Friday, December 10, 2010

It’s personal...

I read - A LOT.
Books, magazines, articles, online magazines... When I read something inspiring / thought provoking I write it down, make a note of it on my phone or in most cases I copy the whole article into a Word document.
Recently I’ve decided that I want to share all these interesting things with you lovely people, so I’ve started posting them on my blog or making a Facebook note. But now I have the problem that my photography blog will be filled with mostly articles and I’m worried that people won’t stop by anymore when this blog stops having pretty pictures to look at Smile
For this reason I’ve created a brand new blog where I can post as many articles as I want. In case you’re interested in reading what inspires me / gets me thinking - please visit my new personal blog “In my head, In my heart

P.S. I will still be posting to this blog so please don’t stop popping by... I have a whole lot of photos that I still need to get around to posting...
P.P.S. Next year I’ll be better at regular blogging - I promise Open-mouthed smile

 

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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Perspective

So I was sitting there in the bar and this guy comes up to me and he said "My life stinks" and I saw his gold credit card and I saw the way he was looking at people across the room and I looked at his face and you know, what a good looking face, and I just said, "Dude, your perspective on life sucks".
~ Mika: Blame it on the Girls ~

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Monday, December 6, 2010

Do You Lack Enthusiasm?

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The secret of staying young of heart is found in this article. Learn it well.
By Hector M. Earle

RALPH WALDO EMERSON once wrote, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." An enthusiastic attitude enables us to hang in there when the going gets tough. It's the inner drive that whispers, "I can do it!" when others believe it can't be done. It is a common quality that inventors, explorers, and other high achievers have in order to do great things. Barbara Bartocci, in the May 1988 edition of Catholic Digest wrote, "Enthusiastic people turn a boring drive into an adventure, extra work into opportunity and strangers into friends."

Stay Young of Heart
Have you ever seen an infant delight at the jingling of a rattle, or a toddler's joy at watching the hopping of a frog? This childlike wonder, fuelled by enthusiasm, is the same quality that has separated high achievers from everyone else. Their enthusiasm is not measured by their biological age. Instead, it is enthusiasm for life that is the catalyst for their youthful energy and drive. Pablo Casals thought of music as an elixir that made his life a never-ending adventure well into his nineties. An enthusiastic outlook has helped Bob Delmonteque maintain his intensity and excitement for health and fitness after almost six decades of working out.
It has been said that nobody grows old merely by living a given number of years; people grow old by deserting their ideals. Years wrinkle the skin, but giving up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt, and self-distrust bow the head and turn the spirit back to dust.
Marjorie Greenbie once wrote: "You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair."
Our minds act like a receiver, and as long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, and cheer, you are young at heart (Philippians 4:8-9). However, when our enthusiasm falters, and our thoughts become obscured with doubts and fears, our heart becomes covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism. Then, as Marjorie Greenbie pointed out, you are "as old as your despair."

Avoid Spiritual Wrinkles
It is interesting to note that the word enthusiasm derives its meaning from the Greek words "God within." Having God's spirit and attitude within us brings about enthusiasm for the spiritual things like loving God, loving our fellow human beings, and loving what we are called to do (Galatians 5:22-23).
To love what we do is the very essence of enthusiasm. What can be more exhilarating than knowing that we are created in the very image of God, called out of this world to be his instruments and destined to be with him forever in the Kingdom of God? It should put a sparkle in our eyes, a jump in our step, and smooth out the wrinkles from our spirit.
Youthful vigour and enthusiasm is a gift from God to those he has called to rule with Him someday in the Kingdom of God. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). That says it all.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

A Child’s Worth

clip_image002That hat meant a lot to me, but what was I saying to the kid who crushed it?
By W. Fred Crow

I WAS IN OAKHURST, CALIFORNIA, working at a United Youth Camp during my vacation the last week of June.
I was the water supervisor and lifeguard down at Bass Lake and every one of the 174 campers visited "Fred's World" at least twice during the week. Speed boats, skiing, inner tubes and great water--being located at the lake all day was nice duty...long hours but nice duty.

In the hot seat
When I returned to my lifeguard station after one lunch break I found that one of the young fellows had grabbed my seat. I chased the little rascal away with a good-natured grin. I had one of the best locations for visibility, and seemingly the only comfortable chair on the lake front. It figured that one of the fellows would try to snatch it from me.
Being in my chair was not really a problem. That was, until I looked down and saw that the young man had sat without looking, and had crushed my Panama Jack straw hat and my sun glasses.
Arrgh! That hat had been with me for years and years. It had travelled with me everywhere-- Alaska, Hawaii, the West Coast, the East Coast, down the Florida Keys and aboard cruise ships... I loved that hat!
Why, I took that little #$%^& aside and beat him sens... well, no. That may have been an immediate impulse, but instead I grumbled loudly for a bit letting everyone know I wasn't the happiest of souls. Then, putting emotion aside, my sanity took over.
I did take the young fellow aside. Having seen his face fall while I was emotionally grousing over his mistake, I wanted him to know that he was worth more than the hat ever would be, and I apologized for my error. I wanted him to know that sitting on my hat was a mistake, but the hat was "just a thing" (my favourite phrase) and I valued him more than any old twisted and formed straw fedora. We make mistakes, we learn from mistakes, we grow from mistakes, but we are not our mistakes.
I also realized it's similar to driving defensively. I should have expected someone might sit in my chair, so I should have placed the hat and glasses out of harm's way. Lesson learned.

What's it worth?
Another lesson learned: By our reactions we sometimes give children the message that they are not worth a glass of spilled milk, a misplaced sock, a broken window or a crushed hat. Very quickly they pick up the message about their worth compared to what's important to their parents and other adults. If we act as if the world came to an end when milk is spilled, what do we do for an encore if something serious were to occur?
Kids make mistakes--that's a simple fact. After guiding two young people to age 22, I can rightly attest this to be true. It happens. Kids goof up. It's normal. But that doesn't remove them from the list of the most valued resources on the planet!
A misplaced sock, broken window, spilled milk or crushed hat is not the end of the world. What is important is that the child knows that he or she is valued unconditionally.
This was a lesson in perspective and understanding. I have a usable but damaged hat (yep, I'm still wearing it) that enjoys a deeper history, and, in spite of the mistake, that young fellow knows I value him--more than just a hat.
We need always to keep in mind that mistakes of young people may inconvenience us, distract us and disappoint us, but their mistakes should not diminish their value in our lives.
Our response to their mistakes needs to be in tune with what's needed to help them understand and grow. Our young people need to know, through our words and deeds, that they are worth all the time and energy it takes to work with them and encourage them. They should know through our unconditional love that they are worth more than an old, well-worn, well-travelled hat.