. Watch the waves by the beach
    20. Nature – stare at birds, squirrels, and circus of trees
    21. Christmas Lights
    22. Look out at the horizon from a hill or mountain
    23. Capturing candid photos (new experience)
    24. Finding a new route after getting lost in a new place (yikes!)
    25. Quiet time
    26. Solving a mystery or a problem
    27. New baby hugs
    28. Listening to that Still Small Voice Of Faith

Any of the above resonate. Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Register now to attend Writers Retreat and boost your writing project.

 

Stop. Sharpen The Saw….

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Stop. Sharpen the saw. Then move ahead. What does it mean too sharpen the saw? The concept arose from celebrated Author Steven Covey who wrote the best selling book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He shared this story to clarify his point:

Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree.

“What are you doing?” you ask.

“Can’t you see?” comes the impatient reply. “I’m sawing down this tree.”

“You look exhausted!” you exclaim. “How long have you been at it?”

“Over five hours,” he returns, “and I’m beat! This is hard work.”

“Well, why don’t you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?” you inquire. “I’m sure it would go a lot faster.”

“I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” the man says emphatically. “I’m too busy sawing!”

 

So the concept to sharpen the saw highlights the point that when you have been going, going, going, and going …and you can’t seem to see any results. Acknowledge that it’s time to stop. It’s time to refresh. It’s time for a break to get the rest you need to start thinking so you can be productive again.

So stop. Sharpen the saw. So you can move ahead.

Cheers!

The Thing About Depression And Suicide: The 10 Signs…

When all seems hopeless

In their careers my friend and her hubby deal with fatalities everyday. She shared an incident of a woman whose car was severely damaged when it crashed into a Guard rail. The woman reported that she was trying to commit Suicide. She survived.

On the other hand my friend’s hubby who is in law enforcement shared reports about a man who after investigation, authorities discovered it was attempted Suicide. He succumbed to his injuries and died.

A Pastor in his message recently shared statistics of the number of police officers who have committed suicide since 2019, in New York. An unbelievable rate of 24% as at mid-year.

Those Who Smile

I share this to ask prayers for those who SMILE or laugh out loud with us outwardly but deep down inside are hurting or depressed due to finances, job loss, relationships, or for one reason or another. Comedian Robin Williams is an example. Anthony Bourdain, celebrity author and travel documentarian is another. Not to mention the silent ones who go crazy with mass shootings of the innocent. All suicides. Sad indeed.

The Signs

WebMD shared these Behavioral warning signs. Read their complete article for further details.

  1. Excessive sadness or moodiness
  2. Hopelessness
  3. Sleep problems
  4. Sudden calmness
  5. Withdrawal
  6. Change in personality or appearance
  7. Dangerous or self harmful behavior
  8. Recent trauma
  9. Making preparations
  10. Threatening suicide

If you are among the depressed, please seek help. Using wisdom, if you recognize the signs in a Friend, relative, or co-worker, don’t wait. Do something. Get the person the professional help they need. Usually they can’t think clearly. Call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number 1-800-273-TALK

When All Seems Helpless, Pray

And while you’re doing all of the above Pray. Pray, and pray even more. Prayer changes things. There’s no doubt about that.

Let’s together do what we can in our small corner. But above all, Keep the Faith.

For God has not given us a spirit of Fear but of Power, Love and a sound mind.

The 10 Key Tips To Beat Workplace Woes…

Some days are just a mess. It’s even worse during prolonged Quarter or month-end report preparations or during times of change. It’s at those times that anything we can do to lessen the stress is welcomed. I fell aghast when I bumped into Amy Jackson’s 10 tips to beat workplace woes repeated by writer Ariana Huffington. Read the full piece here. For those who gotta have a quick peek, here I share the abbreviated list.

  1. Brighten up your Desk (make it personal)
  2. Do Something you enjoy during your Lunch Break (not errands)
  3. Plan things to look forward to (weekend getaways, vacations)
  4. Eat & Drink to boost your mood (water is good)
  5. Meditate (breathe)
  6. Make use of Perks (if you’re lucky to get them…check HR to see what exists)
  7. Chat to your Colleagues
  8. Laugh (look at memes or YouTube video)
  9. Look at your work life balance
  10. Identify if there’s an underlying problem

 

I found this list interesting to beat the workplace woes and I hope you will too. Any burning tip missing? Do share! We would love to hear.

Cheers!

 

INC’s 20 Books TED Speakers Think Everyone Should Read This Summer…

Think before you speak. Read before you think. ~ Fran Lebowitz

Here’s a list of INC’s 20 books Ted speakers think you should read this summer. From the list, below are my top 7 favs that I find intriguing.

1. Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie

2. How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan 

3. The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

4. Becoming by Michelle Obama

5. The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson 

6. The Fifth Trimester by Lauren Smith Brody

7. GreenLight: When God Says Go by Dr. Shelly Cameron

Happy Reading!

Take A Day Away. Separate The Past From The Future…

Every person needs to take one day away.  A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future.  Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence.  Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.  Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.  ~Maya Angelou 

Self-Care: The 4 Attributes…

Take care of you. A member of the writers group and a university administrator complained of a tummy ache, went to urgent care, then rushed to ER. She died of a heart attack by morning.

Take Care of You

Do your best. Breathe. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Just take it easy at work, school, home. Here are four (4) key attributes to sustain you:

  1. Diet. Eat well
  2. Exercise. It is beneficial to your life
  3. Rest. It’s not for the lazy
  4. Think Pure Thoughts

Reflections

So reflect on these four (4) attributes and make an effort to focus on those areas that you need to. Then make it a habit to smile often for it goes deep into your soul. It releases positive vibes. Forget haters. Some people are there just to test you. Don’t give the enemy a foot into your being because life’s too short to dwell on the bad.

Need help? Lets connect.

Cheers!

13 Ways To Find Your Purpose…

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The meaning of life is to find your purpose. The purpose of life is to give it away.  ~Pablo Picasso

Jillee went through some stuff. It’s called life. Through her journey she developed a passion and a will to find her purpose–what she really wanted to do. She did. From her list, I share my top favorite ways how you too can find your purpose and passion in life.

  1. Find out what you hate doing
  2. Love everything you do
  3. Slow down
  4. Make a creativity Board
  5. Make a list of People you admire
  6. Examine the themes in your life
  7. Remember what you loved as a child
  8. Focus on the fun
  9. Write
  10. Try visualization
  11. Own your uniqueness
  12. Ask your friends for feedback on when they see you the happiest
  13. Cultivate Confidence

 

Great list right? Try one, two or a few and find your purpose and passion today. Personally I would also encourage you to look deep into your inner being–your spirituality. But that’s me. Already found yours? Do share, we would love to hear.

Cheers!

Traveling The Seas. Peaceful, Calm And Serene..

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I like the peace and quiet of being at sea. It’s different. ~Rafael Nadal

Waves splash in seemless style. Scattered folks chat gleefully in the distance. The boat’s engine beckons its revolving sound. The weekend rides on with high traffic of boats afloat on the water. Totally relaxed. The sun steams above. People clothed in hats, T’s, shorts, and more, welcoming the light breeze. Sounds get louder…yet not disturbing.

Fish, seawater creatures missing…nowhere in sight. Mountainous hills of water sprout like surfers beneath waves. Ship’s captain steers tourist-filled-boats pass beautiful houses planted on the sea’s edge.  Just imagine the visitor’s delight to rent for a few. Pretty penny, but so worth it. Lovers steal selfies, kisses, and quiet love.

I quietly doze off. Calm, cool, relaxed.

Nice way to spend a quick getaway doing something different…fishing.
Edgewater, Water Taxi, Sovereign, Imagine, Gallant Lady, Waku, Days-Like-This…all boat names… but couldn’t agree more.

Time to chill.

Cheers!

Travel with Intent

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Alex Tafur

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